Briar Ridge Hunter Valley Albariño 2023

By any measure, this is one impressive wine. If you didn’t realise that the Hunter Valley grew some astonishing Albariño wines – let’s face it, it’s still a new variety to the region – it’s worth noting that the grape’s Spanish home, Galicia, and the Hunter Valley both share similar climates alternating between wet and rainy, and dry and warm. On paper, it’s a no-brainer. In 2023, yields were extremely low – just 75 dozen wines were made – and this has brought some astonishing flavours and concentration. The scent goes on and on, lingering, bright and exotic in apple blossom, lemon peel, papaya, apple skin, honeydew melon, tangerine peel and spice. The interplay of spice and tropical, citrus fruits explores some rich, exotic territory on the palate, all tied bright by an oyster shell, rockpool minerality. Smoothly layered across the palate, this wine saw no oak. What an absolute delight of a drink.