Hay Shed Hill 2009 Block 1 Margaret River Semillon Sauvignon Blanc (4.5* $28) 65% Semillon 35% Sauvignon Blanc Free run juice from old dry grown vines fermented in old French oak has produced a pale straw style that's remarkably understated, brimming with subtle flavour and quite sublime summer drinking.
Hay Shed Hill 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (4* $25) Dark red in the glass with varietal notes on the nose and across the palate, this one, which turned up unannounced and uninvited just prior to Christmas was pleasant flavour-packed drinking, though it's early days yet. While the donation to our festive celebrations was welcome current purchase priorities will have Hughesy anticipating the arrival of the Four Seasons Club Cabernet Franc from the same vintage in six months' time I could be inveigled into a bit more of this one if the right offer appeared.
Holm Oak 2005 Riesling (5* $n/a) Three years after we visited the vineyard and ordered a dozen of this Halliday 94 pointer, things have mellowed out very nicely, the citrus on the palate has taken on the kerosene character associated with aged Riesling and the result is simply divine. $25 for the current vintage.
Houghton 2007 C.W. Ferguson Cabernet Malbec (5* 19 points $41.25) Deep purple-red colour, Cabernet varietal notes in the nose modified by the Malbec element. Massive. magnificent, still very young and in ten years time may well be rated at 20. Memo to self: There are five bottles left, get them into the wine fridge.
Kilikanoon 2009 Second Fiddle Rose (4* $19) Off-dry fruity Grenache style that's pleasant enough summer drinking without doing anything to draw your attention. Bought after a $85/dozen offer from the winery, and one suspects that the lack of a distinctive make you sit up and take notice character may have something to do with that. That said, would probably reorder as an everyday drinking style if it reappeared at the same price.
Leeuwin Estate 2004 Art Series Riesling (4.5* $n/a) Another powerful argument for bottle-aged Riesling with developed flavours and the characteristic kerosene notes, which is, for the novice, nowhere near as off-putting as it might sound. Kerosene will have to do until I can find a better descriptor.
Leeuwin Estate 2005 Art Series Riesling (4.5* 19 points) Near-sparkling pale gold, aromatic with developed Riesling character in spades through the nose and across the palate, youthful acids have rounded out into complex elegance with a lengthy finish. Delicious, and a powerful argument for keeping a couple of bottles in the cellar (assuming you can keep your hands off them).
Lenton Brae 2009 Cabernet Merlot (4.5* $25) Works very well as a softer, drink now style and that;s definitely the territory this one's aimed towards. Notes on the winery website confirm the intention, and with a fragrant nose, softly rounded palate with the tannins subtly folded into the mix and a lengthy finish. Possibly not one for the long term, but as a medium-bodied style to drink over the next year to eighteen months (which is about all you can expect in this environment unless I can manage a substantial increase in refrigerated cellar capacity) it's hard to see how you could go much better.
Lenton Brae 2010 No Way Rose (4.5* 16 points $18) Bone dry, summer in a glass style that was a steal when offered t $150/dozen. Needless to say will be looking for similar offers in the future.
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