Blue Eye’d Boy McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020

Blue Eye’d Boy McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020 

Linda picked up a selection of artisan cheeses and asked for one of ‘her’ wines for pairing. ‘Her’ wines refers to her preferred, favored style; big, bold, concentrated, rich, structured forward fruit filled - ala a McLaren Vale Aussie, Northern Rhone or Santa Barbara Santa Ynez Valley Shiraz, or an occasional Washington Columbia Valley or Sonoma/Napa label. 

So, I pulled from the cellar one of our favorite go-to labels, that happens to the ‘signature’ wine of our son, Alec - “Blue Eye’d Boy” from Mollydooker. 

This is one of our favorite such labels that we enjoy with hearty meals like BBQ, or robust cheeses such as tonight. 

This is one of several labels from this prolific producer that we collect. Producer Mollydooker offer a brand and portfolio of whimsical labels, each featuring a cartoonish character on the label. Even the brand name, Mollydooker, which is Australian lingo for a left-handed person, is a comical play on words, named for the two left handed owner/producers/founders Sarah and Sparky Marquis.  I chronicled Mollydooker brand and portfolio in a recent blogpost. 

Mollydooker is in scenic McLaren Vale, 30 minutes easy drive from Adelaide. Bordered by the Adelaide Hills and five minutes away from glorious beaches.

I developed a special affinity for this wine in recent years. I managed a portfolio of software products used globally, My Australian representative was based in Adelaide who I got to know well over the years and I learned a great deal about life in the region. He was a racing car enthusiast and was a racing buddy of Sparky Marquis, so named for his enthusiasm for race cars, namesake to Marquis-Philips, the predecessor brand to Mollydooker.  He surrendered his stake in the wine business when he separated from Sara. 

The Mollydooker vineyards are situated on the magical Seaview Ridge, which with its ancient soils and Mediterranean climate, is home to some of the most iconic Australian wines. Mollydooker have three separate vineyards – Long Gully Road, Coppermine Road and the Home Blocks, giving us a total of 114 acres of Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot. 

As I wrote in that earlier blogpost, the Mollydooker "Family Series" labels features photos of Sara Marquis' two children. The 'Blue Eyed Boy' label shows Sarah’s son Luke, shown stomping grapes as a kid, who now heads up the Mollydooker Sales Team.

We love this full-throttle shiraz and collect it as part of our Mollydooker portfolio and as part of our Alec collection of labels we keep on hand to toast son Alec. We served an earlier vintage release of this wine at a graduation celebration for Alec back in his college apartment.

Some Cellartrackers talked about using the Mollydooker Shake on this wine. No wonder the producer introduced the Mollydooker 'shake' where they actually prescribe shaking the bottle before opening to awaken or to settle the fruit! We own and drink a lot of their wine and I have never gotten into the habit of doing so but perhaps we should!

Reading up on the Mollydooker Shake, it is prescribed only for still red wines of two years of age or less. It is to release the nitrogen in the bottle that they use instead of the normal sulphites commonly used to preserve wines.  Sulphites can cause an allergic asthma type reaction in some people and Mollydooker realise a lot of people are sensitive to them. So, wherever they can, they use nitrogen to protect the wine so that they can reduce the amount of sulphites.

Mollydooker Blue Eye’d Boy McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020

We've written often in these pages about the fun we have with this label and the rest of the Mollydooker portfolio of wines. Here is a selection of several previous posts on the subject:

September 10, 2022 - Blue Eye'd Boy & Brunier Racines for BBQ Rib Dinner 

March 11, 2022 - Blue Eye'd Boy and CDP for Italian Beef Dinner

May 5, 2012 - Graduation celebration wine tasting flight

February 7, 2014 - Mollydooker 'Carnival of Love' Shiraz 2011

July 4, 2023 - Lede To Kalon and Greywacke showcase 4th of July Celebration

February 3, 2022 - Mollydooker "Scooter" Merlot

We hold more than a half dozen vintages of this label and this is the one of the newest, latest release which we're trying here for the first time. 

This release was sourced from Vineyards across McLaren Vale, Coppermine Road, Gateway, Long Gully Road & Mollydooker Home estate, and the Joppich Vineyard in Langhorne Creek.

Winemaker notes for this release - “The 2020 Blue Eyed Boy is rich, ripe and explosive, this Shiraz displays vibrant blueberry, plum and notes of dark chocolate. A voluptuous palate of blue and black fruit layered with coffee, vanilla cream and liquorice spice. A beautiful balanced wine that has a round and creamy finish, the Blue Eyed Boy exceeds all expectations.”

Winemaker production notes - “We aim to make 80,000 dozen cases of wine each vintage. The tank farm, barrel hall and crushing area are our cellar team's pride and joy. We've got a 1500 tonne crushing capacity, but we only crush just over 1200 tonnes so that the team has plenty of time to mollycoddle the wines, and to keep the winery spick and span.”

It was barrel fermented and matured and aged in 100% American oak, 54% new; 46% 1yr old.

Marquis Fruit Weight - Required: 75% - 85%, Actual: 79%
Marquis Fruit Weight™ is the percentage of your palate (from the tip of your tongue going all the way back) that's covered by the velvety sensation of fruit, before you
experience any of the structural components of the wine.

This 2020 release was rated 93 points by Wine Spectator and Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote - “This 2020 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is a fascinating wine to me, in that it offers everything that I might find challenging in one glass (high alcohol at 16%, prominent American oak and volumes of generous, abundantly concentrated, extracted fruit), yet it does so in such a way that I end up appreciating the construction and the execution despite my stylistic preferences.”

