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.

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.

 

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.”

 

'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. ⁠

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.