2022 First Ridge Christina Sangiovese, Mudgee

Squished raspberries, two-tone strawberries and redcurrants. Gala apple skin, wet autumn leaves and harissa spice. A hint of creeping ivy and tomato vine. Freshly ground spices like cumin, mustard seed and garam masala. Soaring acidity is reined in by powdery tannins and more East Indian spice mix, the wine finishing with red cherry skin and an assertive dry bitterness that beckons for fats and acids. This is a very true representation of sangiovese's ability to transform the food and wine experience. Absurd quality for the price point. Drink to 2034.

93 points & Special Value Shanteh Wale for Halliday Wine Companion, December 2024

Deep ruby colour with a full nose of blackberry pastilles and dried thyme. Medium to full bodied, rich blackberry fruit contrasting with dried thyme, rosemary and hints of iodine and dried blood. Good length and persistence, with gritty tannins well matched to fruit weight. Drink to 2036.

92 points Stuart Knox for The Real Review, January 2026

Christina is named after one of the grandchildren of First Ridge owners John and Helen and is a showcase for the suitability of the Sangiovese variety to this beautiful inland region. While the result leans stylistically towards the traditional Chiantis with emphasis on structure and refreshing drinkability, for winemaker James Manners the Christina Sangiovese is less about recreating Tuscany in New South Wales and more about showing how the variety can fit naturally into Mudgee. 

The 2022 fruit was crushed into a small fermenter and gently pumped over during a relatively cool 12-day fermentation. The pressed wine was racked into a combination of oak and stainless steel: older large format oak barrels for structure and steel to maintain aromatic lift and freshness.

The resultant wine has an appealing medium bodied shape, with juicy, vanilla spiced cherry fruit and enough soft tannins to make it unmistakably Sangiovese. Zesty and vibrant, enjoy this wine while its young and fresh.

A spicy salami and roasted capsicum pizza would disappear quickly alongside it, as would pork and fennel sausages, lamb meatballs in tomato sugo, eggplant parmigiana or mushroom arancini. Our pick is the pizza. Tomato, salty salami and blistered crust with Sangiovese’s cherry fruit and acidity is one of those combinations that requires very little intellectual discussion.

About this producer

First Ridge was established in 1998 by Sydneysiders John and Helen Nicholas.

Their vineyard sits at an elevation of 500 to 520 metres on a rocky slope with a northerly and northeasterly aspect between Castlereagh Highway and the Cudgegong River, and is planted mostly to Italian grape varieties, a fitting tribute to Mudgee’s viticultural heritage. Shiraz, Merlot and Tempranillo are grown in addition to the Italian varieties, the sought-after fruit sold to other wineries in the region as well as made into small batches of wine in-house under the Mudgee Ridge Estate label.

The site is well-ventilated and well-draining, two aspects crucial for premium Mudgee fruit as despite the region’s inland location it occasionally experiences heavy summer downpours and high humidity.

The wines are made by James Manners, who believes the vineyard, without exception, is the source of quality and that his job as winemaker is to understand and identify that quality and guide it thoughtfully. He is passionate about Italian varieties and their suitability to Mudgee and is an integral part of the small collection of family wineries that make up the region. No rest for this man, whose life outside the winery is packed with bringing up two boys, cycling in the bush and being a firefighter for the local RFS.