SEVENHILL
CURRENT RELEASES

2023 ‘Inigo’ Riesling

93 POINTS - “Vivacious & easy drinking riesling with a quintessential regional feel. Strong in its currency of lemon/lime citrus attributes, a crunch of green apple, some pink grapefruit zing & lifted, flirty floral notes in the mix. All of this just-so & well done. While not delivering huge complexity, there's enough textural nuance & energy here to find easy appeal among riesling enthusiasts of all shapes & sizes.” Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY, Aug ‘24

93 POINTS - “Lime juice, a bit of mineral, white peach & aniseed/spice. It’s a juicy white fleshed wine, with a little stony texture, fennel & white flower perfume, some lemon peel, & a soft and chalky finish of good length. Good balance, & very nice to drink.” Gary Walsh, WINEFRONT, Nov ‘23

2023 ‘27 MILES’ RIESLING

95 POINTS - “Pale straw & bright in the glass. Lovely lifted aromas of lemon pith, citrus blossom, jasmine, wet slate & lime leaf. Driven & tightly coiled in flavour. All punchy, pithy citrus supported by racy, rapier-like acidity. Slaty, focused & built for the long haul.”
Aaron Brasher, THE REAL REVIEW, Apr ‘24

94 POINTS - “The '27 Miles' refers to the distance the Jesuits walked from Sevenhill to Burra to sell produce there. A fair way! This is an intense & tightly coiled expression, pleasingly chalky in texture & a treatise to restraint & purity of fruit. Pink grapefruit, just ripe green apples, faint ginger, barely-there lychee & quite a good deal of strong talc & flinty mineral characters in the mix. It sits in the palate with grip & pucker, refreshing with each sip. It's understatement is hugely appealing, & the sense of delicacy, despite quiet power, seals the deal.” Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY, Aug ‘24

2021 ‘Spires lament’ viognier

93 POINTS - “Viognier on a higher level here. It’s fragrant & floral, pretty & slick, shows concentration & a minerally bent while delivering classic characters of ripe apricot, cashew savouriness & light honeyed notes. Feels sumptuous & yet frisky with acidity - a medium weight white with all its ducks in a row. Delightful drinking.”
Mike Bennie, WINE BUSINESS MONTHLY, Oct ‘22

93 POINTS - “Not hard to see why Clare Valley winemakers are singing the praises of this vintage. Spicy lime infused aromas with a fine minerality & crunchy wet pebble combo on the nose. The palate is fine & linear as you expect with this variety but there is a nice textural feel which doesn’t compromise the linear palate tension. Slightly talcy acidity help to sustain a very long finish.” Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22

2021 ‘Open Range’ Grenache

🏆 TROPHY - BEST GRENACHE, ROYAL SYDNEY WINE SHOW 2023

97 POINTS - “This wonderful Clare Valley Grenache comes from very old vines on this historic vineyard. Energy: that’s what you feel from the first encounter of this wine. Lifted fruit of rose petal & rosewater with a subtle touch of confectionery. The palate is medium bodied but, oh my, there’s so much going on in there before a seamlessly integrated & vibrant finish.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Dec ‘22

93 POINTS - “From a 1920-planted vineyard & a heritage clone of grenache. The wine sees one-third of the ferment kept as whole bunches. There's lots of white pepper & aromatic green herb elements overlaid on ripe cherry, cassis & game meat characters – the bouquet & palate reverberate these notes succinctly. It's got tension & drive, with a compact feel in the palate despite potency & concentration. Definitively a bigger, bolder expression of grenache, but all glued together & stretched so long & so well. Athletic expression, done with aplomb.”
Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, Feb ‘23

93 POINTS - “Vines planted in 1920, & I’ll tell you, Clare Valley Grenache is a rare treasure. And who knew Sevenhill had these resources? Like OV Grenache?

