2021 First Drop The Cream Barossa Shiraz 750ml

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Overview

The Cream is the flagship Shiraz from First Drop Wines, representing the ultimate expression of Barossa Valley Shiraz. Crafted from a selection of the finest barrels across three renowned subregions—Ebenezer, Greenock and Seppeltsfield—this richly textured wine combines exceptional power, depth and elegance. The outstanding 2021 vintage delivers concentrated dark fruit, complex savoury notes and beautifully integrated tannins, with impressive long-term cellaring potential.

Vintage

The 2021 Barossa Valley vintage is widely regarded as exceptional. A cool, dry growing season with prolonged, even ripening conditions produced Shiraz of remarkable fruit purity, balance and structure. Although yields were slightly below average, the resulting wines display outstanding concentration, fine tannins and excellent ageing potential.

Vineyard

The Cream brings together Shiraz from three distinctive Barossa Valley subregions, each contributing unique characteristics to the final blend:

• Ebenezer (35%): Northern Barossa, 296 metres above sea level, with deep red clay soils.
• Greenock (25%): North-western Barossa, 330 metres above sea level, with clay and ironstone soils.
• Seppeltsfield (40%): Western Barossa, 285 metres above sea level, with clay over limestone soils.

The combination of these three vineyard sites creates a powerful yet harmonious expression of Barossa Shiraz, balancing concentration, complexity and elegance.

Winemaking

The grapes were crushed and destemmed before fermentation at controlled temperatures of 20–23°C, spending 14 days on skins. Aerative pump-overs and drain-and-return techniques were employed to extract colour, flavour and tannin.

Following fermentation, the wine was pressed and transferred to French oak hogsheads, including 50% new oak alongside one-year-old barrels, for malolactic fermentation. The wine subsequently matured on lees for 20 months, developing richness, complexity and seamless integration.

Producer Tasting Notes

Colour
Black/Red

Bouquet
Lifted black fruit aromas with hints of smoke, tar, leather, florals and Indian spice.

Palate
Rich kirsch and black fruits, dark chocolate and licorice, balanced with textured lingeringly seamless tannins

Cellaring
It's seductive, with a pedigree that will see it mature for a further 10 to 15 years. So indulge now or reward yourself later.

Critic Reviews

97 Points — The Vintage Journal

96 Points — Halliday Wine Companion

95 Points — Vinous

93 Points — James Suckling

Producer

First Drop Wines celebrates the diversity of the Barossa Valley through wines that highlight the distinctive characteristics of its vineyard sites. Its Fat of the Land series showcases individual expressions of Shiraz from Greenock, Ebenezer and Seppeltsfield, while The Cream represents the pinnacle of the collection, blending selected barrels from these three subregions into a rich, complex and age-worthy flagship wine.

Specifications

• Vintage: 2021
• Producer: First Drop Wines
• Wine: The Cream
• Country: Australia
• Region: South Australia, Barossa Valley
• Subregions: Ebenezer (35%), Greenock (25%), Seppeltsfield (40%)
• Grape Variety: Shiraz
• Wine Style: Still Red Wine
• Sweetness: Dry
• Body: Full
• Fermentation: 14 days on skins at 20–23°C
• Fermentation Techniques: Aerative pump-overs and drain-and-return
• Malolactic Fermentation: Yes
• Oak: French oak hogsheads, 50% new and one-year-old barrels
• Maturation: 20 months on lees
• Cellaring Potential: 10–15 years (producer guidance)
• Bottle Size: 750ml