2023 First Ridge Barbera, Mudgee

Silver at the 2025 Mudgee Wine Show

From an elevated single vineyard in the Mudgee region in NSW, this is maroon/purple in colour. A most appealingly generous style, there is a delightful plushness to the wine. Notes of mocha, coffee beans, black fruits, aniseed, beef stock and dry herbs weave throughout. The chocolate really comes out on the palate. A subtle and seductive texture leading to sleek tannins, the wine has impressive length and should drink beautifully for the next eight years. Drink to 2033.

93 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, October 2025

Deep ruby in the glass. Blueberry, violets and river stone aromas. Quite full and weighty; dark blue fruits meld with plums and star anise. Supple acidity gives drive and carry, tannins building neatly into the finish. Drink to 2033.

92 points Stuart Knox for The Real Review, December 2025

A deep, dark, plummy red in the glass. Plush aromas of plum, blackberry, dried herbs, spice and menthol. Dark fruited and concentrated, with balancing tannins and acidity playing their role. Smart length and shape. Drink to 2035.

91 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, December 2025

This would have to be one of our favourite Australian Barbera releases every year. It doesn’t pretend to be Italian and rather wears its Mudgee origin proudly while displaying clear varietal characters.

The 2023 opens with lively, spicy berry aromas that lead to a richly fruited palate of dark fruit, amaro, spice and a touch of oak derived vanilla, all backed by refreshing acidity and fine, soft tannins.

More about this wine

The grapes for the 2023 were crushed into a small fermenter, cold soaked for 48 hours and inoculated with a neutral yest to ensure fermentation to dryness. Moderate fermentation temperatures of 22-24 degrees were maintained throughout the fermentation, with twice daily pump-overs and two drain and returns. The wine was pressed when dry and settled in tank before it was racked into barrels for malolactic conversion and maturation, with 15% new French St Martin oak for structure and the balance well-seasoned older French oak for texture.

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.