The Moss Wood team perceive a commonality between vintages 2003 and 1983. Warm years and early vintage. Perhaps the only notable difference is the inclusion of Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc in 2003. These add lively fragrances to the nose and additional length and structure to the palate.

Grapes are destemmed and conveyed into open fermenters for seeding with select yeasts. Temperatures were maintained at around 30C and the tanks plunged four times daily. The wine was left on skins for a fortnight and tasted daily to monitor the progress. Each batch was pressed when the finest tannin and fruit balance had been achieved. The wine was then transferred to barrels for malolactic, after which it was racked, adjusted and returned to barrel for aging. All the barriques used were French, half of them new, predominately from Tonnellerie Remond in Burgundy. At the end of the first year, batches were tasted, assembled and the finished wine returned to barrel for a second year of aging. Alcohol 14.5%