2010
First Drop
'Mother's Ruin'
Cabernet Sauvignon
McLaren Vale

2010 First Drop 'Mother's Ruin' Cabernet Sauvignon McLaren Vale

What is ‘Mother’s Ruin?’ Back around the turn of the 20th century, the Brits consumed on average of 14 gallons of Mother’s Ruin (AKA Gin) every year. Now we're not advocating binge drinking, but this is made in that ‘easy to go down’ style that one could quite handedly consume 14 gallons of per year. This restrained, well balanced expression of McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon is an ode to the ‘luncheon claret’, but it’s not as green and austere as that favorite lunchtime libation at the gentleman’s club. Early picked fruit from a single vineyard with good breeding in the Willunga foothills results in an elegant, varietal style that has classic First Drop drinkability.

The vineyard received some of the best winter rains for five years that refilled soil profiles and replenished empty irrigation dams. Hooray! But an unseasonal seven day burst of hot weather in early November during flowering, reduced fruit-set and led to variable yields. Boo! Weather conditions through the ripening months of February and March were ideal with warm sunny days and relatively cool nights. Hooray! Although rain events in April kept everyone on their toes. Boo!

So the 2010 vintage ‘wasn’t all beer and skittles’. The variable ripening made it tough to decide when to pick, but experience and sorcery got them through, resulting in some solid booze in the winery. Hooray!

  • Region: McLaren Vale
  • Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Vintage: 2010
  • Vineyard: Joch's Vineyard
  • Vine Age: 23 years
  • Yield: 3.1 tons per acre
  • Soil Type: Deep Alluvial Stony Clay Loam
  • Oak: 15 months in seasoned French hogshead
  • Production: 1,800
Winery & Regional Information
BAROSSA VALLEY

With a rich history dating back to 1847, a profound and unique Silesian (German) influence, the Barossa Valley is one of the most famous wine regions of South Australia and, indeed, Australia. The region is now rightly asserting not only its importance to the wine industry but the inestimable value of its storehouse of century-old vines and historic wineries. Learn More »

FIRST DROP WINES

BAROSSA VALLEY

Matt ‘Gantos’ Gant and John ‘JR’ Retsas are two mates with a lifelong commitment to making kick-arse booze at their winery, ‘Home of the Brave’, in the Barossa. These are wines with flavor, texture and a splash of funk, made with the best fruit from unique patches of the Barossa, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale. Learn More »

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