It was spring 2020 and I sat across from Luke Marquis for a really exciting Instagram Live interview. Wines in hand, we tasted together and he shared the incredible story that is Mollydooker. I recall the massive, tidal wave level of buzz that traveled around when Mollydooker was first formed back in 2005. These wines were immediately met with critical praise but I hadn’t had the chance to try them quite yet.
In a very short amount of time Sarah and Sparky Marquis created one of the iconic wine brands of Australia. Their first wine, the 2006 ‘Carnival of Love’ Shiraz was immediately awarded 99 points by Robert Parker and was sold out in five days. The following year, their Velvet Glove Shiraz became their fifth wine to be awarded 99 points by The Wine Advocate and the Carnival of Love has since been listed in Wine Spectator’s ‘Top Ten wines in the World’ three times. This is just an unprecedented amount of success for a new winery.
I was first introduced to these wines in their 2007 vintage as word traveled very quickly to the United States. The combination of weight and acidity in the wines was quite thrilling. I was also enticed with the consistency of their wines, regardless of vintage. For instance, 2011 was a highly challenging vintage in South Australia and the wines made by Mollydooker that vintage were some of the finest produced in the region. In 2017 Sarah took sole control of the winery and now has her son, Luke, the ‘Blue Eyed Boy’ is involved in the winery as well as he leads global sales. I sat down with Sarah a few years ago for an exciting interview.
I adored the new Mollydooker lineup. Don’t miss out on the thrilling 2018 Mollydooker ‘Carnival of Love’ Shiraz (OB, 95) which is hedonistic and intense, yet shows bright acidity and wonderful viscosity. Even better is the iconic 2018 Mollydooker ‘Velvet Glove’ Shiraz (OB, 98) which is a wine that flirts with perfection and is a magical bottling with a seamless texture that makes this effortlessly glide. What strikes me most about this wine is not only the feeling of weight but the nuance that the wine offers despite being massively dense. Learn more about this inspired Australian winery at https://www.mollydookerwines.com.au/ Here are the beautiful new wines by Mollydooker.
2019 Mollydooker ’The Boxer’ Shiraz- The 2018 ‘The Boxer’ is an outstanding release by Mollydooker. They wine offers plenty of rich red and dark fruits alongside tar and scorched earth tones on the palate. Full-bodied and delicious to savor now, this outstanding effort will provide drinking enjoyment for the next seven plus years. Drink 2021-2028- 91
2019 Mollydooker ‘The Maitre D’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2019 ‘The Maitre D’ shows plenty of rich dark fruits with tobacco and milk chocolate tones on the nose. The palate is fresh a nd silky with layers of roasted dates, menthol, milk chocolate covered dark cherry and shades of espresso bean. Delicious now, enjoy this great new Cabernet Sauvignon over the next five to seven years. Drink 2021-2028- 91
2019 Mollydooker ‘Two Left Feet’ Red WIne- The 2019 ‘Two Left Feet’ Red Wine is a great blend of 69% Shiraz, 16% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine was aged in almost all American oak (44% new) before bottling, weighing in at 16% alcohol. The wine shows toasty oak alongside dark kirsch and black currants that all mingle in the glass. The palate is fresh and beautifully textured. Layers of ripe dark currants and roasted figs mingle with milk chocolate all combine on the palate. This is seriously good stuff for the price. Drink 2021-2026- 91
2018 Mollydooker ‘Carnival of Love’ Shiraz- The 2018 ‘Carnival of Love’ is a sensational release by Mollydooker. Aged in 100% new French oak, this shows off toasty oak with creme de cassis, black olive tapenade, white pepper and smoked brisket tones that all come together in the glass. The palate is rich and viscous with an incredible harmonious quality and great veil of tension. The voluptuous texture really impresses as a massive core of dark fruits (roasted figs, boysenberry syrup, black currant jelly) all mingle with coffee grounds and shades of dark chocolate cake on the palate. Sensational now, this has at least another decade of life ahead of it. Drink 2021-2033- 95
2018 Mollydooker ‘The Velvet Glove’ Shiraz- The 2018 Mollydooker ‘The Velvet Glove’ Shiraz is a utterly sensational bottling that rivals any wine of its kind. Aged in all new American oak, this shows a gorgeous bouquet from blueberry pie to espresso grounds, graphite and toasty oak tones that all impress. The palate is deep and utterly seamless. A massive core of blue and dark fruits collide with white pepper, minerals, firm tannins and a light dusting of salinity. While obviously big, this has a weightless quality and wonderful verve. Wonderful to enjoy now, this outstanding Shiraz will provide drinking enjoyment for at least another fifteen years. But why wait? Drink 2021-2038- 98