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

First Ridge sits high above the Mudgee valley, where the combination of elevation, warm days and cooler nights has proven particularly well suited to Italian varieties. Owners John and Helen Nicholas have made those grapes a central part of the estate’s identity, and Christina is their take on Sangiovese. It is less about recreating Tuscany in New South Wales and more about showing how naturally the variety can fit into Mudgee.

Sangiovese loves sunshine but needs freshness to keep its cherry fruit and savoury character in balance. The elevated First Ridge site provides exactly that combination, allowing the fruit to ripen while holding onto useful acidity. The 2022 has an appealing medium bodied shape, with juicy fruit rather than excessive extraction and enough tannin to make it unmistakably Sangiovese.

Bright ruby with a garnet edge, the bouquet leads with Morello cherry, red plum and wild strawberry before violet, blood orange and dried oregano appear. Fennel seed, black tea, anise and a touch of warm earth sit underneath. The palate is juicy and savoury, with cherry and redcurrant carried by lively acidity and gently dusty tannins. Orange peel and herbs add bite through the middle before a dry finish of cherry skin, spice and earthy complexity.

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.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2031.