Red cherry, mint & camphor, green herb & sage, something of a hazelnut character too, white pepper & game meat. It’s dry & distinctly spicy, all dusted with peppery tannin, cherry & pomegranate, shows some warmth of alcohol, but gee it has some energy too, all umami/nutty, quite bony, plenty of herb & paprika, & a firm finish of excellent length.”
Gary Walsh, WINEFRONT, Oct ‘23

93 POINTS - “Saturated purple-red colour. The nose shows plenty of extract yet real finesse. Red berries & plums are at the core with floral, herb & lightly meaty varietal overtones. It has a round, seamless palate of good depth, lightly framed in barrel influence & supported by dry, fine-grained tannins. Lovely mouthfeel. Will blossom with age”
Ralph Kyte-Powell, THE REAL REVIEW, Dec ‘22

2022 ‘OPEN RANGE’ GRENACHE

94 POINTS - “From a heritage clone of grenache & 100-plus year old vineyard. The 2022 Open Range Grenache dials in as a lighter, fresher expression with a vibrant ruby hue. Scents of tart cherry, cranberry, raspberry licorice with woody spices, clove & some pencil shavings. The palate is vibrant & lively with its crunch of blood orange acidity & sour cherry fruitiness & comes with a seasoning of cinnamon spice & twiggy oak character. Tannins weave firm & dusty through the wine, drawing it long. A succulent, just on medium weight expression with brightness & finesse on its side. Very lovely.”
Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY, Jun ‘24

2019 ‘BR. JOHN MAY RESERVE’ Shiraz

95 POINTS - “This is serious gear. So deep, so dark, so potent & yet, stellar balance. Dark cherry, mocha & espresso characters amongst ripe plum, choc-orange, brined black olive & leafy, minty elements between bouquet & palate. Rich, satiny, very concentrated & finishes way, way into the distance. All the while finding an even keel between fruit ripeness, spice, wood seasoning & freshness. Formidable shiraz, done righteously.”
Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, May ‘23

2019 ‘Quarry Road’ Cabernet Malbec

95 POINTS - “Cabernet sauvignon (77%), malbec (18%), cabernet franc (5%); 15 days on skins thence to used French hogsheads for 7 mths. An attractive medium to full-bodied palate reaffirming the Clare Valley’s synergy with this graceful Bordeaux blend.”
James Halliday, AUSTRALIAN FINANCIAL REVIEW, Jul ‘22

94 POINTS - “Here is one of the quintessential Clare Valley combinations – cabernet sauvignon & malbec. They are two compatible bedfellows &, when made into this elegant medium bodied red, work in perfect synergy. Blackcurrant, bay leaf & a slightly ironstone character emerge. Brilliant & vibrant with a perfumed lift on the nose. Impeccable.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22

93 POINTS - “Beautifully paced' at medium weight, supple with a weave of silky yet guiding tannins, fragrant with cassis, boysenberry, game meat, briar & minty herbal notes. Flavours tend to darker berries, plum, a touch of espresso & more of that lifted herbal character. it’s a great expression of Clare.”
Mike Bennie, WINE BUSINESS MONTHLY, Jul ‘22

92 POINTS - “Bright purple & very youthful in the glass. Aromas of plum, blackberry, pastilles, eucalyptus, dried herbs & a touch of leafiness. The flavours are bold, satsuma plum, cedar, dark cherry, dark chocolate, ironstone & a touch of meatiness. The tannins are serious & structured & give the wine firmness, grip & savouriness. A sleeper.”
Aaron Basher, THE REAL REVIEW, Nov ‘21

2020 ‘ST IGnatius’ cabernet blend

94 POINTS - “Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec & cabernet franc all play a hand in this wine. A refined expression of cabernet(s): silky smooth, finely tuned with graphite-laced tannins, concentrated & inky but with a fresh finish way down the line. It's fragrant too, loads of dark berry, violets, tobacco & pencil shavings to sniff on. It feels controlled & tightly wound, drinking well now (though needs a big decant), but a future prospect for the patient amongst us.”
Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY, Jul ‘23