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote an interesting observation about this label, comparing the 2020 and 2021 vintages; "Once you taste a few of a producer's wines side by side, you really start to get a feel for stylistic preference between warm vintages and cool ones. I surprise myself by saying here that I prefer the warmer vintages at Mollydooker (this does not make it right) because the sunshine and ease with which ripening can occur in a warmer year really seems to suit the plush, high-octane style being proliferated here. So, this 2021 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is far more on the blue fruit spectrum than the 2020 ..."

“The key here is comparisons of this same label from vintage to vintage, and contrasting the resulting impact from a warm vintage vs a cool vintage. Such distinctions are best revealed through comparison tastings of one vintage alongside another or others - what is referred to as a 'vertical' tasting (as opposed to 'horizontal tasting' which would be various wines from the same vintage). “

This was dark inky blackish purple garnet colored, full bodied, dense, concentrated, extracted rich fruit, yet balanced and approachable, despite its 16% high alcohol content, black and blue berry and pomegranate fruits accented by dark chocolate, licorice, anise and dark coffee with hints of creosote and oaky vanilla with dense full tannins on the long finish.

RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4177367

https://mollydookerwines.com.au/

https://twitter.com/MollydookerWine

https://twitter.com/unwindwine

Blue Eye’d Boy with Flank Steak

Blue Eye’d Boy Shiraz with Grilled Flank Steak

Our last night hosting Linda’s sororiety sister Pat at our Destin (FL) vacation rental home, we grilled flank steak and served with baked potatoes and haricot verts. 

Pat picked up one of our shared favorite wines at Chan’s Wine World, Destin, for the occasion, for pairing with the grilled beefsteak.

Mollydooker Blue Eye’d Boy McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022 

This is one of our favorite big bold Aussie Shiraz’s and whimsically shares the Blue Eye’d Boy moniker designation between the producer and us with our son Alec, hence this being one of our family signature wines we keep and have fun commemorating our son.

This is one of several labels from this prolific producer that we collect. Producer Mollydooker offer a brand and portfolio of whimsical labels, each featuring a cartoonish character on the label. Even the brand name, Mollydooker, which is Australian lingo for a left-handed person, is a comical play on words, named for the two left handed owner/producers/founders Sarah and Sparky Marquis. I chronicled the Mollydooker brand and their portfolio of wines in this earlier blogpost. 

I wrote about Mollydooker and the Blue Eye’d Boy label in more detail last year in the blogpost - Blue Eye’d Boy McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020. 

Here’s a compendium of various posts in these pages about the fun we have with this label and the rest of the Mollydooker portfolio of wines. Here is a selection of several previous posts on the subject:

September 10, 2022 - Blue Eye'd Boy & Brunier Racines for BBQ Rib Dinner 

March 11, 2022 - Blue Eye'd Boy and CDP for Italian Beef Dinner

May 5, 2012 - Graduation celebration wine tasting flight

February 7, 2014 - Mollydooker 'Carnival of Love' Shiraz 2011

July 4, 2023 - Lede To Kalon and Greywacke showcase 4th of July Celebration

February 3, 2022 - Mollydooker "Scooter" Merlot

We hold more than a half dozen vintages of this label and this is the newest, latest release which we're trying here for the first time, since we customarily will open the oldest vintage in our cellar as part of cellar inventory management. 

The Blue Eyed Boy on the label is Luke, son of producer winemaker Sarah Marquis, shown stomping grapes as a kid. Today Luke heads up the Mollydooker Sales Team.

Winemaker tasting notes - “The 2022 Blue Eyed Boy is impressively deep in colour, displaying vibrant dark purple hues. Its aromatic profile is both intricate and inviting, with scents of blueberry, fresh plum, and subtle hints of mocha cream bursting from the glass. This wine is a balance of strength and finesse, delivering layers of lush, fresh berries and a touch of aniseed spice, culminating in a final note of creamy chocolate. With generous and dynamic layers, the wine allows the gentle tannins to craft a smooth and enduring finish, ensuring a truly memorable experience.’ 

The grapes for this release were sourced from the Coppermine Road, Gateway, Long Gully Road and Mollydooker Home vineyards in McLaren Vale, and Joppich vineyard in Langhorne Creek. 

This wine was barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak, using 54% new and 46% one year old barrels. 

Mollydooker have developed a metric they call “The Marquis Fruit Weight” that they use to measure the quality of their wines. The Fruit Weight is the percentage of your palate (from the tip to the very back of your tongue) that’s covered by the velvety sensation of fruit that occurs when a wine’s tannins, alcohol, and acid are all perfectly balanced.

During the growing season through vinification, they continuously assess & record Fruit Weight throughout the entire growing & winemaking process. In the vineyard, they’re looking for the perfect intersection of the increasing flavour curve and the decreasing acidity curve.

During the growing season, as the grapes mature on the vine, acidity begins to drop and flavour and sugars dramatically increase. In a span of about 4 weeks, they reach the ‘Sweet Spot’ that they’re seeking for each target wine. When the grapes reach that level, they are harvested.

The Actual Fruit Weight for 2022 Blue Eyed Boy is 79%, within the designated target range for the required Marquis Fruit Weight™ for the Family Series which is 75% – 85%. 

This release was rated 92 points by Wine Spectator.

Dark deep inky purple colored, full bodied, almost a bit angular and obtuse, rich concentrated forward super ripe sweet blueberry black raspberry and plum fruits with notes of mocha chocolate, coffee, anise and spice with moderate tannins on the smooth lingering finish.

