Firstleaf Wine Subscription Review + Coupon – April 2019

Firstleaf is a monthly wine subscription box 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 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 U.S. where it is legal to receive wine by mail.

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 April 2019 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. I love that I can also select how frequently that I’d like to receive boxes and indicate my interest in Rose or Sparkling varieties.

As always, product cards are included that provide details about the wine featured in your current box.

The first card this month is a referral coupon.

This month, I received a small package of branded colored pencils. I'm not sure if this is because of The Colorist bottle that I received (complete with a label that you can color!) or if everyone got them this month. Regardless, since I live a #momlife I always can use additional coloring products in my home.

2017 Scissor Kick Semillion – Listed Value $24.00 (Member Price $19.20)

Tasting Notes: Mineral, Lime, Grass

Scissor Kick Cellars focuses on all things Australian, and thankfully Sémillon has flourished in Australia. By all accounts, it is a hard grape to grow, but when it shines, it really shines. Australia is one of the few places where Semillon can make a transcendent white wine. This Sémillon has a beautiful minerality, notes of citrus, bright acid, and a refreshing grassiness. It’s a fun wine that we think is incredibly versatile. With light aromas and balanced flavors, it can be used for classic white wine pairings as easily as spicy Thai or Indian dishes. Judges love it too! It took home a silver medal from the 2018 Harvest Challenge.

This is a wine that I’ve previously received, and I was glad to see it again. I think that this light, crisp and very sweet wine is one of my favorites. I’m surprised that the card only has it as a 3 (out of 5) level of sweet – to me, it tastes well into the 4 range.

2017 The Colorist White Wine Blend – Listed Value $19.00 (Member Price $16.99)

Tasting Notes: Lime, White Flowers, Peach

The Colorist is one of the most fun wines we’ve enjoyed recently. Not only is the white blend full bodied and full of flavor, but the wine bottle itself is a blank slate for you to color in as you sip. There are three limited edition labels for The Colorist, so let your experience drinking the wine guide the colors you choose. There are notes of peach, apricot, white flowers, and citrus all mingling together so we’ve tended to favor oranges and greens, but you can choose your own adventure! Let your creativity flow, and don’t forget to tag #FirstleafMasterpiece on Facebook or Instagram when you are finished! Judges love it too! It took home a Silver medal from the 2019 West Coast Wine Competition, the 2019 Toast of the Coast Wine Competition, and the 2019 Monterey International Wine Competition.

This is a great wine, although rated the same sweetness as the one prior, I found this to legitimately be a 3 on that scale. It was light and lovely, a great bottle to gift especially with the fun colorable label!

2018 Burchell Outlook Chenin Blanc – Listed Value $18.00 (Member Price $17.00)

Tasting Notes: Orange, Tropical Fruit, Green Apple

Old vines are always touted by winemakers, grape growers, and wine enthusiasts. Why? Because old vines produce fewer grapes, and the grapes that do grow have to work very hard to mature. Old vines result in grapes that better express place and flavors. The grapes for the Burchell Outlook come from 50-year-old vines in South Africa and are incredibly robust and flavorful. We love the notes of apple, Meyer lemon, tangerine and passionfruit that play off the sharp acidity. It’s an incredibly refreshing Chenin Blanc and can stand up to flavorful foods. We love it with fresh fish, roasted chicken, and pork tenderloin in a citrus-based sauce. 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 90 Points and a Gold medal from the 2019 Monterey International Wine Competition.

This semi-sweet white is a bit more acidic than the last few, and I would recommend pairing it with a meal versus drinking alone. I thought that it was very good with my chicken salad dinner, as drinking it with a meal helped to cut the acidity. Apologies for not including a photograph of it poured next to the bottle – I forgot until it was too late!

2017 Tailored Republic Pinot Noir – Listed Value $26.00 (Member Price $20.80)

Tasting Notes: Oak, Earth, Raspberry

Showing a classic flavor profile usually found in the best French Pinot Noirs, the Tailored Republic proves that California can be a great place to find complex Pinot Noir in the New World. It’s elegant and floral with a beautiful mix of red and dark fruits that dance on the lively acidity. The moderate tannins create a multi-layered Pinot that keeps unfolding as you try it. The light earth notes play beautifully off the fruit and make it particularly wonderful for pairing. We have been loving it with charcuterie, risotto, and grilled salmon, but it’s wonderfully versatile.

This is another repeat and other wine that I had previously highly rated on my profile. My husband loves this classic Pinot Noir – while it's a bit heavy for me, I can smell the appeal – it smells divine!

2017 Print Shop Cellars: Grapheme Cabernet Sauvignon – Listed Value $25.00 (Member Price $19.99)

Tasting Notes: Baking Spice, Blackberry, Blackcurrant

Printmaking and winemaking have a lot in common. Both take a combination of artistry, skill, and a drive for perfection. In both, a lot can go wrong, but real artisans turn out works worthy of our notice. Print Shop Cellars honors the hard work that goes into artistry of all types. In the Grapheme Cabernet Sauvignon, there are opulent notes of dark fruit that sit next to subtle tastes of herb. It’s a fantastic choice for pairing. We love the way that the bright fruit and earthy herbs pair with meats. Try pairing the Grapheme with an herbed pork tenderloin or barbecued chicken wings. Judges love it too! It took home a Silver medal at the 2018 Harvest Challenge.

This wine is full-bodied and could hold up to any deep dark food that you’d want to pair it with. It had a deep fruity flavor, balanced acidity and was semi-sweet. I think this would be a crowd-pleasing cab for a dinner party, no doubt.

2016 Iron Arrow Red Blend – Listed Value $25.00 (Member Price $20.00)

Tasting Notes: Oak, Black Cherry, Blueberry

The state of California is a godsend to wine lovers everywhere. Without the constraints placed on winemakers in the “Old World,” the vintners are able to explore and innovate and to blend what they want. This wine is a decidedly New World take that uses Old World grapes. Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot provide the frame, and the Zinfandel and Syrah provide the lush fruit. Fully ripe with a beautiful, dark inky color, the Iron Arrow is a delight to drink. We love the high intensity of blue and red fruit, with a touch of complexity that comes from a short stint in oak. Try it next to anything with intense and smoky flavors. Judges love it too! It took home 90 points and a Gold medal at the 2018 Sommelier Challenge.

This wine is dark and intense but has a low acidity profile and a semi-sweet, very fruity complexity. I did pick up on some oak, but it wasn't completely overpowering, and this was a very nice bottle, again perfect for pairing with dinner. I think it would be great with smoked ribs, one of my husband's favorite Sunday dishes to make.

Verdict: Using average prices, you pay around $16.50 per bottle (including shipping) for each of the 6 bottles. Since every one of these bottles’ retails for $18 - $26 you are saving quite a bit off of retail. I love that I always find new favorites. I think that I’m at a sweet spot in the subscription where they know what I like, and I continue to receive wines that fall within my flavor preferences. I also like that of the 6 bottles that I received this month, 2 of them I have received in the past and said that I would like to have again.

The 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.

ACTIVE DEAL: Intro offer $39.95 + free shipping no code needed. No coupon needed - just use this link.

Check out all of our Firstleaf Reviews and look here to find the best wine of the month clubs of 2019!

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