First Ridge Wines has released two new vintage red wines: the 2024 First Ridge Montepulciano and the 2024 First Ridge Barbera.
“For more than 165 years, Mudgee has been growing grapes and making wine. It is one of the pioneering wine regions of NSW,” said First Ridge co-owner and vigneron John Nicholas. “In the ’60s and ’70s, the region was reinvigorated, with new winemakers establishing vineyards and wine brands. Many of these vineyards are still producing great wines.
“Today, there is a real willingness to experiment with varieties and winemaking techniques. The increasing popularity of Italian and other ‘alternative’ varieties shows how the region’s success stems from innovations that complement its historic vineyards.
“While Italian varieties are certainly not new to Mudgee, with Italian winemaker Carlo Corino championing varieties such as Barbera, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo at Montrose in the 1970s, there is a renewed enthusiasm for them.”
The 2024 Mudgee vintage was characterised by a dry winter and early spring, followed by useful November rainfall and a warm, sunny summer, resulting in an earlier-than-usual harvest. Relatively low disease pressure allowed First Ridge to maintain healthy fruit and focus on quality. The Montepulciano and Barbera produced fruit with good colour, freshness and balance.
Both wines were made in a similar manner, with the objective of allowing the fruit to shine. The grapes were crushed into small fermenters, cold-soaked for 48 hours and then inoculated. Moderate fermentation temperatures of around 22–24°C were maintained, with twice-daily pump-overs to extract colour and build depth of flavour.