2020 ‘Vaulted Cellar’ Shiraz

94 POINTS - “Warm & rich expression of shiraz with ripe plum, dried cranberry, truffle, licorice & a fine dusting of bitter cocoa powder over the top – nice perfume, works well in the palate. Thick & round, soft & long, there is great potency to taste, palate-staining qualities, sweet fruit, spice & a nutty finish. Feels high-class, with power & grace.”
Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, Feb ‘23

94 POINTS - “A first rate illustration of the continuing refinement of these Clare Valley reds. This is loaded with ripe plummy black fruits. Then there’s an earthiness that certainly comes from the vineyard. The oak is well managed to complement & not dominate with grainy tannins adding structure.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Dec ‘22

93 POINTS - “The name comes from the old cellar, the vaulted cellar, which was excavated by hand in the late 1850s. It is beneath the winery & the place where the journey began for Sevenhill. The fruit hails from a block behind the winery planted in 1973, itself named in honour of Brother Francis Lenz, the winemaker here between 1883 & 1888; the vines remain unirrigated. The grapes are crushed into open slate fermenters for a cool ferment, hand-plunged twice daily. Basket pressing ten days after fermentation, the wine then spends 20 months in new French oak hogsheads, 40% new. Near opaque purple in colour, the nose weaves through an alluring array of blackfruits & blueberries with notes of coffee beans, warm earth & a little chocolate. Supple in texture, it has a seamless structure & an appealing richness throughout. This is a full-flavoured style with bright acidity, fine tannins & very good length. Drink over the next six to eight years.” Ken Gargett, WINEPILOT, Dec ‘22

2020 ‘Thatch & Clay’ TOURIGA

94 POINTS - “This traditional Portuguese port variety is used increasingly to make marvellously easy drinking, approachable red wines, & this one is a cracking good wine for drinking over the next few years. For me, the key is to drink while it is still so alive & vibrant with primary red fruit characters. Raspberry & slightly juby aromas with a bright lively high fidelity palate. The slightly chalky thread of tannins sets it off nicely.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22

2021 ‘Inigo’ Barbera

94 POINTS - “Selectiv’ machine–harvested, crushed, six days' on skins; mlf in tank, matured in French hogsheads (20% new) for three months. Vivid crimson-purple hue. Another example of winemaker Will Shields' intelligence & dexterity. Ultra-fragrant red berries sweep through the long, light- to medium-bodied palate, giving this the character (being texture & structure) of grenache or pinot noir.”
James Halliday, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, Nov ‘22

2020 ‘Inigo’ Cabernet Sauvignon

94 POINTS - “Estate blend (planted 1975–2009) of 87/8/3/2% cabernet sauvignon/ruby cabernet/cabernet franc/shiraz. Selectiv'-machine harvested, 10 days on skins, & matured in French hogsheads (16% new). An unexpectedly fragrant & fresh wine; red berry & blackberry flavours shape the medium-bodied palate.”
James Halliday, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, Jun ‘23

93 POINTS - “The team source the fruit for this Cab from a number of blocks. The usual method for this wine is that the smaller & older parcels of fruit go to open slate fermenters, with twice daily plunging, while the larger blocks have their fruit ferment in stainless steel. After blending, the wine then spends another year in French oak hogsheads, 15% of which are new. Opaque purple, this is immediately more formal in its structure. The aromas & flavours weave through dark chocolate, blackcurrants, tobacco leaf notes & hints of oak that are well integrated. Very good length & with balance, this wine offers a powerful palate. It is quite tannic, with firm, abundant tannins. A quality Clare Cabernet, there is room here for this wine to improve further so while good now it will surely be better in four to six years.”
Ken Gargett, WINEPILOT, Jul ‘22

92+ POINTS - “Soft, berried fruit flavour rolls amicably through the palate, pleasing as it goes. Blackcurrant, violets, eucalypt & cedar notes do the talking &, in the context of warmth, do a good job of maintaining an impression of both freshness & life. The aromas here are particularly enticing; perfectly ripened berry fruit.”
Campbell Mattinson, WINEFRONT, Sep ‘22

