Briar Ridge Single Vineyard Dairy Hill Semillon 2023 (6 Bottles) Hunter Valley
$315.00 GST Included
AUSTRALIA WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED
Complex and rich with ripe orchard pears and yellow citrus surrounded by mineral cap-gun and slate aromatics. The palate is layered and concentrated with earthy minerals framing ripe citrus fruits and tense acidity. This wine is both delicate and concentrated, it displays both light phenolic spice and pristine acid which will provide the structure for the wine to develop positively over the next 8-12 years. In this time the wine will attain even greater weight and texture and earthy complexity.
An exceptionally wet start to the season provided unique challenges to region, which required greater hours in the vineyard to ensure quality was maintained. However, a warm and dry spell from Mid January through till March resulted in a year of excellent quality across the board. Pristine pure whites with excellent acid structures ensuring longevity and concentrated rich red’s showing all the hallmarks of classic Hunter Valley styles. A year that provides a wealth of riches.
Our Semillon is grown on well-drained sandy loam soils located in the heart of Hunter Valley wine country. The crop yields are relatively low, producing an excellent concentration of fruit flavour. The Dairy Hill block is an East facing vineyard that benefits from warm mornings and cool afternoons which results in this site consistently producing the best Semillon.
Hand-picked, gently crushed and allowed to soak for 4 hours prior to pressing. Free-run extraction taken to a stainless steel tank and allowed to cold settle for 12 hours before racking lightly cloudy juice for fermentation. Fermented at 16-18oC with ambient yeast for 10 days in a combination of old neutral oak casks and stainless steel. Left on yeast lees for 3 months post ferment before natural clarification and gentle filtration. No finings.
Accolades
“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 & Top 100 Wines of Australia – Ned Goodwin MW, Senior Editor – James Suckling
Description
Briar Ridge is a boutique winery and the largest holder of vineyards in Mount View, a well renowned viticultural area in the Hunter Valley.
Originally founded in 1972, many of our vines have been growing for 45 years, providing us with fruit of outstand- ing quality and distinct character thanks to Mount View’s unique location in an unmatched part of the Valley. The combination of soil, aspect and the microclimate are what make the difference – giving our wines delicious flavours and characters unlike any other.
Talented young Winemaker Alex Beckett (Sydney Royal Wine Scholarship recipient) and Consultant Winemaker Gwyn Olsen (Wine Australia ‘Future Leaders’ represen- tative and Gourmet Traveller WINE ‘Young Winemaker’ Medal recipient) are passionate about showcasing these regional qualities and giving Briar Ridge wines a strong sense of place. This is reflected in the numerous awards Briar Ridge has received on the wine show circuit and our highly regarded winery rating, awarded by James Halliday every year since 2010.
Briar Ridge Vineyard is located in Mount View, a little slice of winemaking paradise reminiscent of the wine growing regions of France. The terroir, the microclimate and the views are unique to the rest of the Hunter, set us apart and make visiting here something unique and special.
Our attitude to growing and making wine is classically radical and driven by our Winemaker, Andrew Duff. Our wines have their foundations firmly set in tradition, with vines established in 1972. The innovation comes through experimentation with alternative varieties and a hybrid of modern technologies, historical references, and minimal intervention.
Briar Ridge Vineyard Head Winemaker Andrew Duff posing for a photo in the Hunter Valley.
Looking down from above on to our historical, 50-year old vineyards in Mount View, Hunter Valley.
Briar Ridge is a Halliday Red Star Winery, a coveted rating that is awarded to outstanding wineries regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity. Our wines range from Hunter classics in the premium Single Vineyard and Stockhausen ranges to the contemporary innovations of the Limited Release and Varietal ranges with something that will appeal to every palate on the cellar door menu.
Our cellar door is open seven days per week and our friendly, knowledgeable cellar door staff are always on hand to guide you through your tasting experience, whether that be in the sparkling summer sunshine of our deck or cosied up near the fireplace in winter.
