Jun 29, 2011

First Drop Wines The Red One South Eastern Australia Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Barbera, Shiraz

It's summertime and the livin' is easy. I've got the grill primed and want something that would go with corn on the cob and a smokey slab of ribs. We all know that the Aussie's love their "barbi", so I picked up a bottle of the 2009 Red One from First Drop Wines. Let's see if it fits the bill.

You can find this week's pick in the Australian Wine isle of your local bottle shop for $9.99.

Review

Here is a test to see if you are an optimist or a pessimist. At 1:16 PM, on June 21st, the sun reached the northern most point in the sky making it the longest day of the year and the official start of summer. But, it also means that we lose approximately one minute of daylight from now until December 22nd. So, are you grabbing the swimsuit and heading for the beach or have you begun the Bhutan Death March toward winter?

I’m trying to focus on the summer thing, which is why I picked a festive red: the 2009 Red One from First Drop Wines. The predominately Cabernet Sauvignon blend caught my eye and I was intrigued that they had used Tempranillo and Barbera: grapes hailing from Spain and Italy, respectively. While I applaud anyone willing to break the mold, this one didn’t work for me. I found it spicy and harsh, not at all the fruit bomb I expected. I had chilled it a bit, which might have been a mistake. And, given its young age, I probably should have let it breath for a while. These guys reputedly make some good wines, but I am wondering, in this case, if they ever left their shore?

What Others Thought

While readers agreed that this was not the “typical Australian fare”, some found it to be an “unexpected surprise”. Those “tired of the same old shiraz blend” didn’t mind the “spicy notes” that others found “overwhelming”. “Not for the faint of heart” this red might just find a small but loyal following.

You have to be logged in to participate in the virtual tasting.

Previous Picks