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=5065016

https://mollydookerwines.com.au/

https://twitter.com/MollydookerWine

https://twitter.com/unwindwine

Mollydooker 'Carnival of Love' Shiraz 2011

Mollydooker 'Carnival of Love' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2011

You gotta love our Aussie friends and their sense of humour. 'Mollydooker' is the Aussie term afforded what in America we would call a 'southpaw' or a left handed person. Mollydooker are Sara and Sparky Marquis, the husband and wife winemaking team who happen to both be 'lefties'. They emerged on the American wine scene with Marquis Phillips and their whimsical 'Roogle' or half kangaroo half eagle character for the Australia - American joint venture with their US distribution partnership back around the turn of the century.

We still hold and savor several cases of a vertical collection of their early releases of 'S2' Cabernet and '9' Shiraz, as well as a few coveted bottle of their 'Integrity' flagship that Robert Parker awarded 99 points that put them on the map.

After several successful releases, they set off on their own and never looked back and have developed an extensive brand and line-up of labels, all with whimsical names and colorful cartoon characters (see select library below - a more complete library is on our winesite Aussie 'M' Mollydooker label library). Aside their flagship 'Velvet Glove' Shiraz which nears $200, their two premium labels in the $80 range are this one, and 'Enchanted Path', a Shiraz and Cabernet blend. Their line includes an extensive collection from an entry level Shiraz to Cabernet, Cabernet-Shiraz blends, Merlot - even a sparkling Shiraz.

The story of these wines according to the winemaker is: "Our whole family is involved in making our wines, and all the wonderful people who drink them become our friends, so we named this wine Carnival of Love, because the wines bring us together. If you look closely you will notice that the Lefty characters are all included in the label and when you join the Carnival of Love and the Enchanted Path together, the two labels form one beautiful continuous love story."

At these price points, these are not every day wines for us ordinary folks, but wines for special occasions. 'Carnival of Love' has become one of our family tradition wines which we serve at wife Linda's and family birthday parties, since Linda is a Lefty, and we happen to have three family birthdays in the span of several weeks. Hence, its that time of year so we picked up and opened the 2011 vintage of Carnival, as Linda loves these big opulent forward Shiraz' as much or even more than I do.

They continually win high acclaim with Carnival receiving 95-ish ratings consistently over the last five years; 2010, RP95, WS94, 2009; WS94, RP93, 2008; WS94, 2007; RP96, WS95, 2006; RP97, WS95.

This 2011 continues with a big powerful concentrated, dense, deep and complex wine, black inky purple in color, with super ripe blackberry and raspberry and layer of blueberry flavors that are a bit over the top for my preference, almost being raisiny and hint of herbs in their concentration, with tones of spicy cinnamon and clove, and hints of creme de cassis, mocha and black pepper on the smooth lingering sinewy tannin finish.  This is not for the faint hearted and needs a big steak, bold cheeses or dark chocolate to offset its in-your-face power.
 
RM 92 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1436687

http://www.mollydookerwines.com.au/


Some of the other Mollydooker labels ....

Mollydooker 'Scooter' Merlot

Mollydooker 'The Violinist' Verdehlo

Mollydooker Maitre'd
Cabernet Sauvignon

Mollydooker Two Left Feet

.... and one of our favorites, Blue Eye'd Boy, which we typically serve at blue-eye'd son Alec's home visits or birthdays, (when we're not serving Lewis Cellars 'Alec's Blend').

See more Mollydooker labels on unwindwine blogspot.

Mollydooker "Scooter" Merlot

Mollydooker "Scooter" Merlot - whimsical label branding

Son Alec stopped by, so for casual midweek sipping with fresh fruits and some artisan cheeses, I opened from our cellar, this Aussie Merlot from a favored producer.

This is from the producer Mollydooker, who offer a brand and portfolio of whimsical labels, each featuring a cartoonish character on the label. Even the brand name, Mollydooker, which is Australian lingo for a left-handed person, is a comical play on words, named for the two left handed owner/producers/founders Sarah and Sparky Marquis. 

The 'Scooter' label is named after co-founder Sparky Marquis' racing cars which is/was his hobby. Sparky raced a big tyre scooter when he was younger.

In addition to Scooter, who adorns the Merlot label, other cartoon characters in the series of labels feature The Boxer (Shiraz), The Violinist (Verdelho), Two-Left Feet (Red Blend), The Maitre-D (Cabernet Sauvignon), and Miss Molly (sparkling Shiraz).

 
They also feature cartoonish carnival posters of their two 'Love Series' premium labels, 'Carnival of Love' and 'Enchanted Path'. We have fun collecting these wines and regularly and customarily serve the 'Love Series' labels at family occasions.

The Mollydooker "Family Series" labels features photos of  Sara Marquis' two children. The 'Blue Eyed Boy' label shows Sarah’s son Luke, shown stomping grapes as a kid, who now heads up the Mollydooker Sales Team. The Gigglepot label shows Sarah’s daughter Holly, who couldn’t stop laughing wearing some crazy black glasses. She does marketing for the Mollydooker brand. There also used to be 'Goose Bumps' sparkling Shiraz. I'm not sure where or how this fits but it appears to have been discontinued, or isn't currently available.

We collect and hold a vertical collection of Blue Eye'd Boy, their Shiraz/Syrah, as one of signature wines for our own 'blue eye'd boy', son, Alec.

Sadly, the producers founders, Sarah and Sparky Marquis have split up, Sparky departing the business, and Sarah, who is also winemaker, remaining as CEO. Interestingly, Sparky is a personal friend of my Australian colleague, with whom I interact weekly in running my global enterprise software business, my day job. They're friends and race car buddies, both owning and racing their cars on the amateur circuit down there. I'll look forward to meeting Sparky when I eventually visit down-under, once Covid subsides and business conditions warrant. I'll also look forward to visiting the winery and vineyards there. 