2021 ‘INIGO’ SHIRAZ

91 POINTS - “A succulent mix of dark berries, some aniseed, dark chocolate & coffee, a slight floral top note. It’s medium to full-bodied, juicy dark fruits, maybe some Turkish apricot, a smooth web of tannin, pleasing balance, with a finish of good length. Easy to get along with.”
Gary Walsh, WINEFRONT, Nov ‘23

2021 ‘INIGO’ GRENACHE

92 POINTS - “Far too easy to lose sight of cracking Grenache wines from around the country if they do not hail from either the Barossa Valley or McLaren Vale, & yet there are some stunners from regions like the Clare. This is a fine example. The wine spent a short period of time in stainless steel for maturation, so what we have here is pure, delicious Grenache fruit, unencumbered by oak. The vines, to the west of the winery, are estimated to have been planted in the 1920s. Magenta/purple in colour, the aroma is immediately reminiscent of a handful of Clare’s warm earth. Mix in some red fruits, most notable cherries, along with herbs, spices, plums & raspberries. Very good length here & soft, gentle tannins. This is a delicious example of Grenache & more evidence as to why Aussie Grenache is the current flavour of the month, worldwide. Terrific value.”
Ken Gargett, WINEPILOT, Jul ‘22

91 POINTS - “Intensely fragrant with distinct aromas of rose petal & raspberry. There’s a little spice & a touch of typical subtle earthiness adding that final touch of complexity. The palate is medium to light bodied but oh there is so much in there with its sweet spicy fruit simply singing off the palate. Bright & cheery, this is made for drinking over the next few years.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22

2021 ‘Inigo’ MALBEC

92 POINTS - “Malbec is a variety that does rather well in Clare, especially as a major blending component with cabernet. Still this one does it solo, & it does it well. Lots of the distinctive red floral fruits on the nose have that stamp of malbec. Bright & alive on a high energy palate with plenty of ripe red fruit characters with chalky tannins & understated oak in support. Will handle another few years in the cellar if you wish.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22

PREVIOUS RELEASES

2022 ‘27 Miles’ Riesling

95 POINTS - “As we find so often with the very best Rieslings, the intervention by the winemakers has been kept to a minimum. Another superb Clare Riesling from a sensational vintage, which you can happily enjoy now for its vibrancy & life or cellar it with confidence. Fifteen years will not be a problem for a good cellar. The wine is a shining pale yellow. We have notes of spices, florals – not least, touches of jasmine – & lemons, with a steely background & hints of minerals. It is immediately appealing, giving hints of the pleasure to come. Balanced & with focused drive for the full length, there is bright acidity along for the journey. Taut, with great finesse & length, this is a stunning Riesling.”
Ken Gargett, WINEPILOT, Dec ‘22

94 POINTS - “A traditional expression of Clare Riesling done righteously. It's very citrusy, tart & refreshing. High in floral, citrus & flinty perfume. The palate is really tight, with shy juiciness coming into play too. Fruity sweetness? Barely there, but apparent. It's a very acid-driven style but manages to find all the surrounding elements to weigh up against each other well. Drink now? Sure, but this one really is for the cellar to let it relax & unwind. Classy stuff regardless.”
Mike Bennie, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, Mar ‘23

2021 ‘27 Miles’ Riesling

94 POINTS - “This is a parcel selection of the oldest & best vines. The wine is super-delicate, restrained & taut. It doesn't have the plump generosity of the Inigo, but the key indicator of quality is to be found in the length of flavour. While very quiet, it is enduring. A layered wine of tension & poise.”
Erin Larkin, 2023 HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION

2020 ‘Open Range’ Grenache

95 POINTS - “Pert, lifted, & vibrant grenache, this has spice aplenty, with layers of flavour & texture to spare. Raspberry, sarsaparilla, even hints of chinotto emerge in the mouth, all of it coming together & tailing out over a long finish.”
Erin Larkin, THE WINE COMPANION, Aug ‘22

