2024 White Release

Staying true to our 'classically radical' approach to winemaking – fusing old traditions with new techniques, we are proud to be releasing a stellar lineup of white wines, including beloved Hunter Valley Semillon and Chardonnay, extremely limited quantities of Albariño, Fiano and Viognier plus the our first Chardonnay from the family vineyard in Orange that just won Best Chardonnay at the 2024 James Halliday Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge.

Whilst the 2023 Chardonnay wines were initially handled by Alex Beckett, the rest of the wines have been produced by incumbent winemaker, Andrew Duff. His knowledge and experience is evident in the 2024 whites with precision, complexity and enjoyability all at the forefront in this release.

This will available for purchase online and on taste in our Cellar Door from this October Long Weekend - 5th October 2024.

Due to limited quantities, our 2024 Limited Release Albariño and 2024 Limited Release Fiano will be released online from the 26th of October. Please ensure you have joined the waitlists to receive access to this exclusive release.

02/10/2024 at 9:39 AM Permalink

Chardonnay Trophy | 2024 James Halliday Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge

Our 2023 Single Vineyard 'Block 7' Chardonnay is the first ever Single Vineyard Chardonnay we have produced from our family vineyard in Orange. 

"I have been blown away so far with the quality of fruit we have access to as part of the Davis Family Vineyards.", says Andrew Duff, Winemaker. Andrew started his tenure in late 2023, with the 2023 Chardonnay wines some of the first that he carefully delivered a finishing touch to before bottling.

The James Halliday Australian Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge celebrates Australia's outstanding regional diversity of the world's most famous two grape varieties, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Briar Ridge Block 7 Chardonnay 2023 from the Orange Wine Region and the Forest Hill Vineyard Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 from the Great Southern were crowned the highest-pointed Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia at the 2024 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenge.

Both Trophy winning wines rated 97 points from 622 entries across 37 Australian wine regions.

“One of the best features of the show is that it shines a light on all the places in Australia where these varieties are foundations of their regions. When the vintage clicks with that region the great wines really shine through”, said Chair of Judges, Adam Wadewitz,

Describing the final Chardonnay taste off, Wadewitz shared that it “was extremely close which highlighted the strength of the last few cool vintages.” He continued to say the Briar Ridge Block 7 Chardonnay from the Orange Wine Region in New South Wales had “distinct character and managed the trifecta of flavour, acidity and complexity all packed into an energetic, charming framework.”

The 2023 Single Vineyard 'Block 7' Chardonnay is due to be released this October.
Wine Club members and those on our mailing list will receive priority access to the release of this wine.

05/09/2024 at 5:07 PM Permalink Be the first to comment on this post

2024 Single Vineyard Red Release

2024 Red Wine Portfolio

With the cooler months really beginning to set in here in the Hunter Valley, there couldn't be a better time for us to announce the release of our 2024 red wine portfolio. Our largest ever, this release contains some of the best red wines we have ever produced from our estate vineyards in the Hunter Valley, Orange and Wrattonbully.

These wines are now available to taste in our cellar door after being received with delight from our ever dedicated members at our annual Red Release at the Tilbury in Sydney.

Shiraz. Syrah. But not Sirah!

In 2023, the Dairy Hill vineyard succumb to what was a particularly difficult vintage in the Hunter Valley. Due to this and growing demand for our Single Vineyard wines, we decided to purchase some additional Shiraz fruit from both Hunter and Hilltops regions to create the 'Hillrose' Shiraz and 'The Gatherer' Shiraz. We also were able to mature some of the available Hunter Valley Syrah (Shiraz) in our amphora once again to create the second vintage of our 'Argilla' Syrah.

Dairy Hill Shiraz Hillrose Shiraz The Gatherer Shiraz Argilla Syrah

Cool Climate Classics.

As you may know, we have been producing our iconic ‘Big Bully’ Cabernet Sauvignon since the incredible vintage that was 2008. The last few vintages in Wrattonbully have been of stellar quality which have impressed us more than ever and allowed us to classify this wine into our Single Vineyard range. In this exciting time, we have been able to source Pinot Noir from the family vineyards in Orange to create our first Single Vineyard, cool climate Pinot Noir.

Block 6 Pinot Noir Big Bully Cabernet

These Single Vineyard wines are produced in limited quantities so ensure you give yourself the opportunity to taste them over the coming months.

Taste these wines. Shop Now.

10/05/2024 at 7:24 PM Permalink

A fresh face for our most popular wines.

Despite our affection for the illustrative labels of our Varietal range wines, we believed they subtly understated the true quality of these serious wines.

Therefore, in 2023 we began working on a design for these wines that would reflect their classic yet contempory style whilst still paying homage to our home in Mount View. After some consideration, we came to the conclusion that iteration, not revolution was key.

To champion this new look, we have also released the brand new 2022 ‘Terra Rossa’ Malbec. A wine sourced from the family vineyard in Wrattonbully that our customers have been yearning for; deep in colour, intense yet accessible.

15/02/2024 at 8:18 AM Permalink

2023 White Wine Release

Staying true to our 'classically radical' approach to winemaking – fusing old traditions with new techniques, we are proud to be releasing a stellar lineup of white wines, including the beloved 2022 Single Vineyard 'Briar Hill' Chardonnay and 2023 Single Vineyard 'Dairy Hill' Semillon, first of its kind 2023 Single Vineyard 'Black Cluster' Semillon, ultra-premium 2022 Ampelus Chardonnay as well as extremely limited quantities of 2023 Limited Release Fiano and 2023 Limited Release Albariño.