Mollydooker, under Sarah's leadership was awarded by Australian telcom company Telstra in the the SA Telstra Business Awards.  From the 21,000 entries, Mollydooker was not only awarded winners of the ‘Medium and Making Waves’ category, we were also named 2019 Telstra South Australian Business of the Year!

Mollydooker "Scooter" Merlot 2007

This is from Mollydooker McLaren Vale, Long Gully Road Vineyard.

Interesting, that like the 2007 Napa red we opened the other night, this vintage release of this label also rates better than any other year for this wine, according to Vivino.

Wine Advocate gave this wine 91 points.

Wow what a surprise - (wife) Linda loved this - she prefers big bold spicy, peppery wines, ala a Aussie Shiraz. The profile of this was more so, obtuse, bold fruits, than a Bordeaux Merlot varietal profile of more reserved softer fruits as used in blends to soften the more tannin and structured Cabernet. At fifteen years, this was showing nicely and seemed to be still within its prime drinking window, showing no signs of diminution from age whatsoever.

Bright ruby colored, medium full bodied, vibrant expressive red and black berry fruits accented by bold spice with notes of pepper, cedar, and hints of cassis and bitter dark mocha with a full round tannin bright acid laced finish. 

RM 89 points.   

Cellartracker members' reviews were mixed - many finding this over the top, even over the hill several years ago. Most of them consumed this a decade ago! 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=560534 

2/11/2012 - Colia wrote: 89 Points - "Still totally black and dense. Tannins are huge but soft, the fruit is a little muddled, but chocolate covered dried blueberries with a cup of doffee is pretty close. The finish is a little bitter."

6/9/2011 - ADiamond Likes this wine: 89 Points  "Big fruity, jammy wine. It went extremely well with a spicy Turkish meal. As long as you are selective as to what meal, it needs a meal, to drink this with you will love it."

1/15/2012 - tcarter Likes this wine: "Big jammy flavor coupled with leathery, earthy tones. Drinking great right now but probably best to drink this year."

5/3/2011 - ADiamond wrote: 88 Points - "A real fruit bomb, jammy, a ton of spice and boy is it hot Not a sipping wine, drink this wine with a heavy, rich meal and both will be enjoyable"

4/21/2011 - powrsurg wrote: 89 Points - "Spicy as usual. Fruity, with a strong pepper"

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=560534

https://mollydookerwines.com/

@MollydookerWine

Blue Eye'd Boy and CDP for Italian Beef Dinner

Blue Eye'd Boy and CDP for Italian Beef Dinner

Son Alec (our blue eye'd boy) came over for Friday night dinner with Vivianna, new mom, and new baby daughter/grand-daughter, Marylin. So, we whimsically opened one of our favorite labels, a signature label for son Alec, Blue Eye'd Boy Syrah from Mollydooker, and a Chateauneuf-du-Pape. This was in remembrance of our visit to the Rhone wine region together. 

This is one of two of what we consider our signature wines for our son Alec, along with Alec's Blend from Napa Lewis Cellars. 

For the get-together, Linda also picked up some artisan Murray's cheeses from the legendary NYC cheese purveyor. Murray's wine and cheese bistro in Greenwich Village was a favorite eatery with Alec when we visited on numerous occasions during the years he and Viv lived in Manhattan. How ironic or fortuitous that Murray's was acquired by the parent of our local grocer/marketer Marianno's and is now available here locally!

With our wine tasting, Linda served two of our favorite Murray's Cheeses, Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog and Murray's Delice de Bourgogne along with her own pimento cheese spread. 

From Murray's Cheese site: "Humboldt Fog is perhaps the most recognizable American original cheese. Handmade at Cypress Grove's Northern California creamery from local goat's milk and lightly aged, Humboldt Fog boasts a fudgy texture and tangy flavor. The creamline develops into unctuous bliss, and the rind is paper-thin and brimming with minerality. You'll know it's the Fog by the characteristic line of ash running through the center"”creamery founder Mary Keehn's nod to the French classic Morbier"” and by its birthday cake-like shape."

From the Murray's Cheese Blog, "Many people commonly mistake the dark line running through and around Humboldt Fog as blue mold. In fact, it is an edible ash made from vegetables. The fresh curd is pressed half-way into a cheesecloth-lined mold and then the powdered ash is sprinkled on top. The molds are filled the rest of the way with curd and then the outside is generously coated with ash before they begin aging.'

"Cypress Grove’s amazing goat cheeses–Humboldt Fog, with its bright white, cakey paste and gorgeous line of gray ash through the middle tops many people’s Favorite Cheese List–and if you haven’t: get to it. Based in Arcata, California, they’ve been making cheese since the early 1980s. With Mary Keehn at the heart of the operation, the company became one of the country’s foremost artisanal cheesemakers."

As seen in Town and Country Magazine December 2012 

We first discovered Delice de Bourgogne at the French Market in Delray Beach Florida. We were delighted to find it available through cheese purveyor, Murray's. 

"Murray's Delice de Bourgogne is a tribute to small scale industrial French cheese-making, a pasteurized triple creme (75% butterfat in dry matter) that marries full-fat cow milk with fresh cream, producing an unapologetically rich, whipped delight. Unlike many straightforward triple-cremes, this one has a thin, pungent mold rind that imparts straw and mushroom aromas, complementing the buttery yellow, sweet cream interior. Makes a dreamy breakfast, lunch or dessert - just add champagne!" 

While Champagne might have been in order, we had already selected the wines to pair with our dinner - some of our favorites, that we enjoy with almost anything, including these artisan cheeses.

Mollydooker Blue Eye'd Boy Syrah 2013

I pulled this from the cellar at Linda's request as it is one of her favorite labels and winestyles, and was especially appropriate with son Alec joining us for dinner as noted above, it is one of our signature wines we collect and enjoy in tribute to him. 

