2023 Hay Shed Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

An elegantly crafted and presented cabernet from this excellent season. Lifted leafy red berry with a little bay leaf and black olive augmented with more primary red fruits. The concentrated, balanced palate delivers with precision and focus. It’s a medium-bodied wine that is ideally suited to drinking in the first few years.

92 points Ray Jordan

Deep, bright, youthful purple-red hue. Lifted aromas of blackcurrant and cedar/pencil wood, there's a suggestion of extractiveness and the palate is rich and full-bodied and mercifully avoids tannin harshness and astringency. A full bodied cab that is quite concentrated and bold, and has potential. Drink 2026 to 2037.

90 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, April 2025

Hay Shed Hill sits in the Wilyabrup Valley, the northern heartland of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, on a dry-grown estate just five kilometres from the Indian Ocean. Michael Kerrigan has been making wine here since 2006 and the Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the winery’s most consistent wines, reflecting the character of a site with nearly 50 years of vine history.

Grapes are harvested at full ripeness, fermented in open vessels with pump-over cap management and left on skins for a further 10 days post-fermentation to build tannin structure. Thirteen months in French oak adds complexity and cedar character without dominating the fruit.

Dense dark red, the nose is rich and inviting — cassis, dark cherry and blackcurrant with the distinctive Wilyabrup signature of dark chocolate and fresh mint. The palate is full-bodied and concentrated with fleshy fruit, well-integrated tannins and a long, classic Margaret River finish.

Approachable now with a good decant and will develop well over the next several years. Classic Cabernet food to reach for includes grilled eggplant dishes, slow-roasted lamb or a piece of nice aged hard cheese.

Drink now through 2031.