Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz 2017

Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz. 

 WHAT IS THE CARNIVAL OF LOVE?

This is as life should be – a Carnival of Love. A place where everyone wants to be, and no one wants to leave.

TASTING NOTES:

The 2022 Carnival of Love Shiraz is a vibrant and expressive wine. It starts with raspberry and cherry scents, with a touch of aniseed spice. The taste is filled with rich red fruit, hints of coffee, coconut, and deeper plum flavors. Chocolate and spice add extra dimensions to this McLaren Vale Shiraz, making it a delightful wine to celebrate. 

TECHNICAL NOTES:

The grapes were grown on the Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale. Barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak, using 100% new barrels. The required Marquis Fruit Weight™ for the Love Series is 85% – 95%. The Actual Fruit Weight for 2021 Carnival of Love 88%.

Alcohol: 16.5%

pH: 3.66

Reviews:

Year after year the ‘Carnival of Love’ is one of the astonishingly good Shiraz bottlings for the price out of South Australia, as this wine has not seen a serious price increase in more than a decade (still under 100 bucks USD). This 2022 edition was stored in all new American oak and weights in at 16.5% alcohol but the freshness backing everything up makes this everything but boozy. The weight and pillowy texture really drives this wine as it effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. Opulent dark and blue fruits meld effortlessly with dark chocolate shavings, graphite, scorched earth and shades of sweet pipe tobacco on the palate. This is a joy to drink.

- Owen Bargreen 97 Points

Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz. 

Sticky plum jam and spicy nutmeg aromas are alluringly prominent on the nose, whilst berries and mocha weave

and envelop your entire palate. The finish is incredibly smooth and silky, with elegant fruit flavors that linger in your mouth. An outstanding example of a perfectly balanced Shiraz from McLaren Vale.

 Review:

The stunning 2022 ‘The Velvet Glove’ is a stunning wine coming from the Gateway Vineyard in McLaren Vale. Stored in all new American oak barrels before bottling, this delivers a glassstaining purple, with blueberry pie and boysenberry cordial notes alongside tar, anise, Cuban cigar and suggestions of Black Forest cake on the nose. The absolutely gorgeous aromatics bring you back to the glass for more hedonistic pleasure. This is obviously big, bold and heady, but has remarkable freshness and seamless texture. This is very weightless stuff that will have a long life ahead of it. But why wait?

-Owen Bargreen 99 Points

Mollydooker Enchanted Path Shiraz - Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 71% Shiraz (the same juice that goes into Carnival of Love) and 29% Cabernet Sauvignon.

TASTING NOTES: This wine is both strong and inviting, showcasing rich flavours harmoniously balanced by delicate tannins, resulting in a wine that is both deep and refined. There is an abundance of dark fruit flavours such as plum jam and mocha, alongside the vibrant notes of cherry and strawberry, creating a dynamic flavour profile. The Cabernet characteristics seamlessly complement the bold Shiraz qualities, crafting an intriguing and captivating blend. TECHNICAL NOTES: The grapes were grown on the Gateway and Rivers Lane vineyards in McLaren Vale. Barrel fermented and matured in 94% American and 6% French oak, using 85% new and 15% one year old barrels. The required Marquis Fruit Weight™ for the Love Series is 85% – 95%. The Actual Fruit Weight for 2022 Enchanted Path is 86%.

Review:

The sensational 2022 ‘Enchanted Path’ is a gorgeous blend of 70% Shiraz with the remainder Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose is gorgeous with fresh sage alongside espresso bean, blueberry compote and shades of black licorice. The palate is powerful and intense with a refined texture. Gorgeous now, watch this evolve over the next twelve to fifteen years to come.

- Owen Bargreen 95 Points

Molly Dooker Carnival of Love is made from 100% Shiraz.