This is one of several labels from this prolific producer that we collect. Producer Mollydooker offer a brand and portfolio of whimsical labels, each featuring a cartoonish character on the label. Even the brand name, Mollydooker, which is Australian lingo for a left-handed person, is a comical play on words, named for the two left handed owner/producers/founders Sarah and Sparky Marquis.  I chronicled Mollydooker brand and portfolio in a recent blogpost. 

As I wrote in that blogpost, the Mollydooker "Family Series" labels features photos of  Sara Marquis' two children. The 'Blue Eyed Boy' label shows Sarah’s son Luke, shown stomping grapes as a kid, who now heads up the Mollydooker Sales Team.

We love this full-throttle shiraz and collect it as part of our Mollydooker portfolio and as part of our Alec collection of labels we keep on hand to toast son Alec. We served an earlier vintage release of this wine at a graduation celebration for Alec back in his college apartment.

Winemaker Notes for this label release - "The delicious berry fruit and spice flavors of the cooler climate wine from the Joppich Vineyard in Langhorne Creek gives the Blue Eyed Boy its crowd appeal. We blend it with McLaren Vale Shiraz to add intensity, vibrancy and richness. This Shiraz is bursting with generous with amounts of fresh plum and blueberry, accompanied by spice and licorice all sorts. Supple texture and a creamy finish features layers of biscuit cream and espresso coffee. A well weighted wine with a truly elegant finish."

This was awarded 92 points by Wine Spectator.

This is a full throttle powerful high octane Shiraz. If you think that is over the top with the superlatives, try this wine. It's sometimes over the top for my liking and I like big bold style wine. Linda actually likes this style. 

Some Cellartrackers talked about using the Mollydooker Shake on this wine. No wonder the producer introduced the Mollydooker 'shake' where they actually prescribe shaking the bottle before opening to awaken or to settle the fruit! We own and drink a lot of their wine and I have never gotten into the habit of doing so, perhaps tonight we should have!

Reading up on the Mollydooker Shake, it is prescribed only for still red wines of two years of age or less. It is to release the nitrogen in the bottle that they use instead of the normal sulphites commonly used to preserve wines.  Sulphites can cause an allergic asthma type reaction in some people and Mollydooker realise a lot of people are sensitive to them. So, wherever they can, they use nitrogen to protect the wine so that they can reduce the amount of sulphites.

Dark blackish garnet purple colored, full bodied, dense, rich, spicy, concentrated blackberry, blueberry and raspberry fruits accented by notes of tar, leather, tobacco and notes of oak. 

RM 91 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1897876

I also pulled this Châteauneuf-du-Pape in remembrance of our trip with Alec and Vivianna to the region. 

Domaine Ferrand Châteauneuf-du-Pape 2005

We visited Châteauneuf-du-Pape with Alec and Vivianna during our Rhone Southern France region tour in 2019, so I pulled a blend to accompany our Italian beef dinner. 

At seventeen years, this was likely at the apex of its drinking window and profile, not likely to improve with any further aging, but showing no sign of diminution whatsoever. The fill level, foil, label, and importantly, the cork were all in perfect condition. 

This release was awarded 95 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, and 94 points *Highly Recommended* by Wine Spectator.

Classic Châteauneuf du Pape blend of the GSM requisite grape varietals, 94% Grenache and the remainder Syrah, Mourvèdre and Cinsault.

Dark garnet colored, full bodied, complex, concentrated blackberry and plum fruits with notes of anise, herbs, tobacco, spice, and a bit of graphite anise with moderate tannins on the finish. 

RM 91 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=324980

 

 

Mollydooker Shiraz and Shiraz Blend 2005

We've been fans of the 'artwork' of Sparky and Sarah Marquis since their earliest releases of the Marquis Phillips branded wines when they gained notoriety in 1999 as Australian Winemakers of the Year.and their flagship 'Integrity' Shiraz was awarded 99 points by Robert Parker. On his recommendation to ‘run, don't walk and secure as much as you can of these wines!’, they became immediate blockbuster successes growing from 8000 to 120,000 cases in four years. We're fortunate to still have a vertical selection of  their '9' Shiraz going back to those days.

Following our tasting of the big and powerful Mollydooker "Carnival of Love" the other night, we did this comparison tasting of two 2005 vintage Mollydooker Shiraz' - "The Boxer" Shiraz and "Two Left Feet" Shiraz Blend.  Testament to the Aussie sense of humour are the cartoonish labels that Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate says "resemble Broadway vaudeville acts from the mid-thirties". Like the whimsical name 'Mollydooker', which is Aussie for 'left handed', the rest of line-up from Sparky and Sarah Marquis has fun comical names. They live by the motto, “We make wines that make people go wow - through attention to detail and commitment to excellence.”  Indeed Sarah's auto license plate reads "HAVEFUN". To that end, see my page of WINPL8S on my WineSite.

We tasted these with neighbor Shirley over grilled beef tenderloin, grilled salmon, kale, green bean casserole, baked Idaho and sweet potatoes, artisan cheeses, and chocolates. Of course, Linda would say everything goes with a full throttled full forward fruit filled Shiraz!

Mollydooker "The Boxer" McLaren Vale Shiraz 2005

Another big bold fruit forward shiraz, naturally not as big, complex, smooth and/or polished as the high end "Carnival of Love" we tasted the other night, but similar tasting profile at a fraction of the price results in a good value high QPR (quality to price ratio). 