20/09/2023 at 2:19 PM Permalink Be the first to comment on this post

2022 Single Vineyard White Release

The Briar Ridge Single Vineyard wines regularly take out some of the most prestigious awards in Australia. The 2021 Single Vineyard 'Briar Hill' Chardonnay recently won the Gold Medal and Trophy for 'Best Hunter Valley Chardonnay' in the 2022 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay Challenge.

The last few years have seen some of the coldest growing seasons with record levels of rainfall which leads to vigorous vineyard growth. According to winemaker Alex Beckett, this often leads to wines of purity and elegance with long cellaring potential.

“The cool seasons always herald my favourite wines,” said Alex. “This year we’ve got some exceptional Semillons and Chardonnays which I am very proud of. I think they are some of the best quality and most interesting wines I have made to date, and which will provide both immediate enjoyment as well as excellent cellaring potential.”

01/12/2022 at 1:56 PM Permalink

'Big Bully' beats the rest in class!

The Big Bully is back!

Our latest release showcases the low yielding yet high quality fruit of the 2020 vintage in Wrattonbully.⁠ ⁠Escaping affect of the east coast bushfires that plagued the vintage, our Wrattonbully vineyard commenced with cool weather during the flowering and fruit set in early Summer. This led to small yields yet fully ripened flavours and sugars which enabled us to harvest excellent fruit to utilise in the Winery.

"Showing good varietal character - despite the generally cool conditions in 2020. Black current and blueberry fruits, charry oak and liquorice spice. Complex with good length and structure."

The 2020 Limited Release 'Big Bully' Cabernet Sauvignon was our maiden submission to the International Cool Climate Wine Show based out of the Mornington Peninsula. A highly successful entry for us, it went through to take out the only award in Class 24 (2 years or younger Cabernet Sauvignon).

95 Points & Top Gold

Alex (our winemaker) aimed to exhibit a classically styled wine that is robust yet still in balance; which he succeeded in doing with this excellent style of Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon.

Concentrated blackcurrent and blackberry fruit flavours, strongly defined tannin build and length all provided by a long mix of fermentation on skins and in a static fermenter. High quality oak character is also provided by 24 months of maturation in one year old French oak casks. 

Have a bottle open and at the ready with your next lamb roast or hide some under the stairs for years to come. ⁠

11/07/2022 at 5:14 PM Permalink

30 Years Of Stockhausen: New Vintages. New Look. Still Stockhausen.

The Hunter Valley is one of the oldest wine regions in Australia, and as such Briar Ridge Vineyard has inherited a rich winemaking tradition that we try to honour with each vintage. Of our wines, there is one range in particular that expresses this heritage: the Stockhausen wines.

For over thirty years, these wines have embodied the classic, regional character of the Hunter and exemplifies Briar Ridge Vineyard’s signature style. The Stockhausen series was named and crafted tribute to legendary Hunter winemaker, Karl Stockhausen, and honours both his invaluable contribution to the success of Briar Ridge Vineyard but also the success of the Hunter Valley wine industry.

We’re thrilled with how the newest release of 2021 wines has come together. Despite an unusually cool, wet season, a break of classic warm days and cool nights in early January led to exceptional flavour development and natural acidity retention, resulting in a traditionally crisp Hunter Semillon and a lively, flavourful Chardonnay. More moderate weather for the remainder of the growing season yielded a classic elegant Shiraz, with great aromatic lift and cellaring potential.

With the latest release of Stockhausen wines, we also found ourselves reflecting on where we’ve come from and how we’ve grown, as well as celebrating the continued development and calibre of these wines. They hold a place near to our hearts, and we know that Briar Ridge Vineyard wouldn’t be what it is today without the influence of Karl Stockhausen.

Who is Karl Stockhausen?

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Karl came to Australia in 1955. He was sent to the old Greta Migrant Camp in the Hunter Valley, where he found work as a vineyard and cellar hand at Lindeman’s Ben Ean winery and 'stumbled into winemaking' – and we’re so glad he did!

Under the tutelage of Lindeman’s Ray Kidd, Karl honed his skills as a winemaker and went on to build a successful career in the Hunter, eventually becoming one of the most awarded winemakers in Australia.

It was in 1991 that he joined Briar Ridge Vineyard, initially as a manager-winemaker and then as a consultant to the winemaking team, with whom he has collaborated in crafting the Briar Ridge Stockhausen Signature Hunter Valley Semillon, Chardonnay and Shiraz wines. Thirty years on, Karl's philosophy remains front of mind for our vigneron and winemaker when selecting the best parcels of fruit for these iconic wines.

Karl's impact in the industry was recognised in 2007, when he was named a 'Hunter Valley Living Legend' by his colleagues, an honour bestowed on those who have given many years of outstanding service to the advancement of the Hunter Valley. And there’s no question he’s done that.

New Vintages. New Look. Same great wines.

With the latest release of Stockhausen wines, we’ve chosen to honour Karl with a new label as a testament to his vital contributions to Briar Ridge Vineyard.

Instead of our traditional logo and cream background, we’ve designed a striking black-and-gold label featuring a portrait of Karl to launch the 2021 wines. The image comes from a series of photographs taken of the Hunter Valley legends taken by Chris Elfes. The photograph was awarded a silver distinction by the AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photographers) for the portrait category and was one of the final five images selected for at the Australian Photography Awards Portrait of the Year.

View the Stockhausen range.

08/02/2022 at 2:54 PM Permalink