First taste: First Drop – latest releases

Easygoing – First Drop’s John Retsas & Matt Gant; photo & bottleshot credits First Drop

First Drop’s Matt Gant and John Retsas unashamedly focus on “slurpability.”  Bang on trend in terms of drinkability, if rather different from other progressives who place greater emphasis on acidity and tannins (a gentle rub) for freshness and upfront savouriness.  First Drop’s hallmark is fruitiness and softness/smoothness of texture, which makes for more overt sweetness (although the wines are dry).

My pick of the bunch of the latest releases deftly balance that sweetness with juicy/fresh acidity and, in the case of the Garnacha (my favourite), a rasp of sandpapery tannins.

First Drop Endless Summer  Pinot Grigio 2015 (Adelaide Hills)

From David’s Pinot Grigio vineyard near Macclesfield in the southern Adelaide Hills at 320m above sea level on clay with shale.  Fruity fresh ripe round juicy pear is cut with citrus acidity, which gives nice balance and thrust – boundless energy.  Very well done. A really gluggable dry, flavoursome Pinot Grigio.  For an endless summer, an endless bucket of this would be just the ticket. 12.5% £13.99 at The Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar.

First Drop Vivo Arneis 2015 (Adelaide Hills)

From Caj’s vineyard near Kersbrook, northern Adelaide Hills at 340m above sea level on complex sandy clay loams over shale.  A tighter nose and palate than the Pinot Grigio – less fleshy, more textural and mineral.  A beam of acidity lights up its flavours of pithy lime zest, fennel, water melon and crunchy naschi pear.  I like the proposed food match for this – salt and pepper squid.  12.5%  £14.99 at The Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar, £15.90 (2014 vintage) at The Sampler, £18 at Humble Grape.

First Drop Mere-et-Fils Chardonnay 2014 (Adelaide Hills)

First Drop The Matador Garnacha 2014 (Barossa)

First Drop Mother’s Milk Shiraz 2014 (Barossa)

Sourced from 2 Barossa vineyards, Mother’s Milk is a Barossa Valley/Eden Valley mash up.  Darren’s vineyard is to the north of Seppeltsfield in the west of the Barossa – 285m above sea level on clay over limestone. Milton’s vineyard is to the east of Eden Valley in the east of the Barossa – 460m above sea level on clay over ironstone and quartz. This wine was matured for 12 months in 3-4 year old French oak hogsheads.  It is a palish burgundy hue with sweet, creamy black forest gateaux flavours of red and black cherry, chocolate/mochachino, toast and juicy plum with savoury nuances of herbs/eucalyptus and balsamic.  Smooth tannins and savoury acidity make for good flow.  Traditional Barossa cuddly flavours with super slurpability 14.5%  £15.99 at Cambridge Wine Merchants, £15.99 at The Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar, £16 at Secret Cellar, £17.50 at The Sampler 

First Drop Mother’s Ruin Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 (McLaren Vale)

Sourced from Joch’s vineyard in the Willunga foothills in the south of the McLaren Vale at 130m above sea level on deep alluvial stony clay loam. The wine was aged sur lie for 15 months in French oak hogsheads, 10% new.  A minty nose places you down under.  Sweeter and richer fruited than Coonawarra with silky smooth tannins, this easier going, approachable Cabernet reveals McLaren Vale’s riper spectrum of aromas and flavours – dried\confit plum and pronounced blueberry.  Juicy acidity makes for a succulent mid-palate and persistent finish.  Flavoursome stuff.  13.5% £15.99 at Cambridge Wine Merchants, £15.99 at The Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar, £16 (2013 vintage) at Harvey Nichols

First Drop JR Gantos Cabernet Sauvignon Touriga Nacional 2011 ( McLaren Vale)

I imagine that the fruit for this wine also comes from Joch’s vineyard in the Willunga foothills (no technical fiche available).  A burgundy hue with tobacco/cheroot, blackcurrant and plum to nose and medium-bodied palate. McLaren Vale came off relatively well in 2011 (an atypically wet year) and this wine illustrates that well, showing freshness but not a hint of green to the flavour profile or tannins.  The sweeter blueberry stained cedar-edged finish might put 2011 out your mind, but there’s not the oomph of a typical vintage.  Not necessarily a bad thing – this medium-bodied red has fruit sweetness and restraint. Nice work.  14% £18.99 at The Old Butcher’s Wine Cellar, £22.90 at The Sampler

First Drop Nacional 2014  (McLaren Vale)