In line with my tasting notes from back on November 24, 2006 - Mollydooker's "The Boxer" McLaren Vale Shiraz 2005 provides incredible value in this new release from Sparky and Sara Marquis. Deep purple - full rich plum, currant, and mocha. RP says it best in his review -  "The 2005 The Boxer Shiraz (primarily from McLaren Vale, followed by Langhorne Creek and Padthaway) exhibits a black/blue/purple color, an incredible density of fruit along with that tell-tale purity, blackberries, white flowers, melted chocolate, sweet licorice, and subtle wood. Full-bodied, beautifully textured and layered with an awesome finish, it should drink well for 4-6+ years. 

RM 91 points; RP 95 points.  

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=238920


Mollydooker "Two Left Feet" McLaren Vale Red Blend 2005

Not normally considered a blending wine, this interesting rendition of Shiraz does indeed appear to benefit from the addition of 19% Merlot and 16% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is most evident when compared side-by-side to the same vintage of 'straight' 100% Shiraz. Fruit for this blend is  from McLaren Vale, Padthaway, and Langhorne Creek.  

Like "Sarah's Blend" from the old Marquis Phillips label from Sparky and Sarah Marquis, this is another high QPR value in this new release, although at a higher price-point. According to my records, this was on offer at $20. I think the price of this wine has crept up since this 2005 release perhaps as this label has gained more notoriety and achieved consistent high ratings. It's still positioned at a fraction of their premium high end Shiraz blend label "Enchanted Path". 

The  Mollydooker "Two Left Feet" McLaren Vale Shiraz Blend 2005 is naturally more complex, smoother, softer and polished than the standalone "Boxer" Shiraz. Its deep dark inky purple colored and full bodied with complex array of aromas and flavors of dark black berry, sweet plum and blue berry fruits with a layer of spice and dark mocha and hints of mineral and vanilla. The winemaker notes say, "The palate is round and filling and has concentrated sweet fruits with layers of chocolate and cream. It is such a wonderful example of how Shiraz, Cabernet and Merlot can be blended together to fully complement each other. Two Left Feet has always been a stand out for me and this vintage is exceptional." - Candice


Robert Parker summed up this offering best writing..."It boasts an inky/purple color, superb intensity, a big, sweet, full-bodied nose of creme de cassis, graphite, white chocolate, black olives, blackberry liqueur, and spice, and a spectacular, voluptuous, even unctuous texture. This is a big, powerful, classic southern Australian red made with no compromises."

RM 93 points; RP 94 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=240605

http://www.mollydookerwines.com/

 

BBQ Ribs and Syrah

BBQ Ribs and Mollydooker Syrah 

Vacationing at our favorite getaway, Destiny Cove vacation rental in Destin Florida, with friends, we prepared a dinner of BBQ ribs, baked potatoes and grilled fresh veggies. To pair with the ribs, for one of our favorite wine food pairings, we opened a hearty Syrah/Shiraz. 

Mollydooker Blue Eye'd Boy Shiraz 2021

Friend Pat R picked this up during our visit to Total Wine in Pensacola to share during our week together. 

We've written often in these pages about the fun we have with this label and the rest of the Mollydooker portfolio of wines. Here are several previous posts on the subject:

September 10, 2022
Blue Eye'd Boy & Brunier Racines for BBQ Rib Dinner 

March 11, 2022
Blue Eye'd Boy and CDP for Italian Beef Dinner

May 5, 2012
Graduation celebration wine tasting flight

February 7, 2014
Mollydooker 'Carnival of Love' Shiraz 2011

July 4, 2023
Lede To Kalon and Greywacke showcase 4th of July Celebration

February 3, 2022
Mollydooker "Scooter" Merlot

Mollydooker Blue Eye'd Boy Shiraz 2021

This is named for the son of winemaker/producer Sarah Marquis. This is one of the signature wines we keep on hand for our love of big full throttle Shiraz, and as a wine to enjoy with our own 'Blue Eye'd Boy', our son Alec.

We hold a half dozen vintages of this label and this is the newest, latest release which we're trying here for the first time.

Winemaker Notes - Black crimson in color, this wine leaps from the glass with powerful aromatics of blueberries, fresh plum, licorice and nuances of chocolate biscuit. The seamless texture is laced with fresh berry fruit, coffee, vanilla cream and warm spice, giving us a full-bodied Shiraz with an endless depth of flavor and great length.

This was rated 92 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate wrote an interesting observation about this label; "Once you taste a few of a producer's wines side by side, you really start to get a feel for stylistic preference between warm vintages and cool ones. I surprise myself by saying here that I prefer the warmer vintages at Mollydooker (this does not make it right) because the sunshine and ease with which ripening can occur in a warmer year really seems to suit the plush, high-octane style being proliferated here. So, this 2021 Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz is far more on the blue fruit spectrum than the 2020 ..."

The key here is comparisons of this same label from vintage to vintage, and contrasting the resulting impact from a warm vintage vs a cool vintage. Such distinctions are best revealed through comparison tastings of one vintage alongside another or others - what is referred to as a 'vertical' tasting (as opposed to 'horizontal tasting' which would be various wines from the same vintage). 

This was dark inky colored, full bodied, powerful concentrated, full throttle big round black and blue fruits accented by spice, black tea, notes of licorice and hints of bitter dark mocha chocolate with a long full finish.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4404716

https://mollydookerwines.com.au/

https://www.destinvacation.com/rentals/unit/the-cove

https://twitter.com/MollydookerWine

https://twitter.com/unwindwine

Piper Heidseick - Enchanted Path for anniversary celebration

Piper Heidseick - Enchanted Path for gala anniversary celebration

We traveled to Indy this weekend to attend the gala celebration of Sis-in-law and Bro-in-law Pat's and Rodger's 50th Wedding Anniversary they hosted for close friends. This follows our trip the week before last to celebrate with them personally in taking them to dinner at Sullivan's Steakhouse, Indy, which was featured in this blogpost - Sullivan's Steakhouse Domaine Serene for celebration dinner.

