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First Drop new releases and old treasures

Matt Gant and Jonn Retsas First Drop

An Australian and a Brit with a sense of humour, faith in their growers' vineyards and a respect for vintage variation.

As I wrote in First Drop – seriously entertaining, English-born Matt Gant (‘winemaker and retired wannabe playboy’, on the right in their photo above) and Australian John Retsas (‘marketeer and musketeer’, on the left) make serious wines from bought-in grapes in the Barossa, in the Adelaide Hills and in McLaren Vale.

Their earnest intention is to make wines that give maximum pleasure, then bottle and sell them with cheeky wit, ranging from groan-worthy puns to clever pastiche, as...