Old Vines – Modern Wines! Hay Shed Hill is a premier winery located in Willyabrup – the heart of the Margaret River wine region. A rare gem of a site with gravelly gentle north facing slopes, high on the ridge, receiving the cooling influence of the Indian Ocean sea breeze and the cool Nor Easterly across Geographe Bay. Respected winemaker and owner, Michael Kerrigan is making fresh and vibrant wines from this iconic vineyard. Kerrigan has lifted the quality of the wines to reflect the outstanding vineyard site and for the past three years has been awarded a five star rating by James Halliday.

Independent sommeliers Dan Sims and Ben Edwards take a look at some of the best of Western Australia’s recent offerings, featuring Hay Shed Hill’s 2009 ‘Block 1′ Semillon Sauvignon Blanc:

Hay Shed Hill

One of the ‘Best of the Best’ and 5/5 red star winery
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2011

“With 30-year-old plantings at his disposal, Kerrigan has understandably set his sights on producing classic “old vine” Margaret River wines.”
John Fordham, Sunday Telegraph, March 2008

“The blessings are starting to flow from Mike Kerrigan’s incarnation as winemaker at HSH, and this SSB is a brilliant start!”
Tyson Stelzer, WBM100, Jan 2008

“He’s [Michael Kerrigan] one of the very best of the very best…”
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, Nov 2006

Hay Shed Hill Cabernet Sauvignon

Gold Medal (2008 vintage)
International Wine Challenge 2010, London

Wine of the Week and 93/100 points (2008 vintage)
“This well established Margaret River winery is now in the capable hands of the former Howard Park winemaker Mike Kerrigan and the wines are better than ever. The ’08 vintage is another excellent one for reds in this area, making two in a row. Sweet berry-fruit aromas are complemented by a lick of eucalyptus/mint and the fruit flavour is lush on the palate, where the wine has depth and elegance, fine-grained tannins and good persistence. Already a charming wine, it will – I suspect be relatively early maturing. Drink now to 2022.”
Huon Hooke, Sydney Morning Herald, Good Living, June 2010

“Faultless and pure…” (2008 vintage)
“Faultess and pure is this spectacularly well-priced cabernet from Margaret River. Winemaker Michael Kerrigan reveals he understands the essence of cabernet with this wine. The fruit is perfectly ripe and is both varietally and regionally expressive. The flavours are concentrated, the structure elegant and the tannins fine.”
Toni Paterson MW, Qantas Magazine, June 2010

4/5 stars (2008 vintage)
“A rather herbal statement in Margaret River cabernet, this deeply coloured red opens with some leafy, minty overtones to intense blackcurranty fruit and a balanced subdued oak influence. Less classically regional than the ’07, its flavour is tart and penetrating, with medium body. It finishes with fine tannins and a herby aftertaste. Ageing? Yes, two to six years.”
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age, Epicure, Feb 2010

94/100 points (2007 vintage)
James Halliday

“picture perfect Margaret River cabernet” (2007 vintage)
“…is a belter of a wine at the price, but this single-block offering is picture perfect Margaret River cabernet (…) If you enjoy a top-tier Margaret River cabernet, this one takes some beating.”
Campbell Mattinson, Aug/Sept 2009

Hay Shed Hill ‘Block 2’ Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the ‘Best of the Best by variety’ and 95/100 points (2008 vintage)
“The stellar 2008 Margaret River vintage is on full display in this wine; pure blackcurrant, olive and tobacco leaf give over to a fleshy, full-bodied and generous mouthful of pure Cabernet fruit; couple this to a thrilling backbone of acidity, silky fine-grained tannins and you have a wine that will excite at any stage of development…”
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2011

95/100 points (2008 vintage)
“May well be the best cabernet yet from this vineyard.  A very powerful and concentrated cabernet with ripe tannins and ample cedary oak worked into the thick dense fruit.  It’s a wine with great structure and potential to age.  Around 10 years would be just right for this wine.”
Ray Jordan, West Weekend, The West Australian, April 2010

93/100 points (2008 vintage)
“There is great fruit persistence hidden in the depths of this wine, but it’s going to take a decade for it to show itself.  Structured and chiseled, it’s built around super-fine, textural tannins, excellent oak balance and vibrant acidity.”
Tyson Stelzer, Wine100, July 2010

4/5 stars (2007 vintage)
Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Age, Epicure, Dec 2009

Hay Shed Hill Cabernet Merlot

92/100 points (2008 vintage)
“A highly polished bouquet of redcurrant, blackcurrant and a touch of cedar; medium-bodied with plenty of flesh, fine-grained tannins and satisfyingly persistent flavour.”
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2011

91/100 points (2008 vintage)
“A bargain Margaret River quaffer with the structure to develop for the medium term. An elegant and honed style with an attractive profile of blackcurrant fruit, dark chocolate and mint.”
Tyson Stelzer, Wine100, June 2010

Hay Shed Hill ‘Block 1’ Semillon Sauvignon Blanc

One of the ‘Best of the Best by variety’ and 94/100 points (2009 vintage)
“Offers a totally seamless fusion of citrus, guava and lemongrass with subtle barrel ferment French oak inputs, underwritten by mineral and lemon acidity; excellent length…”
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2011

94/100 points (2009 vintage)
“You’d never guess that this has been fermented and matured in French oak barriques, such is the zesty purity and freshness of its lemon and lime fruit. It has an air of cool restraint and textural minerality and it lacks nothing in line and drive. A seamlessly crafted wine from Master Kerrigan.”
Tyson Stelzer, Wine100, June 2010

91-92/100 points (2009 vintage)
“Savoury, food friendly, beautifully fresh and crisp.  A great luncheon wine…”
Ben Edwards, The Wine Guide, Cheers TV Episode # 9, Crikey.com.au, June 2010

“One of the finest examples…” (2009 vintage)
“These old, unirrigated vines are a wonderful resource. Creamy, thick and vibrant with a long finish. One of the finest examples of this style from this year.”
Ray Jordan

Hay Shed Hill ‘Block 6’ Chardonnay

95/100 points (2009 vintage)
“…the palate is incredibly fresh, and the acidity quite racy and fine, with a long, fine and even finish to the wine…”
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2011

93/100 points (2009 vintage)
“Barrel fermented in French barriques, any hint of oak is completely subsumed by the lean citrus fruit in this zesty, fruit driven style. Fine minerality supports its flavours of fresh grapefruit, white peach and passionfruit. Time in the cellar will unfold its complexity.”
Tyson Stelzer, Wine100, June 2010

“Fabulous” (2008 vintage)
“This is fabulous; full of line and length, and destined to drink beautifully given another year or three’s rest in a cool, dark place. It’s a good example of the new quality regime at Hay Shed Hill.”
Campbell Mattinson, Gourmet Traveller Wine, Collections Edition, Wines to Watch, Aug/Sept 2009

Hay Shed Hill Chardonnay

“Love it”
93/100 points (2009 vintage)
“…this latest release chardonnay from Margaret River winery Hay Shed Hill is a steal at $25.  Margaret River chardonnay has a richness – no matter how early you pick it. Or so it sometimes seems. This has peachy, grapefruity grunt and yet through the finish it’s lean and lemony. Lovely sense of finesse throughout. Juicy. Lots of length. Love it.”
Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front, June 2010

96/100 points (Rated equal 2nd highest chardonnay) (2008 vintage)
“Notwithstanding the same modest alcohol as Pitchfork, has much greater intensity of flavour and also length; while barrel fermented in French oak (11 months’ maturation) fruit, rather than oak, drives the wine.”
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2010

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