Preserving Hunter Valley’s Riesling Heritage

In the vibrant history of Australian winemaking, few stories are as legendary as Murray Tyrrell’s “Heist.” In the 1960s, Tyrrell famously “borrowed” cuttings of a Chardonnay clone from the Penfolds-owned HVD vineyard under the cover of night. Those vines went on to create the iconic Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay, symbolizing the audacious spirit of Australian winemaking—bold, rule-breaking, and passionate about crafting something extraordinary.

Fast forward to today, the Hunter Valley faces a new challenge that threatens its winemaking heritage: “Zombie DAs.” These are dormant development applications that can suddenly resurface, bypassing modern planning regulations. One such application put Pokolbin’s only Riesling vineyard at risk of destruction.When we heard about this, we couldn’t stand by. Channeling the daring spirit of Murray Tyrrell, we launched our own heist—but this time, the stakes were about saving heritage, not creating it. Just before bulldozers arrived, we salvaged cuttings from the Riesling vines, ensuring their legacy would live on.

These precious cuttings were carefully nurtured through the winter and grafted into our vineyard, marking a historic moment for Briar Ridge. By preserving these vines, we’re not only safeguarding a unique piece of Hunter Valley history but also honoring the rich culture and traditions that define this wine region.

As our winemaker says, “Saving these vines was about more than just wine—it was about ensuring the Hunter Valley’s story continues for generations to come.”

Stay tuned as this rescued Riesling begins its new chapter at Briar Ridge, offering a taste of history, heritage, and our commitment to crafting exceptional wines.

Visit our vineyard to experience the story firsthand.

2024 White 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 beloved Hunter Valley Semillon and Chardonnay, extremely limited quantities of Albariño, Fiano and Viognier plus the our first Chardonnay from the family vineyard in Orange that just won Best Chardonnay at the 2024 James Halliday Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge.

Whilst the 2023 Chardonnay wines were initially handled by Alex Beckett, the rest of the wines have been produced by incumbent winemaker, Andrew Duff. His knowledge and experience is evident in the 2024 whites with precision, complexity and enjoyability all at the forefront in this release.

 

 

This will available for purchase online and on taste in our Cellar Door from this October Long Weekend - 5th October 2024.

Due to limited quantities, our 2024 Limited Release Albariño and 2024 Limited Release Fiano will be released online from the 26th of October. Please ensure you have joined the waitlists to receive access to this exclusive release.

Chardonnay Trophy | 2024 James Halliday Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge

Our 2023 Single Vineyard 'Block 7' Chardonnay is the first ever Single Vineyard Chardonnay we have produced from our family vineyard in Orange. 

"I have been blown away so far with the quality of fruit we have access to as part of the Davis Family Vineyards.", says Andrew Duff, Winemaker. Andrew started his tenure in late 2023, with the 2023 Chardonnay wines some of the first that he carefully delivered a finishing touch to before bottling.

The James Halliday Australian Chardonnay & Cabernet Challenge celebrates Australia's outstanding regional diversity of the world's most famous two grape varieties, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Briar Ridge Block 7 Chardonnay 2023 from the Orange Wine Region and the Forest Hill Vineyard Block 5 Cabernet Sauvignon 2023 from the Great Southern were crowned the highest-pointed Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon in Australia at the 2024 James Halliday Australian Chardonnay and Cabernet Challenge.

Both Trophy winning wines rated 97 points from 622 entries across 37 Australian wine regions.

“One of the best features of the show is that it shines a light on all the places in Australia where these varieties are foundations of their regions. When the vintage clicks with that region the great wines really shine through”, said Chair of Judges, Adam Wadewitz,

Describing the final Chardonnay taste off, Wadewitz shared that it “was extremely close which highlighted the strength of the last few cool vintages.” He continued to say the Briar Ridge Block 7 Chardonnay from the Orange Wine Region in New South Wales had “distinct character and managed the trifecta of flavour, acidity and complexity all packed into an energetic, charming framework.”

The 2023 Single Vineyard 'Block 7' Chardonnay is due to be released this October.
Wine Club members and those on our mailing list will receive priority access to the release of this wine.

2025 Halliday Wine Companion | The results are in!

Every year we await the announcement of the latest Halliday Wine Companion with high anticipation; some of the biggest awards in the Australian wine industry are contained in the covers of this prestigious hardback. This year was no exception, with icon wineries around Australia winning the lucrative awards including 'Winemaker of the Year' going to none other than Liz Silkman, Winemaker at First Creek and Silkman Wines right here in the Hunter Valley.

