Firstleaf Wine Club August 2019 Subscription Box Review + Coupon

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Firstleaf is a wine club subscription that aims to discover your exact wine preferences and ship you that wine. A member’s first shipment will be an introductory pack containing 6 bottles of wine. It will be curated based on a few simple questions that you will answer upon sign up. If you rate wines after you receive your box, they’ll use their proprietary algorithm to target your exact preferences, getting better and better with every box.

DEAL: The introductory order with 6 bottles of wine is priced at $39.95 + tax and has free shipping, while future boxes will contain 6 bottles for $79.98 + $9.95 shipping and tax. No coupon needed, just use this link to subscribe.

Once you receive your first shipment, you can log into your account and rate the wines in the Previous Boxes section. The more wines you rate, the more closely they can match future shipments to your tastes. Instead of sorting you into broad categories, Firstleaf performs a chemical analysis of all their wines, and uses your ratings to narrow down your predicted reactions to each flavor component.

All the wine bottles arrived in perfect condition.

This white envelope contains info cards about this month’s featured wines.

Inside the box, there are six different cards containing all the information you need to know about each featured wine.

The back of the card has a picture of great scenery related to the wine or the place where it came from.

This month’s box also includes an informative booklet.

Featured inside the booklet are photos of different kinds of sophisticated wines with high ratings and multiple awards won.

This part of the booklet features a Letter from the Editor, some Firstleaf highlights, and a promotional ad for FirstLeaf Founder Favorites.

Here’s an interesting Q and A with David Cuthbert, the CEO of Wine To Water.

According to this part of the booklet, Firstleaf sources its wine from all over the world. Here’s a map of some of the famous wine they produced and a bit about why they are loved so much!

Everything in my box!

This month’s box includes 6 bottles of wine!

The first three bottles are red wines! One bottle is from Portugal and two are from California!

Tres Tigres Tristes Vinho Tinto ($18.99)

The Tres Tigres Tristes is a delicious mix of Portuguese winemaking and history. This beautiful Portuguese blend is a mix of Castelão (a grape also called “little parrot”) and Aragonês (also better known as Tempranillo) and has a beautifully complex bouquet and even more complex flavors. The fruit dominates, but savory flavors peek out from behind the fruit. Mushrooms and savory, gamey notes mingle beautifully with nutmeg and clove. This complexity could be overwhelmed by powerful dishes, so we would recommend trying it with steak au poivre, rosemary lamb chops, or even a tomato tart.

This delectable Portuguese wine features rich fruity flavors from blackberry, blackcurrant, and cherry. It also boasts of mushroom and nutmeg notes, lending each sip with a subtle earthy taste.

This red wine is best paired with roasted meats, herbed lamb chops, tomato tart, and vegetables.

2017 Marsh Hawk’s Plunge Petite Sirah ($23.99)

The Marsh Hawk’s Plunge soars above the competition. This beautifully structured wine is stoic but still sublimely elegant. We love the way flavors fly around in the glass. With a nose containing dark fruit, violets, and a subtle hint of baked graham cracker, how could it be anything but delicious? It comes from Dunnigan Hills, a region with a large diurnal shift (warm days to grow the grapes, but cold nights that let the grapes recover to retain their natural acidity). The raspberry, blackberry, and dried cranberry notes easily support full-bodied dishes like aged cheeses, barbecue, or even chicken in a mole sauce.

Here’s another red wine boasting of fruity notes! This time it combines mulberry, black raspberry, pomegranate, and dried cranberry, enhanced with notes of baked graham crackers.

This wine is best paired with full-bodied dishes including barbecue, chicken with mole sauce, or even aged cheese.

2016 Loudspeaker Cabernet Sauvignon ($21.00)

Turn it up to 11 with the Gold medal winning Loudspeaker Cabernet Sauvignon. The Loudspeaker Cabernet Sauvignon is a saxophone playing at full volume. It has bold oak and spice with voluptuous boysenberry fruit flavor that mingles with dark cherries and licorice. There’s a hint of mint that plays off of the leathery texture and nuanced blue fruits. It’s a slightly unexpected wine that has a strong fruit character that will stand up to equally fruity dishes: duck with figs, venison with dates, and plum braised pork. It pairs equally well with baritone R&B, sultry Blues, and throaty Jazz. Judges love this wine too. It took home a Gold medal at the 2019 Texas International Wine Competition.

