2021 Chardonnay Margaret River

In October 2021, I stopped in for half a day at Moss Wood and tasted through the Chardonnays (estate and Ribbon Vale) and Cabernets (estate and Ribbon Vale) from barrel, to help me better understand the spectrum of coopers and their impact on the finished wines. So, having looked at this wine two years ago, broken down into four different components, I can see how this finished product came to be this way. There was plenty of rain about in 2021, and the later-picked Moss Wood Chardonnay fruit benefited from some extra hang time after the first deluge in early to mid-February. The 2021 Chardonnay is concentrated and nutty and littered with roasted pineapple, citrus flesh, creamed cashew, red apples and clotted cream. Loads of acid mingling with the fruit. This is a deep, rich wine, consistent with the Moss Wood Chardonnay style. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.