This year, we are very proud to see our consistent efforts into vineyard development and dedicated winemaking pay off. Ten Briar Ridge wines have been published in this year's Companion - all rated over 92 points with four rated over 95 points. Toni Paterson MW tasted all of our wines for the Wine Companion this year and clearly enjoyed them immensely.

The Reviews.

"This single-vineyard wine is sourced from the well-drained Dairy Hill block, located in the Mount View region of the valley. The '19 vintage produced some very fine semillon indeed, and this beautiful example is at a lovely stage of development, with the palate expanding and entering the citrus curd sphere, though still with beautiful lemony freshness on the palate. It will, of course, continue to develop in the future, but it is looking rather delicious now, so why wait?"

   - 96 points, Toni Paterson MW | 2025 Halliday Wine Companion

"A classical semillon with youthful restraint poised for cellaring. Hand-picked, sorted fruit was whole-bunch pressed with the free run fermented in stainless using neutral yeast and bottled shortly after. Pure lemon-juice aromas. The palate has excellent clarity and citrus flavours, pleasing weight and softness. Although it is lovely now, it will benefit from time in bottle."

  - 95 points, Toni Paterson MW  |  2025 Halliday Wine Companion

"A unique, captivating blend creates a beautifully aromatic and flowing red wine. Heady and exotic with dark chocolate, Turkish delight, mulberry, rhubarb and pink guava. Fragrant crushed herb accents add freshness and lift. The grapes are sourced from estate vineyards in Wrattonbully. Each variety is fermented separately and blended prior to maturation. It is drinking beautifully now, though will reward mid-term cellaring."

  -  95 points, Toni Paterson | 2025 Wine Companion

"This is a beautifully bright wine with star fruit, ripe green apple and fresh pear flavours. The mid-palate has a lovely texture from extended lees ageing, and the acidity is perfectly integrated. There is a hint of savouriness and pleasing length."

  - 95 points, Toni Paterson MW | 2025 Halliday Wine Companion

"This Orange pinot region has a distinctive aromatic personality with wild strawberry, fresh sage and vibrant raspberry notes. The light-to-medium-weight palate is similarly expressive, underpinned by a strong scaffold of acidity. Cranberry and lilting herb accents persist on the finish. It is quite a tensioned, unique wine with character. It comes alive with food and air, where its sheer pure-fruited intensity comes into the fore."

  - 93 points, Toni Paterson MW  |  2025 Halliday Wine Companion

"A super-interesting, small-volume saignée style made from whole-bunch pressed Hunter Valley shiraz and Orange pinot noir. It was matured in glass wine globes, an inert material allowing winemakers to see the wine as it ages. The sulphides are slightly dominant on pouring, though a double-decant helps them dissipate. Dusty rose hues, pleasing texture from lees ageing and a good mix of sweet, spice and savoury tones."

  - 93 points, Toni Paterson MW  |  2025 Halliday Wine Companion

"It is a deliciously intense, characterful museum release that has texture and flow. Juicy red plums with hints of tamarillo, crushed leaves and cloud-like nutty oak. The sweet red fruit has a mouth-watering quality, which persists well into the finish. Decanting is recommended. Drinking well now."

  - 93 points, Toni Paterson MW  |  2025 Halliday Wine Companion

"Hand-picked, whole-bunch-pressed fruit from the Briar Hill vineyard is fermented in French oak, where it ages for 11 months. The result is a sweet-fruited, intense, limey wine with a generous mid-palate accented by faint smoky oak and spiced oatmeal notes. Some grapefruit pith-like phenolics on the close add a touch of structural grit and warmth."

  - 93 points, Toni Paterson MW  |  2025 Halliday Wine Companion

The complete list of reviews can be viewed in the 2025 Halliday Wine Companion or at winecompanion.com.au

A limited time offer.

To celebrate the occasion, we have also put together a tasting pack of 6 wines featured in this year's Companion. We hope you share the pride that we have and get to enjoy one of these fantastic wines soon.

 

Shop Now

2024 Single Vineyard Red Release

2024 Red Wine Portfolio

With the cooler months really beginning to set in here in the Hunter Valley, there couldn't be a better time for us to announce the release of our 2024 red wine portfolio. Our largest ever, this release contains some of the best red wines we have ever produced from our estate vineyards in the Hunter Valley, Orange and Wrattonbully.

