June 18, 2016
The Sevenhill Brother John May 2010 Reserve Shiraz makes another appropriate statement about longevity, as this is a huge, ripe and rich Shiraz at 15.5% alcohol, yet has found great balance and composure over five years’ maturation in barrel and bottle. Dense, dark plum compote characters abound with mouth-filling structure and concentration.
November 2016
Maturing aroma with a sweet lime edge, rather than brown lime. In the mouth, exotic white fruits, juicy balanced, sweet fruited, long fine acids and lovely even flavours from tip to back. Complex white fruits and citrus on the finish. A step up on previous vintages. 94 points
November 2016
This is a penetrating red that speaks of its terrior. It’s a Bordeaux-style mélange of 45 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, 27 per cent Merlot, 15 per cent Malbec and 13 per cent Cabernet Franc. Structure and poise are its hallmarks, with an intense bouquet of dark berries, fresh mocca beans and overtones of warm earth and polished leather. Rich and concentrated with flavours of fried sour cherries and bitter chocolate, its fine pumice-like tannins will ensure it will age gracefully for a decade or more.
November 2016
These wines are stepping up in freshness and quality. Very well made complex layers of Cabernet black fruits, with violets, black currant shades of mulberry, cooked raspberry and date on the edge. The fruit is long; tannins from soft to grainy, linear flavours gather momentum, black currant in the middle palate,, mulberry, Malbec juicy and a savoury lift at the end. 93 points
August 11, 2016
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc. This take size and makes it neat, manageable, presentable, perfectly suitable for any table, anywhere. None of this of course does anything to lessen its considerable size, here expressed as fierce intensity of blackberried fruit, but it adds layers, as do chunky bolts of tannin. 95 points
June 18, 2016
The Sevenhill 2013 St Ignatius is, in Brother John May’s terms, a “Bordeaux/Pomerol” style. This is still very tightly wound, so a long decant is best to reveal its briar/blackberry bush/dusty oak set of smells that spills into a rich, full-bodied, mouth-coating mix of dark fruits, black olive and black tea set of flavours and textures. Five to 10 years in the cellar will benefit further.
September 20, 2016
Very deep, concentrated red/purple colour, the aroma likewise concentrated and powerful, with liberal oak and blueberry, violet fruit. A hint of machine oil from super-ripe fruit. Medium to full body, tight and firm, with surprising elegance, and a long finish. This will repay a bit of cellar-time. 92 points
December 2015
This is, of course, the time of year when millions of people around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. That's why it's called Christmas, after all. And you're not going to let anyone forget that. Which is why you've poured yourself a glass of 2013 St Ignatius, a magnificent, righteous cabernet blend made by the Jesuit community of Sevenhill.
November 2016
Really bright and fresh, quite different, vivid red fruits, appealing leafy Cabernet with rosemary-like edge. The herbal leafy note is picked up on the palate, which has lovely Cabernet structure running long and fine, not fat, with appealing cranberry, minty black-currant fruits. A real step up. 93 points
December 1, 2016
Summarising the White Wine $20-$25 in his Summer Drinks Guide, Ray said there were “some super wines in the $20-$25 price category, with Riesling in particular a stand-out. The 2016 vintage was very good, especially in the famous Clare and Eden Valley vineyards of South Australia, and I would be grabbing hold of the Sevenhill Inigo Riesling as a great example of this summer drinking style.” 94/100.