First Ridge Montepulciano 2023
- 93
- $45
- Drink by: 2025-2033
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The Mudgee region in New South Wales is proving to be an excellent source for local wines made with Italian varieties, especially from the elevated vineyards. The fruit here was cold soaked for two days before fermentation. 2023 was an excellent vintage. A bold opaque purple hue, the nose gives us notes of plums, cassis, white pepper, chocolate, mulberries, spices and handfuls of warm earth. Well structured, the wine is supple and juicy and it does have some slightly puckering acidity, which nicely offsets the ripeness. There is good focus and energy here with very good length. This is a cracking example of the grape and would be absolutely brilliant at your next gourmet barbeque. Six to eight years. Love it.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