The Wine

Carnival of Love is Mollydooker's flagship McLaren Vale Shiraz — a bold, richly layered red that has become one of Australia's most sought-after Shiraz bottlings. Grown on the Gateway vineyard and matured in 100% new American oak, it pours a deep, saturated purple and opens with lifted aromas of raspberry, black cherry and a whisper of aniseed spice. The palate is generous and plush, brimming with dark and red fruit, mocha, coconut and plum, all framed by chocolate, sweet spice and the signature Mollydooker fruit weight that carries the wine without ever feeling heavy. Powerful yet remarkably fresh, it drinks beautifully now and will reward another decade in the cellar.

Serving Tip

Give it the famous "Mollydooker Shake": pour off a small splash, re-cap the bottle and gently tip it a few times to release the winemaking nitrogen. The wine opens up richer, softer and more expressive in the glass.

Winery Info

Mollydooker was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife winemakers Sparky and Sarah Marquis in McLaren Vale, South Australia. "Mollydooker" is Australian slang for a left-hander — both Sparky and Sarah are left-handed — and that playful, against-the-grain spirit runs through everything they make. The Marquises built their name on a fruit-first philosophy they call Marquis Fruit Weight™: farming for intensely concentrated, perfectly ripe grapes and letting that fruit, rather than heavy oak or extraction, define the wine. From a standing start the winery rocketed to international fame and a devoted worldwide following, and today ranks among the most recognized names in Australian wine. Carnival of Love sits at the top of the Mollydooker range as the flagship expression of everything McLaren Vale Shiraz can be.

Review:

Notes of star anise, red licorice and sarsaparilla add a wonderfully spicy thread that complements the core of cherry, including dried and kirschlike flavors. The dense tannins show a firming side that’s reminiscent of strong, malty Assam black tea and unsweetened chocolate.

Wine Spectator 93 Points

Mollydooker The Boxer is made from 100 percent Shiraz.

Deep, saturated purple in the glass. The nose leads with ripe black cherry and dark plum lifted by mocha and a touch of clove spice. Rich and velvety across the palate, it layers bittersweet chocolate, maraschino cherry and cardamom over a soft, plummy texture, with well-measured tannins and a note of toasted oak carrying a long finish. Full bodied and generous in classic Mollydooker style, yet balanced enough to enjoy now or hold over the next decade.

WHY "THE BOXER"?

The Boxer punches above its weight - Sarah and Sparky Marquis's benchmark McLaren Vale Shiraz, built to over-deliver at its price and the wine that introduces most people to the Mollydooker style.

TASTING NOTES:

Black cherry, plum and mocha with clove and cardamom spice; velvety and full bodied, finishing on bittersweet chocolate and fine oak. Drink now through 2034.

Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy is made from 100 percent Shiraz.  

Dense in color with vibrant dark purple hues. A complex, alluring and lifted nose of blueberry, dark cherry, caramel and hints of vanilla bean leap from the glass. Powerful yet delicate, the wine voices luscious layers of fresh berries, black pepper, coffee and a finishing note of chocolate cream. Full bodied, well defined tannins provide the backbone, as the wine fills the mouth and continues to evolve with every glass poured.

Review:

WHO IS THE BLUE EYED BOY?

The Blue Eyed Boy is Sarah’s son, Luke. Stomping grapes as a kid and now heading up the Mollydooker Sales Team.

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. 

TECHNICAL NOTES:

The grapes were grown on the Coppermine Road, Gateway, Long Gully Road and Mollydooker Home vineyards in McLaren Vale, and Joppich vineyard in Langhorne Creek. Barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak, using 54% new and 46% one year old barrels. The required Marquis Fruit Weight™ for the Family Series is 75% – 85%. The Actual Fruit Weight for 2022 Blue Eyed Boy is 79%.

Alcohol: 16.5%

Review:

Juicy and seamless, this is impressive for its generosity and plush texture, with kirsch, morello cherry and raspberry flavors at the core. Shows milk chocolate, vanilla crème anglaise, toasted cardamom, chicory and French press coffee notes on the finish. Drink now through 2037.

Wine Spectator 92 Points