2022 ‘Inigo’ Riesling

🏆 TROPHY - BEST AUSTRALIAN DRY WHITE, 2022 IWSC HONG KONG

93 POINTS - “Quartz white in hue, as it should be. The bouquet with dusty, minerally notes wrapped around green apple nuances, the palate heading into familiar Meyer lemon flavours.”
James Halliday, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, Sep ‘22

2019 ‘Inigo’ Cabernet Sauvignon

93 POINTS - “Cabernet is another variety that does well in Clare. This is a slightly juicy & certainly fruit driven cabernet with a stack of blackcurrant showing through on the nose & particularly the palate which has an ever so slight assertiveness with a little dark chocolate & mint also evident. It’s smooth with a slightly firm finish; but hey, that’s often cabernet, & you want it to make a statement.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22

2020 ‘INIGO’ SHIRAZ

93 POINTS - “The 2020 Inigo Shiraz was made with estate-grown fruit. There are eight different blocks that come into the winery; a number of them are sold off to other producers, the rest is kept for Sevenhill. A number of the vines are as old as 1860; the majority of fruit that goes into this cuvée is from vines with an average age 50+ years. Lots of the clonal material at Sevenhill is Heritage clone. There was a spate of plantings in the 1970s, which were from cuttings from the old heritage vines. 2020 was low yielding & mellow in the context of Sevenhill, & this wine is both savoury & plush, tannic & fine. There is graphite tannin & slatey complexity, but it also has a meaty, peppery character—not unlike pepper-rolled pastrami. This was fermented in the old slate fermenters & basket pressed. Elegant.”
Erin Larkin, THE WINE ADVOCATE, Sep ‘22

93 POINTS - “Needless to say, shiraz has been a strong suit at this old Clare winery, & this one from what turned out to be a pretty good vintage in the region provides proof positive. Sumptuous & almost syrupy with wonderful palate texture & weight. Lots of dark plummy fruit with a little clove & spice. The oak is well managed & the tannins fine & slightly ferrous. Excellent wine.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22

2019 ‘ST IGnatius’ cabernet blend

95 POINTS - “An ecumenical blend of estate-planted 52/28/14/6% cabernet/merlot/malbec/cab franc. 10 days on skins & 19 mths in French hogsheads (40% new). The colour & bouquet open up with plenty on show, but it's the full-bodied palate that sweeps all before it, the oak particularly feisty & the black fruits complex & commanding.”
James Halliday, HALLIDAY WINE COMPANION, Nov ‘22

95 POINTS - “The St Ignatius blend has always been a prestige wine for this operation but it has surprisingly remained a little under the radar. It deserves better, always a star… This release is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Malbec & 6% Cabernet Franc, which is largely typical. Each variety was fermented separately, in either open slate fermenters or stainless steel tanks. The wine was blended before returning to French oak puncheons, 35% of which were new, for a further 10 months barrel maturation. An opaque maroon in colour, this wine offers a gorgeously appealing nose, already more complete & balanced than say the Cabernet, as good as it is. The melding seems more advanced, even at this early stage. There are notes of herbs, blackberries, cigar boxes, chocolate & spices with very well integrated oak. This is finely balanced, complex & with cashmere tannins. A wine looking at a decade of improvement if you wish, & a long plateau thereafter. Exceptional & great value.”
Ken Gargett, WINEPILOT, Jul ‘22

95 POINTS - “A wine that is a tribute to the Jesuit Order which founded this historic winery & vineyard back in 1851. It’s a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec, & cabernet franc. Bright red fruits on the nose with a little spice & floral fragrances. The palate is supported by grainy tannins & ample oak with a strong flavour profile. It is a wine with the power & structure to handle extended cellaring.”
Ray Jordan, WINEPILOT, Jun ‘22