First Drop has released seven new shiraz wines from its 2021 vintage – showcasing the great diversity of Barossa’s sub-regions

John Retsas is championing the 'New Barossa' style of winemaking at First Drop Wines, sourcing fruit from all over the region to create bold but still fresh and highly drinkable wines that have a clear sense of place. And his latest releases are an absolute triumph. Recently, Halliday taster Dave Brookes tried First Drop’s four shiraz wines from the new Fat of the Land range as well as the team’s three wines from the Cold Sweat collection – giving them scores ranging from 92-97. 

It really is a great thing to see – a burgeoning Barossa winery with 20 years of winemaking under its belt making a whole swathe of standout wines from just one vintage. 

John has to thank the brilliant season for making this easier, sharing, “2021 was one of those rare golden years. The weather gods were kind – mild conditions, long ripening, no significant heat spikes. Yields were good and the fruit was pristine. It gave us beautiful colour, natural acidity, and fine tannin structure. Ripening was slow and gradual. It’s one of the best vintages we’ve seen ever.”

The four shiraz wines that make up the ‘Fat of the Land’ series do a great job of showcasing the sub-regions of the Barossa – and the contrasting styles of shiraz that emerge from this dynamic GI.

On this, John shared, “We work with vineyards in Ebenezer, Seppeltsfield and Greenock – each with its own character. Some bring power, others bring perfume or minerality. Each vineyard adds something."

At the top of this range sits The Cream – the team’s flagship wine made from its best barrels of shiraz. It is a bold Barossan wine (but still on the 'New Barossa' side of styles) that is well worth cellaring. The 2021 Fat of the Land Ebenezer Single Vineyard Shiraz is also cellar-friendly, but our taster Dave Brookes highlighted, “by the beard of Zeus, it is just so delicious right now.”

The 2021 Fat of the Land Greenock Single Vineyard Shiraz and 2021 Fat of the Land Seppeltsfield Single Vineyard Shiraz are also big hitters – bold wines that still maintain plenty of fresh fruit notes. These pack a punch but are very drinkable – something which is very important to John.

He went on to say, “The Barossa and the industry as a whole has evolved. There's a real openness to diversity in style – not just the big, bold reds (though we still love them), but fresher, brighter expressions with drinkability.

“I have always believed you can be innovative, and respect the magnificent history of the Barossa.

"We love the heritage of the Barossa – it’s iconic – but we also like to have a bit of fun and make wines that suit our Australian lifestyles and diverse cuisines.

“We use a modern approach to winemaking, to let the vineyards and the vintage speak. This attitude is helping bring new wine lovers into the fold. Wine should be exciting, enjoyable and have great drinkability."

Even though it is not in this new release, the team’s popular Mother’s Milk wine best represents this pursuit of making highly drinkable wines.

John shared, “Mother’s Milk was born out of a desire to make a Barossa shiraz that you wanted to drink everyday, and not just taste, admire and park. We wanted something slurpable, plush, elegant, fruit-forward but not heavy – a wine that feels like a warm hug and part of everyday life.”

This is a highly affordable shiraz, coming in at under $30 – and often scoring in the mid-90s. It’s a sure-fire win for those looking at affordable top-quality drops.

The final three wines to have recently been released by First Drop fall under the Cold Sweat range – and follow more of a syrah style than straight-on shiraz.

Here, John and the team are showcasing the regions of Moculta, Craneford and Wilton, crafting elegant and savoury syrahs from some of Barossa's higher-elevated vineyards.

But it isn’t all about shiraz at First Drop. John is also playing around with other lesser-known varieties – even going sourcing some fruit from the Adelaide Hills.

He shared, “The Adelaide Hills is a dream playground. We’re loving working with nebbiolo – it’s a variety that keeps you humble but gives so much back when you get it right. We are about to release a 15-year-old nebbiolo from the 2010 vintage, which is a cracker!”