It’s a sophisticated wine featuring a deep ruby color. With high intensity and concentrated notes of black currant, coffee, and blueberry, it gives a rich and textured mouthfeel with every sip.

The tannins and acidity makes it a great pairing with rich meats like roasted duck breast, roasted pork loin, and wild game.

The next three bottles are white wines from South Africa, California, and Argentina, respectively!

2017 Linguist Estates Rosé ($17.00)

An elegant Gold medal winning rosé fit for any occasion. The first release from Linguist Estates was a Firstleaf and wine critic favorite garnering praise from members and wine judges alike. We are happy to announce the return of the Gold medal winning Linguist Estates with this elegant, Provencal-style rosé. This wine is pure and refreshing, with light notes of plum, strawberry, and pomegranate that are bolstered by a bright acidity and dry mouthfeel. It was made intentionally to be paired with food. This is the kind of wine that is at home at almost any table, especially if there is a festive occasion. We think it will go easily with classic roasted poultry or salmon, but the lively acidity means that it can pair well with dishes rich in umami like tomato bruschetta. It recently took home a Gold medal at the 2019 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition and a Silver at the 2019 Winemaker Challenge.

Fans of rosé will appreciate the casual sophistication and elegant structure of this wine. With its light fruity notes, it’s not just great for celebrations but also as an everyday wine.

This wine has a rich mineral taste and light notes of plum, strawberry, and pomegranate. It goes well with classic roasted dishes or grilled salmon, and even tomato bruschetta.

2018 Monjitas Blancas ($17.99)

Savor the zesty bouquet of flowers in this 93 Point, Double Gold medal-winning Monjitas Blancas Torrontés. Torrontés is a white grape that is known in insider wine circles as a hidden gem. This grape produces wines with prodigious aromas. We love the exotic floral notes of hibiscus, orange blossom, and gardenias that play off of the crisp, sweet citrus flavors. The Monjitas Blancas has these flavors as well as a prominent mineral structure that rounds out the wine. These notes meld together in an elegant and dry finish. The wine works as well on its own as it does with a meal. The complexity does lend itself to pairing with difficult dishes, and in particular, we have been enjoying this wine with spicy Asian cuisines. Judges love it too. It took home 93 Points and a Double-Gold Medal at the 2019 International Eastern Wine Competition.

This white wine comes with unique floral notes of hibiscus and orange blossom, layered with an exotic blend of roses, jasmine, and geraniums.

The high-level acidity coming from this wine makes it a perfect pair with coconut curry, spicy Asian dishes, and grilled fish.

2018 Apeloko Chenin Blanc ($18.00)

Taste the fruit of the Apeloko farmers in this 91 Point, Gold medal-winning South African Chenin Blanc. Apeloko directly translates to “the man who stays late at the farm,” and sometimes that’s what it takes to make a truly amazing wine. This South African Chenin Blanc comes from decades-old vines that produced hearty grapes for a wine with beautiful notes of Fuji apple, candied lemon, and a vibrant acidity. It’s a concentrated Chenin Blanc that is still easy to enjoy. The flavors and acidity can stand up to some very rich foods. We want to try this with pâté, fresh tuna, and roasted chicken at the end of a long day’s work. The winery responsible for making this wine is Babylon’s Peak, which is nestled on the slopes of the Paardeberg Mountains. It’s a family-run cellar currently in its fourth generation. Winemaker Stephen Basson uses his upbringing at the vineyard to drive his winemaking process and focuses on making wines that truly represent the terroir of South African soils. Judges love it too! It took home 91 Points and a Gold medal from the 2019 Critics Challenge International Wine Competition and a Silver from the 2019 Monterey International Wine Competition.

This Chenin Blanc is primarily made from fully concentrated grapes that feature a plump flavor of Fuji apple and luscious lemon peel backed by intense acidity and crisp yet luscious mouthfeel.

This delectable drink is best paired with pâté, roasted chicken, and grilled fish.

This month’s wines from Firstleaf Wine Club are right up my alley! Most of them are light and fruity, plus they’re easy to pair with various dishes. As usual, everything is of premium quality and some of them are even award-winning. I’m also impressed with their packaging which ensures that everything arrives in perfect condition. I’m certainly looking forward to exploring more wine varieties in my future boxes and I’m absolutely loving the way the wines were matched to my profile!

What do you think of Firstleaf Wine Club subscription?

Visit Firstleaf to subscribe or find out more!

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