DROPS OF GOD

We started 2024 with a binge watch of the excellent Apple TV series, Drops of God.  If you're reading this, I'm guessing you like wine, so it's a must watch. Even if you don't drink, I think you'll enjoy the story.  Anyway, take my advice and give it a go.

Drops of God is a Japanese manga series written by sister and brother, Yuko and Shin Kibayashi.  The story is told in two parts – the first part focusing on protagonist Shizuku Kanzaki and his rival Issei Tomine on their search of the "Twelve Apostles" wines, and the second focusing on finding the "Drops Of God". There is a third part but it's only a short sequel so we'll ignore it for the moment.

The premise is this.  Shizuku's father - a very wealthy and famous wine critic who owns the world's finest wine collection - has died and, in order to claim his inheritance, Shizuku must correctly identify thirteen wines - the "Twelve Apostles" and the thirteenth, the "Drops of God".  If that wasn't difficult enough, Shizuku is estranged from his father and does not drink wine.  He also has competition for the legacy - an outstanding young wine critic, Issei Tomine, who learnt about wine from Shizuku's father and who has recently been adopted by him.  In his favour, Shizuku does have an extraordinary sense of taste and smell and was tutored as a very young child by his father.  But the smart money is on Issei as the series pits the two against each other.

I won't give too many spoilers for the TV series but you get the general idea from the above and you'll find yourself finishing one part and wanting to start the next immediately. 

The reason I am writing about it here is that the wines featured in the series focus strongly on the story of each wine - the people involved, the terroir, the challenges of the vintage, organic and biodynamic methods used, and the love, care and attention that goes into each bottle of small production wine.  It is a focus on the kind of wines that we love to drink, share and talk about and the series manages to convey that passion in a way that is often difficult to do when describing wines.  A must watch.

So, in the spirit of the above, I'm going to list some affordable "Apostles" or "Drops of God" (the wines in the manga series generally being very, very expensive).

And number one is Bodega Cerron La Servil 2021 - this is a biodynamic Monastrell I came across recently and it blew me away.  I'm not usually a fan of Monastrell but this was so complex, balanced and harmonious that I was an immediate convert.  A small producer making natural wines in a traditional way, a bit unknown and under the radar - very Drops of God indeed.  See our full tasting note here.