First Drop Wines

At A Glance

Field: Detail
Region: South Australia
Home base: Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley
Main grapes: Shiraz, Chardonnay, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian varieties
Signature wines: Mother's Milk Barossa Shiraz, Real Time Chardonnay
Defining feature: Grower relationships and minimal intervention winemaking

The Producer

Before First Drop, Matt Gant worked vintages in the United States, Spain, Portugal, Italy, New Zealand and Australia, then became a winemaker at St Hallett in the Barossa Valley under Stuart Blackwell. He and John Retsas founded First Drop as friends in 2004. The winery is headquartered in Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley.

First Drop works with a network of growers throughout the year to ensure appropriate care and consideration in vineyard management. Its wines are modern expressions of grape variety, site and season, made under a minimal intervention philosophy. The range includes Mother's Milk Barossa Shiraz, followed by the Fat of the Land series, The Cream and Cold Sweat.

Place

Nuriootpa places First Drop in the Barossa Valley, while its fruit comes from several South Australian regions. The source regions combine rich soils, differing altitudes and ample sunlight, producing fruit with depth and intense flavour.

Real Time Chardonnay comes from the Adelaide Hills, with Gumeracha named as the vineyard source. The Barossa supplies Shiraz and other lead varieties, while the wider portfolio extends into Spanish, Portuguese and Italian grapes.

Wines

The portfolio contains around 30 wines, extending from Barossa's lead varieties into Spanish, Portuguese and Italian grapes. Mother's Milk Barossa Shiraz is joined by the Fat of the Land series, The Cream and Cold Sweat, which the range presents as subsequent blends.

Real Time Chardonnay 2022 is a still white Adelaide Hills Chardonnay at 12.5% alcohol. It has apple, nectarine, peach and lemon drop flavours, with almond meal, cinnamon, powdery grip, and a spicy, dusty finish. The wine is presented as an evolving expression of Chardonnay's varietal character and the Gumeracha vineyard.

A Bottle To Understand It

Open with Real Time Chardonnay 2022. It is the bottle that places Chardonnay and the Gumeracha vineyard together within a portfolio better known for Barossa Shiraz and named blends. Real Time was developed to foreground the grape's varietal character and the vineyard where it is grown, giving the range a clearly defined white wine from the Adelaide Hills.

Final Word

First Drop Wines joins Barossa Shiraz, Adelaide Hills Chardonnay and Spanish, Portuguese and Italian varieties under a minimal intervention philosophy. Grower relationships run throughout the year, while Real Time pairs Chardonnay with Gumeracha on one bottle.

At A Glance

The Producer

Place

Wines

A Bottle To Understand It

Final Word

Sources

Where to go next