Dos Por Ciento (2%) Shiraz Moscatel 2018

96 points, “This steps into a complex, rich zone with dark chocolate, plum, blackberry and cocoa nibs, as well as a violet and blueberry edge.” – James Suckling

As devilishly delicious as it is perplexingly puzzling. Wrapped up in a wire netting, adorned with a bling matador and given a Spanish name, you might expect Dos Por Ciento (2%) to be an Australian take on Rioja. But it’s not. It’s more like Barossa Valley’s answer to Côte-Rôtie. The guys at First Drop have taken immensely high-quality Shiraz from Seppeltsfield, Ebenezer and Greenock (grown by their mates Darren, Anthony and Shawn) and mixed it with 2% Moscatel. This floral, white and grapey variety adds a little ‘je ne sais quoi’ into the mix, much like the Viognier added to the reds of the Rhône. Matured for almost two years in a mix of American and French oak, First Drop claim that this classic-Barossa-Shiraz-with-a-twist goes with everything from Oreos to offal. When you taste it, it’s hard to argue with that. Rich and pumped, its sweet black-berries-on-steroids are tempered by dark chocolate, cocoa, plum crumble, black pepper, flame-grilled meat, tobacco and maybe some distant wildflowers. It’s screaming out for barbeques, burgers, steaks and anything roasted, blackened and crispy around the edges.

Set up by Essex boy Matt Gant and South Australian John Retsas, First Drop is part winery and part frivolous merrymaking in a ginormous warehouse abandoned by Penfolds. This duo crafts grapes grown by their friends into fun-loving and easy-going wines with remarkable distinction and texture. They also do this without using animal products in the fining process, making the entire range vegan friendly.