Description

When I hosted a virtual tasting with John from First Drop wines, the 2012 Forza Nebbiolo was the star of the show. One of the guests asked if there was anything older, and that is how I got my hands on the 2011 Forza Nebbiolo. John said he thinks 2011 is the best facsimile of Piedmontese Nebbiolo that they have made. While one year doesn’t seem like a huge difference, the vintage conditions of 2011 made for a lighter, more savoury, elegant earthy Forza Nebbiolo.

While the Forza Nebbiolo 2012 is one that will hold for years to come, this 2011 is ready to drink. This 2011 Forza Nebbiolo has a lovely array of secondary flavours, its tannins have melded back into the wine, and the succulent palate is just screaming for a mushroom risotto.

First Drop Forza Nebbiolo Adelaide Hills 2011, and all wines are eligible for at least 5% off any six bottles. And 10% off any 12 bottles. Some wines will be at a more significant discount and not subject to further discounts.

Two friends, Matt ‘Gantos’ Gant and John ‘JR’ Retsas, brought First Drop into being in 2004. First Drop makes wines to drink rather than pontificate upon. Their base is the ‘Home of the Brave’ in the heart of the Barossa Valley. The house style of First Drop is silky, textural, drinkable wines with a hint of funk and a lot of interest. They source an eclectic range of varieties and produce a diversity of wine styles. The fruit comes from vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Barossa. The packaging completes the wines, engaging and often humorous labels and stories behind them.

First Drop Forza Nebbiolo Adelaide Hills 2011 Wine Review

Julia Harding MW
JancisRobinson.com
17.5 points
“This is a little deeper and younger looking than the Home of the Brave Nebbiolo 2009. On the nose there’s a classic Nebbiolo fragrance of red fruit, light spice and a hard to describe savoury-sweetness. On the palate, the texture has the thickness of more oak but the tannins are still very fine and compact. Currently less come-hither than the Home of the Brave but there’s depth and serious length here – and the potential for a fine old age, with lots of pleasure in between. The last drop sitting in the glasses was flagrantly red fruited and juicy. With canneloni, it slid down a treat.”

Adelaide Hills

This is a big and varied region. Basically, it stretches from the top of the McLaren Vale all the way to the bottom of the Barossa. This means there is a big scope for climatic conditions. In the central part, where its altitude is quite high, you can get some of the best sites in the world for Sparkling wine. In the slightly warmer parts of the centre, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme with Riesling, Shiraz and Sauvignon Blanc worthy of honourable mentions.

Nebbiolo

Famously producing long-lived red wines which are light of colour but abundant in tannin from Barolo, Barbaresco and various other local wines. This is the variety that defines the region. Typical flavours include Tar, roses, anise, cherry, blackberry and truffle.

Australian Wine

The invasion of “Sunshine in a bottle” put Australian wine on the map. The fruity, easy-going, somewhat samey wines were endearing for a short time. Then the next big thing knocked them off their perch.

This forced producers to increase quality and emphasise the special terroirs of Australia. Of which, there are many. And many more yet to be discovered.

Wine

Wine is the result you get from fermented grape juice. There is proof of wine production dating back 8000 years ago. Fashions, innovations and many other factors have influenced the way wine has evolved over the years.

The wine grape is special. It contains everything you need to make grape wine except for the yeast, which lives on the outside of the skins.

Human inputs can influence the final product, including the viticulture (growing) choices. And the winemaker can shape the wine to a point too.

The best wines of the world often refer to terroir. Terroir is a French term that refers to all the climatic, geological and topographical influences on a specific piece of land. And it is true that neighbouring vineyards, grown identically, can taste noticeably different.

Red Wine

Fun fact; most of the colour for wines comes from the skins. There are only a handful of grapes that have red juice. Alicante is the most well known of these grapes.

By macerating the juice on the skins, the wine gains tannins and flavours. Certain compounds change the chemistry of the wine too.

Red wines tend to have higher alcohol. More tannin and more oak flavours compared to other styles of wine. But the thousands of grapes and terroirs they grow in influence this.

The Wine Depository

I, Phil, have been running The Wine Depository since 2011. The Wine Depository exists to make sure you are drinking the good wines. You can browse and pick what is interesting to you. Or you can make contact with me. I’ll make sure you get what you want, to your palate, to your budget and to your door.