14 Oct Please The Palate Wine of the Week: First Drop 2022 Mother’s Milk Shiraz, Barossa Valley, Australia

Think Australian Shiraz and you might think of the old-school style of big, bold, jammy, and high in alcohol. Barossa Valley Shiraz and fresh in the same sentence is less often heard together. But that is until you try the First Drop 2022 Mother’s Milk Shiraz, a soft, juicy, textured, and remarkably fresh wine. This Shiraz will make you rethink any preconceived ideas you have about Australian Shiraz. That is why the First Drop 2022 Mother’s Milk Shiraz is the Please The Palate Wine of the Week.

About First Drop

Founded in 2004, First Drop is a family-owned winery based in the heart of the Barossa Valley in South Australia. Owner John Retsas sources fruit from vineyards across the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley, Adelaide Hills, and McLaren Vale, with a focus on quality, sustainability, and purity.

At their “Home of the Brave” winery in the Barossa Valley, the goal is to produce vibrant, modern expressions of grape variety, vineyard, and vintage. While grounded in the traditions of some of South Australia’s most established wine regions, First Drop is not afraid to challenge expectations, and Mother’s Milk Shiraz is a perfect example.

Tasting Notes

The name Mother’s Milk metaphorically refers to something nourishing or fundamental, and First Drop’s Mother’s Milk is intended to be just that, a Shiraz made for drinking. Rather than the powerful, heavily oaked style that many people may associate with Barossa Shiraz, Mother’s Milk is all about fruit, freshness, and drinkability. The fruit comes from three distinct sites: Seppeltsfield in the western Barossa, with clay over limestone soils; Kalimna in the northern Barossa, with red clay, sand, and ironstone; and the higher-elevation Eden Valley, where clay soils sit over ironstone and quartz.

After fermentation, the wine is transferred to seasoned French oak hogsheads and matured on the lees for 10 months. The use of older oak allows the fruit to remain front and center rather than being dominated by oak flavors. The wine is a garnet red color with purple hues and opens with aromas of dark cherry and blackberry layered with forest floor and spice.

At 14.5 percent alcohol, the wine has plenty of body and flavor without feeling heavy. It is juicy and textured with soft, supple tannins and, most importantly, a freshness that keeps the palate lively and makes you want to go back for another sip.

Food Pairing

Shiraz, typically known for its full body, pairs best with rich, savory, and charred foods like grilled steak, smoked barbecue brisket, and roasted lamb. But a fresher-style Shiraz, like the First Drop Shiraz, pairs well with leaner meats, like duck, pork chops, and charcuterie, as well as savory umami-rich dishes. Or it can be enjoyed with a grass-fed hamburger, which is what I enjoyed with the wine.

Where To Purchase

First Drop Mother’s Milk Shiraz retails for approximately $20. To find a bottle, visit wine-searcher.com