These wines are now available to taste in our cellar door after being received with delight from our ever dedicated members at our annual Red Release at the Tilbury in Sydney.

Shiraz. Syrah. But not Sirah!

In 2023, the Dairy Hill vineyard succumb to what was a particularly difficult vintage in the Hunter Valley. Due to this and growing demand for our Single Vineyard wines, we decided to purchase some additional Shiraz fruit from both Hunter and Hilltops regions to create the 'Hillrose' Shiraz and 'The Gatherer' Shiraz. We also were able to mature some of the available Hunter Valley Syrah (Shiraz) in our amphora once again to create the second vintage of our 'Argilla' Syrah.

Dairy Hill Shiraz Hillrose Shiraz The Gatherer Shiraz Argilla Syrah

Cool Climate Classics.

As you may know, we have been producing our iconic ‘Big Bully’ Cabernet Sauvignon since the incredible vintage that was 2008. The last few vintages in Wrattonbully have been of stellar quality which have impressed us more than ever and allowed us to classify this wine into our Single Vineyard range. In this exciting time, we have been able to source Pinot Noir from the family vineyards in Orange to create our first Single Vineyard, cool climate Pinot Noir.

Block 6 Pinot Noir Big Bully Cabernet

 

These Single Vineyard wines are produced in limited quantities so ensure you give yourself the opportunity to taste them over the coming months.

Taste these wines. Shop Now.

Estancia: The perfect pairing to our Cellar Door.

Briar Ridge Vineyard is excited to announce Estancia Osteria, the new restaurant offering located at Briar Ridge Cellar Door launching in April 2024. Inspired by the rustic charm and elegance of estancias in the south of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, Estancia Osteria will offer diners a culinary voyage through the heart of Italy, the Mediterranean Sea and South America.

Executive chefs Gabriel Rodrigues and James Orlowski will present ‘Fire to Table’- an unforgettable dining experience using fresh and seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers and offering a diverse array of dishes, from the most succulent cuts of meat cooked to perfection over embers to smoked seafood, grilled vegetables, and intense creamy cheeses. Each dish has a unique twist and perfectly complements the Briar Ridge Vineyard wines.

 

Estancia Launch Event

To celebrate us joining hand with James and Gabriel here in Mount View, join us for a spectacular evening of culinary delights and exquisite wines on our Cellar Door verandah this March 16th. We are thrilled to collaborate with Estancia who have crafted a menu that perfectly complements our award-winning wines. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to indulge your senses and celebrate with us.

Tickets are $130 per person and include:

- A glass of sparkling wine upon arrival.
- 3-course ‘Fire to table’ experience presented by Estancia.
- 3 glasses of wine to savour from Briar Ridge Vineyard.
- Live music by local musician Mark Henderson

Book Now

*Please note, due to this event being large for our venue, smaller parties will be combined onto shared tables. We hope this will make this event fun, social and memorable.

Fire to Table

Estancia Tasting Experience

Can't make it to the dinner? Join us on our Cellar Door 'Wine Deck' this Easter where we will be showcasing our wines alongside a tasting menu presented by the team behind our upcoming restaurant, Estancia.

We cannot wait to see what amazing food and wine experiences we can create with the team behind Estancia in 2024 and we hope you'll be there to experience it with us.

Keep up to date on social media  |  @estancia.huntervalley  |  @briarridgevineyard

 

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.

Our Dairy Hill Semillon is one of the Top 100 Wines in Australia!

#1 Australian Wine of the Year - the Yangarra Grenache McLaren Vale Ovitelli 2021.

At its most rudimentary level, wine sustains us. At the Top 100 level, however, excellence is determined by those wines that announce themselves with a thunderclap of amazement before a lightning strike of such beauty that it is almost ineffable. In essence, these are wines that wow us because they ask us how a seemingly simple sum of place, grape and craft can render such profundity.

Assembling the Top 100 wines is a forensic process. It requires debate, provocation, arguments and fisticuffs, largely with oneself! As much as looking at scores across the last year of tasting – which serve more as a guideline than last word – along with retasting and reshuffling, the process is one of ascertaining which wines are stamped resolutely with that inimitable zip code, or sense of place, that is so crucial when sorting the wheat from the chaff.

