Moss Wood Autrement Pinot Noir 2025

Every year, one hears the same question. Why are they bothering with Pinot Noir in Margaret River? The answer is that they have customers who love the wine and buy it every year. Also, one suspects that they enjoy making it (they have been doing so since 1977, so if they don’t, that would raise even more questions). Their vineyard was planted in 1973, making it one of the oldest Pinot vineyards in the country. Do we need any other reasons? Besides, while the wine may not rival a great vintage of la Tache, it is always well crafted and thoroughly enjoyable. The name, ‘Autrement’, means ‘in another way’, which one also suspects is their way of poking some gentle fun at the naysayers. After hand sorting, 30% of the fruit, sourced from the Karridale sub-region, is fermented as whole bunches, the remainder destemmed. Maturation is in barrel for fifteen months, 18% new oak. Pale russet with a crimson edge, this is a savoury and rather earthy style of Pinot Noir with notes of animal flesh, kirsch, charcuterie, mushrooms, red fruits notably cherries, root vegetables and leaf litter. A sappy palate with juicy acidity, the wine is of medium length and exhibiting good freshness at this stage. Drinking a little earlier than some of their releases, it would be ideal anytime over the rest of this decade.