The team is also working on chardonnay, barbera and touriga – “stuff that suits our climate” – and is even beginning to branch out into a small selection of Greek varieties. There’s a lot to come from First Drop, but for now, you can check out Dave Brookes’ seven shiraz reviews below – from the Fat of the Land and Cold Sweat ranges.

Dave Brookes' First Drop tasting notes

The Cream Shiraz 2021

"These flagship First Drop wines from the superb '21 vintage are really quite something. Such beautifully pure and plush fruit is on display. Cassis, plum conserve, blueberry and boysenberry. All dense and weighty with wonderfully judged oak lending light cedar, creamy spice and form. This one's got a real blackforest cake sort of richness, the tannins powdery and showing ample volume, the wine super opulent yet showing freshness and impressive balance. Cellar worthy for sure." – Dave Brookes, 96 points 

Fat of the Land Ebenezer Single Vineyard Shiraz 2021

"Another strong showing from the stellar '21 vintage. There is a sense of compression here which I often see in wines from the Ebenezer parish. The fruit presents as a singularity. An essence of black plum and blackberry, deeply etched with fruitcake spice, Old Gold chocolate, pressed purple flowers, liquorice, pan juices, tapenade and earth. The tannins, like layers of gypsum-dust, are super fine, the line bright and fresh. The structure suggests an extended time in the cellar is warranted but by the beard of Zeus, it is just so delicious right now. Super stuff." – Dave Brookes, 97 points

Fat of the Land Greenock Single Vineyard Shiraz 2021

"Cracking vintage + famed western Barossa terroir = pretty flippin' awesome wine. Glass-staining crimson with detailed aromas of plush blood plum, cassis, blueberry and boysenberry fruits. Hints of baking spices, some pastille in the distance, pan juices, violets, chocolate bullets, dried citrus rind, ironstone, panforte and earth. Woah! Full bodied and powerful with compact, powdery layers of tannin, a bright, minerally cadence and a plush, black-fruited finish that draws out nicely. It's a ripper." – Dave Brookes, 96 points

Fat of the Land Seppeltsfield Single Vineyard Shiraz 2021

"A super plush, ferrous-edge rendition of shiraz from this famous western Barossa parish. Super ripe Doris plum, blackberry and black cherry fruits with hints of baking spices, dark chocolate, licorice allsorts, dried citrus rind, turned earth, cedar and roasting meats. Weighty and full bodied with a wonderful fruit flow, tight, fine-grained tannins and plenty of momentum and latent power on the fade out." – Dave Brookes, 95 points

Cold Sweat Wilton Syrah 2021

"Syrah sourced from the very well-regarded Wilton vineyard in the Eden Valley. Deep magenta/crimson in the glass with aromas of satsuma plum, blueberry and black cherries with hints of fine spice, pressed purple flowers, licorice, sage, crushed rock, bay leaf, tapenade and dark chocolate. Beautifully pure and sporting an impressive fruit density and flow, tannins tight and powdery and an exit flow that is cassis-rich and enduring." – Dave Brookes, 95 points

Cold Sweat Moculta Syrah 2021

"Super deep crimson in the glass with deep-set macerated satsuma plum, black cherry and black berry fruits. Hints of fruitcake spice, high cocoa dark chocolate, pan juices, panforte, tapenade and earth. Deep and resonant with chocolate dipped cherries and blueberries, powdery tannins and a darkly-fruited, spicy flow on the exit." – Dave Brookes, 95 point

Cold Sweat Craneford Syrah 2021

"Eden Valley-sourced shiraz from the excellent 2021 vintage. It smells pure with ripe blackberry, black cherry and plush, plummy fruits, hints of baking spices, sage, roasting meats, licorice, dark chocolate and earth. There's a meaty edge to the fruit on the palate and it's quite broody, with fine, powdery tannins and a dark-fruited ride as it trails away." – Dave Brookes, 93 points