No wine culture is more protean than Australia. It is a vast landmass of spellbinding diversity – climatic and geological. Yet it has a relatively small population and has been traditionally reliant on exports as a result. Australia’s isolation also breeds fearless creativity. Certain styles shift in syncopation with international trends, while others stride out fearlessly on their own. The tensile guise of contemporary Australian chardonnay is an example. 15 years ago, too many wines were picked early on acidity and held on lees for too long. They were excessively reductive and anorexic of feel. Today, the envelope has been pulled back to promote restraint, tension, flavor and fealty to place, rather than its obfuscation by excessive meddling.

The list is not intended to be tendentious, but a reflection of the Aussie zeitgeist. Perfect scores are not my thing, but hopefully you read the reviews and get a sense of just why these wines proved so thrilling.

  - Ned Goodwin MW, Senior Editor - James Suckling

Briar Ridge Vineyard
2023 Single Vineyard 'Dairy Hill' Hunter Valley Semillon

Handpicked from dry grown vines. Foot-stomped, with a brief period on skins before an ambient fermentation in a meld of tank and larger format neutral wood. A different handle to the regional standard. Dry grown. Lemon drop and picked Indian lime, with pithy hints of stone fruit, drifting well away from the tighter citric norm. For the better. A broader texture, loaning itself to approachability without any forfeit of intensity. Nicely chewy, too. This is a delicious mid-weighted semillon, setting the regional bar high by virtue of its stridency across the palate and attractive variances. Drink or hold but best in eight years. Screw cap.

96 points - Ned Goodwin MW

Read more about this year's Top 100 Wines of Australia and the rest of the world at www.jamessuckling.com

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.

 

2024 Halliday Wine Companion Awards | We are shortlisted!

The highly anticipated Halliday Wine Companion Awards for 2024 have unveiled the shortlisted wineries, winemakers, and viticulturists, representing the pinnacle of Australian winemaking. The prestigious awards, known for their recognition of excellence in the industry, celebrate the passion, dedication, and expertise that shape the country’s winemaking landscape.

This year, the Halliday Tasting Team, featuring nine panelists including new chief editor Campbell Mattinson, embarked on a year-round process of blind tastings, examinations, and round-table discussions to determine the winners. Each panelist focused on specific regions, ensuring continuity, connection, and specialist expertise. With over 8,500 wines tasted and more than 50 new wineries discovered, the team carefully selected the top-rated Australian wines, winemakers, wineries, and viticulturists.

The Shortlist showcases the diversity and high standards of the Australian wine market, featuring outstanding wineries from Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and New South Wales. It highlights the country’s best offerings and serves as a testament to the craftsmanship and innovation within the industry.

In addition to the shortlist announcement, the People’s Choice Award returns for its third year, allowing wine enthusiasts to have their say and recognize Australia’s best winery experience. Public voting is now open giving participants the opportunity to celebrate exceptional cellar doors, remarkable restaurants, friendly staff, picturesque views, and outstanding wines. Voters also have a chance to win a prize pack valued at over $1,400, featuring exceptional wines and wine accessories. The winner of the People’s Choice Award will be unveiled on July 29, 2023.

Vote for us!

Mark your calendars for the prestigious Halliday Wine Companion Awards ceremony, scheduled to take place on August 2nd at the renowned Stokehouse in St Kilda. This esteemed event will showcase the major awards, including Wine of the Year, Winemaker of the Year, Winery of the Year, Viticulturist of the Year, Best Value Winery, Best New Winery, and Dark Horse Winery. Additionally, the top varietal winners will be announced across seventeen categories, such as Red Wine of the Year, White Wine of the Year, Sparkling of the Year, Shiraz of the Year, and Riesling of the Year.

The Halliday Wine Companion Awards serve as a tribute to the remarkable resilience and dedication of the Australian wine industry. They stand as a testament to the passion and expertise that continue to shape the nation’s winemaking landscape. Stay tuned for the release of the 2024 Halliday Wine Companion on August 3rd and raise a glass to the outstanding achievements of the industry’s finest.

---

Congratulations to our Hunter Valley colleagues who have been shortlisted:

- Winmark Wines for Best New Winery 
- Carillion Wines for Best Value Winery 
- Mount Eyre Vineyards for Dark Horse Winery 
- Liz Riley for Viticulturist of the Year 
- First Creek Wines, Leogate Estate and Pepper Tree Wines for Winery of the Year 
- Jim Chatto, Pepper Tree Wines for Winemaker of the Year