McLaren Vale, South
Australia
Imagine visiting
your best friend’s home, feeling like family during your entire stay and when
leaving, not wanting to say goodbye. You
await the next opportunity to get together and wish it’d be sooner than later. Nothing better describes my visit to Mollydooker,
which I’ll remember for a lifetime.
From a guy working
on landscaping to the general manager, everyone greeted us with a warm welcome,
bright sense of humor and passion for making great wines. If this is what owners and winemakers Sarah
and Sparky Marquis have instilled in their team, then it’s evident how they’ve
earned so many positive recognitions and high ratings over the past years.
Our
day began with one of the most in depth tours of a winery that I’ve had. We had the pleasure of Lee (Sparky’s dad)
share history, stories and ups and downs of how Mollydooker became what it is
today. Barrel tasting and learning how
they determine the Marquis Fruit Weight™ were among the
highlights. You might ask about what
“Fruit Weight” is all about. Check here
for a great explanation.
Marquis Fruit Weight
After our tour of the winery, we sat down with our
small group for a tasting and lunch with Lee and Janet (Sparky’s mom and
general manager).
I honestly didn't know what to expect when
they said we'd have lunch as part of our visit.
An assortment of local cheeses, olives, cured meats, crusty bread with really good olive oil and sauté mushrooms fresh picked from nearby
were delicious. The food was tasty but
even better, I think we tasted every Mollydooker wine! Bottle by bottle the pouring seemed to never
end and the great stories associated with their wines made this an experience I
will treasure.
Some of my favorite
wines probably won't surprise those of you familiar with Mollydooker. Those interested in trying one for the first
time...you can't go wrong with any of them.
Seriously, not a pitch for them...their wines don't suck!
Starting with the "Lefty Wines", designed for
everyday drinking. Generally priced moderately in the $20 range.
The Boxer -
A Shiraz with dark cherry and spice filled flavors. Voted Most Popular Shiraz on American wine
lists 2008-2010, Wine & Spirits magazine.
Next
were the "Party Wines" and
in their words, "They'll make you the life of the party any where you take
them." Priced in the $40 range.
Gigglepot -
Cabernet Sauvignon with aromas of dark berries, graphite and medium toasted wood followed by
flavors of currants and blackberries.
Blue-Eyed Boy
- One of the nicest Shiraz wines I've had.
From 12 months in oak, aromas of wood and earthy over tones filled the
glass. Ripe black berries and a velvety
smooth feel on the tongue made this a special wine. Top pick!
Lastly, the "Love Wines" which are their
premium wines having the highest Marquis fruit weight and price point in the
$90+ range. "Ideal for all of
life's celebrations."
Enchanted Path and Carnival of Love - Enchanted Path is a Shiraz/Cab blend. A spicy, toasted wood aroma with hints of
coffee. Black stone fruit, blueberries
and a subtle mineral like finish puts this wine in a category alone. Carnival of Love was a full-bodied Shiraz
showing hints of black pepper, plums and blueberries. Cellaring these for 3-5 years could bring out
even more pleasures. Along with this,
the very artistic design for both labels caught my attention. If you place them together, they make a
single picture with half being on each bottle's label. Kind of like the old MAD magazine inside
picture fold-overs to make a different picture.
If
you've ever wondered about the name Mollydooker, it's Aussie for Left
Handed. As told to our group by Lee,
Sparky & Sarah didn't have a name for their wines when they began. One day around the family table names were
being discussed when Lee brought up Mollydooker. Apparently, the majority of
people around the table were left-handed and the name stuck.
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