Firstleaf is a monthly wine subscription founded by Philip James, with the goal of creating the most customer-centric wine club.
Firstleaf leaf partners directly with wineries and winemakers to bring the wine straight to members and boast that it’s the only wine club that tailors its wine choice to an individual member’s preferences.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About Firstleaf
The Subscription Box: Firstleaf
The Cost: $79.95 per box + $9.95 shipping
ACTIVE DEAL: Intro offer $39.95 + free shipping no code needed. No coupon needed - just use this link.
The Products: 6 bottles of wine personalized to your individual tastes.
Ships to: the US, specifically these states: AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, ND, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, and WY
Good To Know: You can adjust your shipment frequency and preferences in your account settings. An adult 21+ must be present at the time of delivery to sign for the shipment.
Firstleaf Wine Subscription November 2018 Review
Firstleaf offers an impressive level of customization. You can choose whether to receive all white, all reds, or a mix of both. You can also choose whether to receive US wines, imported wines, or a mix of both. You can also choose how frequently you’d like to receive boxes and indicate if you’re interested in Rose or Sparkling varieties.
The first insert included as a referral card. Anyone that uses your custom link gets the offer of 3 bottles for $5 plus free shipping, while you receive a $20 credit on your account. The envelope also contains a detailed card for each bottle of wine. I love this additional information – you can see detailed photos throughout the rest of the review.
The 2nd insert includes wine bottle tags for different occasions that include referral/coupon codes. I think this is a fun touch – it would be great to give to a new neighbor with one of the bottles!
2017 Scissor Kick Sémillion (Australia) – Listed Value $24.00 (Member Price $19.20)
Tasting Notes: Mineral, Lime, Grass
This Australian wine is made from the Sémillon grape, which is a difficult grape to grow but seems to thrive in that region. It makes for an amazing wine that is incredibly versatile. It’s sweet and fruity but balanced with a medium body and acidity. The mineral flavors shine. My husband and I enjoyed this bottle with some raw oysters – which is the recommended pairing - this weekend as an afternoon treat and we were both quite pleased with this lovely white wine.
2017 Infographic Malvasia Bianca (Paso Robles, California) – Listed Value $19.00 (Member Price $17.10)
Tasting Notes: Lemon, Tropical Fruit, Baking Spice
Awards:
- Silver Medal, North Of The Gate (2018)
This medium bodied, slightly acidic wine is a bit of a dangerous combination for me – it’s delicious, sweet, and has an alcohol content of 14.7%. I think that this denser white has a luxe mouthfeel and feels a bit heartier than some other lighter white varieties.
2017 Flowering Branch Sémillion (Australia) – Listed Value $19.00 (Member Price $17.10)
Tasting Notes: Mineral, Grass, Lemon
Awards:
- Silver Medal, Sommelier Challenge (2018)
I’ve noticed a pattern in which Firstleaf tends to send 2-3 bottles per shipment of similar wine varieties, making it easy to compare apples to apples. To me, this is a heavier wine than the other Sémillion that I sampled and tastes more of citrus. I can really pick up the lemon notes. I think I prefer the variety offered by Scissor Kick Cellars better than this particular bottle, although it is very good.
2016 Daring Escape Red Blend (California) – Listed Value $22.00 (Member Price $17.60)
Tasting Notes: Oak, Spices, Plum
Awards:
- Silver Medal, Sommelier Challenge (2018)
This Red Blend will stand up to the reddest of meats! This is a dark, complex, layered wine that's heavy on the tannin's and is very full-bodied. This is a bottle my husband loved, but I didn’t – speaking to the difference in our wine preferences. That’s the beauty of getting 6 bottles at a time, right?
2017 Coqueverie Pinot Noir (California) – Listed Value $22.00 (Member Price $17.60)
Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Cherry, Pomegranate
Awards:
- Silver Medal, Sommelier Challenge (2018)
This classic California Pinot is smooth with just the right amount of fruity intensity. Like a dream, the wine is delicate but still powerful. The rich texture and plush vanilla play beautifully off the ripe fruit flavors of pomegranate and cherry.
Of the red varieties, Pinot Noir is a favorite of mine because of the cherry notes (my favorite fruit) and the fact that it’s a bit sweeter and medium bodied than some of the other types. I really liked this bottle!
2014 Whipstitch Merlot (California) – Listed Value $22.00 (Member Price $17.60)
Tasting Notes: Plum, Oak, Baking Spice
Awards:
- Silver Medal, Sommelier Challenge (2018)
And where I do enjoy Pinot Noir, I do not enjoy Merlot. This wine is fairly sweet, with plum shining as the front note, but to me, it's too sweet for the amount of body that it has. If you like Merlot, my guess is that you'd like this but I'm going to rate it poorly and hope that I don't see any more Merlot's popping up at my door.
Verdict: This Firstleaf club membership breaks down to around $16.50 per bottle, including shipping, for 6 bottles. Each of the bottles that I received retail for at least that (usually $20+) – but to me, the convenience is the value that I love the most! Between my husband and I, we liked 5 of the 6 bottles of wine that we received this month.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? Because of the curation, it’s unlikely that you would get the same items that I’m showing here.
Coupon: Get your first three bottles for just $5 each plus $4.95 shipping! No coupon needed, just take the sign up quiz to get started.
Value Breakdown: This box costs $79.95 + $9.95 shipping, which means that each of the 6 items in the box has an average cost of $14.98.
Check out all of our Firstleaf Reviews and find more wine of the month clubs in the Drinks Subscription Box List!
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