I took for the occasion a large format magnum of this special limited edition bottle of Piper Heidseick Brut NV Champaign which we opened in a special toast to the 'newly' wed couple. This festive red bottle was released a couple years ago over the Christmas holidays and I bought a case of the picturesque festive bottles for the holidays and for special occasions such as this. 

I also opened several of these large format bottles for son Alec and Viviana's wedding celebration dinner as featured in this blogpost at the time - Wedding Wines - Birthyear and Big Bottle Extravaganza Continues.

I also took this weekend for tasting/pairing/sharing with the pot luck dinner at the anniversary celebration this hearty red blend Aussie Shiraz withe whimsical branding and label. 

We've written often in these pages about the Mollydooker portfolio of wines and their whimsically branded, labeled, named wines. What fun to open "Enchanted Path" for a gala Anniversary celebration occasion. 

I also took and opened this label for For dearest friends, Eric and Cathy's 40th anniversary celebration party - a bottle of Mollydooker whimsically named 'Enchanted Path' Mclaren Vale Red Wine Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz - Caymus 40th Anniversary Release - An Enchanted Path.

Mollydooker "Enchanted Path" McLaren Vale South Australia, Red Wine Blend 2012

Mollydooker is the handiwork of the husband-and-wife winemaking team of Sarah and Sparky Marquis. Prior to starting their own label the pair produced under the Marquis Philips brand in partnership with their distributor Dan Philips. Previously, they produced award-winning wines for Australian producers including Fox Creek, Henry’s Drive, Shirvington, and others. The term Mollydooker is Australian slang for a left-handed person as both Sarah and Sparky Marquis are left-handed.

Since 2005, they've focused exclusively on making their own exuberant wines which include a range of Shiraz labels and a variety of Shiraz/Cab/Merlot blends, as well as some adventuresome white wines such as The Violinist, a Verdelho varietal.

They source their fruit from 116 acres of vineyards at their winery in McLaren Vale where about 50 percent are planted in Shiraz, with the rest made up of Cabernet, Merlot, Semillon and Chardonnay. Most of their wines bear distinctive whimsical and humorous names and labels with cartoon characters. Never-the-less, many of their wines, while modestly-priced, Mollydookers are often highly rated. Their premium label, 'Velvet Glove' Shiraz retails for $175, however. 

The 2012 Enchanted Path is dark inky purple colored, full bodied, rich thick concentrated and complex with varietal Cabernet notes of ripe black and blue berry and plum with clove, spice and layers of chocolate and anise, with supple creamy mouth-feel and chewy tannins on nicely polished balanced finish.

The 2012 Enchanted Path is a blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon.

RM 93 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=1773713

www.mollydookerwines.com

Some other earlier posting notes of this label in these pages:

• Caymus 40th Anniversary Release - An Enchanted Path

•  Horizontal Tasting of South Australia Shiraz - Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path", GoDolphin, BCH and '9'

• 007 Shiraz-Cab Blends

• Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path" Shiraz Cabernet

Horizontal Tasting of South Australia Shiraz - Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path", GoDolphin, BCH and '9'

Horizontal Tasting of South Australia Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon Blends - Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path", GoDolphin, Branson Coach House and '9' 

The gala family celebration of life continued with a tasting of a series of Shiraz based wines from South Australia. 

Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path" Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz McLaren Vale 2005

I write about Mollydooker in my blogpost on their premium Shiraz Carnival of Love. As I've written before in these pages, Mollydooker is the handiwork of the then husband-and-wife winemaking team of Sarah and Sparky Marquis. 

Sarah and Sparky Marquis met as students studying winemaking at Roseworthy College. They shared a vision and passion to craft wines people would love. Academically, Sparky was accomplished, winning awards, prizes and trophies including Dux of the College and the prophetic award for the ‘Student most likely to contribute to the Australian Wine Industry’.

In 1994, they debuted as a winemaking team at Fox Creek Wines in McLaren Vale (owned by Sarah’s parents). Their success was immediate, taking out the title of "Bushing King and Queen" for their McLaren Vale Shiraz, a feat they repeated in 1998 and again in 2000. The pair was selected as ‘Winemakers of the Year’ for the wines they produced under the Henry’s Drive and Parson’s Flat labels. They went on to also produce wines for Fox Creek and Shirvington. Robert Parker and Wine Spectator both lavished high praise and highest marks on their handicraft. 

In their first move to starting their own label, the pair produced under the Marquis Philips brand in a partnership with their American distributor Dan Philips. Sarah and Sparky did not own their own vineyards but sourced fruit from selected growers in McLaren Vale, Langhorne Creek and Padthaway.

Robert Parker wrote “Sarah and Sparky who live by the motto ‘We make wines that make people go 'wow’ through attention to detail and commitment to excellence' have hit pay dirt with their brilliantly packaged wines... with labels that resemble vaudeville acts from the mid 30’s.”

In 2005, they set out on their own launching "Mollydooker", the Aussie slang term for a left-handed person as both Sarah and Sparky Marquis are left-handed. 

Since 2005, they've focused exclusively on making their own exuberant wines which include a range of Shiraz labels and a variety of Shiraz/Cab/Merlot blends, as well as some adventuresome white wines such as The Violinist, a Verdelho varietal. Their branding features whimsical names and labels with cartoonish characters and illustrations resembling carnival or circus posters in the premium labels 'Carnival of Love' (right) and this 'Enchanted Path' (below).

They source their fruit from 116 acres of vineyards at their winery in McLaren Vale where about 50 percent are planted in Shiraz, with the rest made up of Cabernet, Merlot, Semillon and Chardonnay. Most of their wines bear distinctive whimsical and humorous names and labels with cartoon characters. Never-the-less, many of their wines, while modestly-priced, Mollydookers are often highly rated. Their premium label, 'Velvet Glove' Shiraz retails for $175, however.

As I wrote the other day in a these pages, Sparky and Sara split up a couple years ago and Sarah took over the business while Sparky spent time traveling and contemplating his next chapter. Interestingly, Sparky is a racing car enthusiast buddy of my colleague who manages the ANZ APAC region for me from down there in Adelaide. I'll hope to meet him through our mutual acquaintance if and when I travel there on business, or better, on a wine trip.

Mollydooker "The Enchanted Path" Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz McLaren Vale 2005

This is Syrah (2/3) based accented by Cabernet Sauvignon (1/3). 

This unique blend really works with the Cabernet adding breadth and depth to the big black inky purple colored full bodied Shiraz. The result is a powerful full bodied complex wine with concentrated forward chewy tongue coating black berry and black cherry fruits accented by ripe plum and spice, a layer of vanilla and hints of mocha and anise with fine silky tannins on the long finish.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gave this wine a whopping 96 points and wrote in their review: "The 2005 Enchanted Path (66% Shiraz and 34% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in primarily American oak, 60% new) is fashioned from relatively young vines. It reveals an amazing opaque purple/blue/black color (always a hallmark of Marquis wines), a full-bodied, powerful, smoky nose, extravagant layers of fruit, spice, glycerin, and extract, full body, superb intensity, tremendous richness, and a seamless personality. It is a textbook example of a southern Australian red at its richest, fullest, and most pure. For consumers with open minds and progressive palates, this amazing red should age beautifully for 10-15 years. Drink through 2021+

Opaque black inky garnet colored, full bodied, rich, thick concentrated yet balanced harmonious black berry fruits exude aromatics that leap out of the glass with notes of plum, vanilla and black pepper, followed by notes of mocha and licorice flavors of vanilla and dark chocolate are accented with spice and black pepper. Velvet smooth tannins are accented by long pronounced notes of vanilla and spice. 

RM 94 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=247775

For a comparison tasting, we opened another South Australia Cabernet-Shiraz Blend from the same 2005 vintage.

Ben Glaetzer Godolphin South Australia Barossa Valley Cabernet-Shiraz Red Blend  2005

This label was awarded 95 by points James Halliday, 94 points Wine Enthusiast, 93 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and Vinou.s 

This is another blend of Shiraz, 80%, from 85-year-old vines, and Cabernet Sauvignon, 20%, from 60-year-old vines, aged in 100% new oak. 

Deep inky black dark garnet-purple colored, medium-full bodied, complex, intense, concentrated black berry black raspberry and blueberry fruits with notes of graphite, cassis, pain grille, vanilla and spice turning to a long lush smooth tannin laced nicely balanced oak finish. This had a very similar profile as the Enchanted Path but lacked its harmonious balance, elegance and smooth mouthfeel.

RM 92 points. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=261351

I added to the mix, pulling from the cellar this Marquis Phillips '09' Shiraz from the same era 2007 vintage. I can't help but wonder if and have to presume this is the same Shiraz juice as in the Mollydooker, just without the blended Cabernet. This suspicion is strengthened by the fact this is the last vintage of this label in our cellar, of which we own every release of this wine since its inception. 

 Marquis Phillips '09' McLaren Vale Shiraz 2007

Like the other Marquis Philips/Mollydooker branding, this features a whimsical cartoon characterization, this time of a 'roogle', which is 1/2 eagle, and 1/2 kangaroo, representing the American Australian partnership of Marquis and US distributor and partner Dan Phillips. As noted above, this partnership disbanded and the Mollydooker brand was born, launched in 2005.

Consistent with earlier review notes, "this 2007 vintage '9' is dark, big, full bodied and concentrated. It is not as complex or polished as some of the other vintage releases. In addition to the black berry fruits accented by mocha, tobacco and leather, there is a layer of graphite in this that has an edge that tends to detract from the fruit."

Lacking the blend of the Bordeaux varietal (s) would explain this wine being more single-dimensional and less complex, yet no less bodied or concentrated.

RM 89 points.

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=651009

To extend the horizontal tasting we opened another 2004 South Australian Shiraz.

Branson Coach House Barossa Valley Single Vineyard Greenock Block Shiraz 2004

I discovered and tasted this wine with Wine Manager Bill and the Aussie wine buyer at the wine desk at Binny's in Glen Ellyn back upon release. I liked it so much I bought their entire allocation which was a couple six packs.

This property was taken over by Two Hands after the passing of proprietor Malcolm Asden, the result being these wines are now made alongside Two Hands by their winemaker Matt Wenk. The acquisition was made possible by capital from outside foreign investors.

Along with the winery and brand came eighteen acres of Greenock vineyards planted in mature high quality Shiraz which will continue to be produced under the BCH label. Subsequently, Two Hands wine production is also done at the BCH Greenock facility.

They continue to produce BCH premium single vineyard designated labels Coach House Block Rare Single Vineyard and Greenock Block Single Vineyard Shiraz's sourced from the vineyards that surround the winery.

At sixteen years of age, this is aging gracefully, but starting to show its age with slight signs of diminution of the fruits.

Upon opening it was slightly obtuse with a bit of an edge, but over the course of an hour it opened, softened and became more approachable.

Dark inky purple color, full bodied, thick, chewy layers of aromatic flavors of tangy black fruits, raspberry, black cherry and black currants, accented by tones of clove spice, graphite & hints of creme de cassis on a smooth polished moderate tannin finish.

RM 90 points, two points less than the last tastings back nearly four years ago on Aug 6, 2016 and then Oct 11, 2017. 

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=246545