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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:

Intense in colour, flavour and aroma, our 2021 Carnival of Love Shiraz captivates the palate from the first sip. Powerful yet delicate, lifted aromas of red cherry, blackberry and turkish delight evolve, while subtle hints of mocha linger. Infectious chocolate cherry, fresh plum and liquorice add to the complexity, while creating a seamless structure and lingering finish.

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:

Another sensational edition of the Mollydooker ‘Carnival of Love’ Shiraz from 2021 — and I am not the least surprised. I’ve had every edition of this wine for more than a decade. This bottling was as usual aged in all new American oak. On the nose this takes on dense black currant jelly, cigar box and shades of creosote with Arabica bean. The palate is soft and inviting with its plush texture and seamless mouthfeel as this effortlessly glides throughout the drinking experience. A joy to drink now so young, this will easily cellar for another ten years and potentially more. But why wait?  

- Owen Bargreen 96 Points

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

Pazo de Senorans Seleccion de Anada Albarino is made from 100 percent Albarino. 

Straw yellow with greenish tints, vivid and brilliant. High intensity and very expressive. Profusion of aromas with traces of mineral. Great volume and ample body leaving a lasting impression from beginning to end.

Reviews:

I think the 2014 Albariño Selección de Añada could be the finest vintage of this characterful long-aging Albariño, from a year with a more moderate 13% alcohol and very high acidity (and low pH) that make the wine fresher and more vibrant. It is developing very slowly and showing quite young after it spent over 30 months with lees in 1,500- and 3,000-liter stainless steel tanks. It has a pale color and an elegant nose with notes of freshly cut grass, white flowers and wet granite. The palate is vibrant with effervescent acidity, and it has a long, dry and tasty finish with an austere sensation, far away from the tropical notes of some past vintages. This is superb and should continue developing nicely in bottle. Bravo! It wasn't bottled until April 2023, and 14,000 bottles were produced.

-Wine Advocate 96 Points

Tech:

James Goddard was an ancestor of the Clarke family. Born in West Sussex, England in 1823, James spent his 74 years as a sailor, a whaler, a bullock driver, farmer, prospector, miner and hotel keeper. From an illiterate runaway living rough on the streets of London, he became a rich, successful and admired pillar of South Australian society.

James arrived in Adelaide in 1839 as a 16-year-old sailor. Twelve years later, his life changed forever with the news of gold findings. For the next 20 years, James roamed the country learning the geology that improved his chances of prospecting.

James Goddard Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz. 

In 1870, he tried his luck near his farm in the Barossa Valley and discovered the region’s first gold deposits, creating the prosperous Lady Alice Mine. The Lady Alice Mine, though it is no longer operational, was & still is the most successful gold mine in South Australia. From these roots, the Thorn-Clarke family has been connected to the region for the last 150 years.

James Goddard Shiraz is a blend Shiraz sourced from the Milton Park vineyard in the north of Eden Valley, and the St Kitts vineyard in the far northern area of the Barossa. Fruit is harvested in the cool of the night to maintain maximum flavour and freshness and it is fermented for 8 days. The ferment is pumped over twice daily to extract the colour and flavour from the fruit. Once finished fermentation the wine was then matured in a blend of French and American oak for a period of 10 to 12 months depending on the vintage.

Deep vibrant red with purple hues to the rim. The nose shows lifted plums, vibrant purple berries and a delicate spice note. The palate has concentrated satsuma plum, blackberry with lovely charry oak in the background. Long, juicy and even with plush fruit on the finish.

Review:

 “Blended from two estate vineyards, St. Kitts and Milton Park, this shiraz offers its richness without any aggression or overt perfume. It’s just lush and delicious, a friendly embrace of firm tannins and purple-red fruit. The texture and flavor combine in a saturated meatiness, for Korean barbecue.”

- Wine & Spirits Magazine, 92 points

Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.

Jip Jip Rocks wine is synonymous with premium wines from South Australia’s Padthaway wine region. The vineyard is planted in some of the world’s oldest mineral rich soils and in the most temperate of maritime climates. The Jip Jip Rocks vineyard consistently produces excellent fruit quality from low yielding vines.

Only the best parcels of fruit are carefully selected throughout the vineyard and utilized in the Jip Jip Rocks label. Great attention to detail with the integration of fruit flavors and fine oak barrels helps produce classic handcrafted wine styles.

Lifted spice and ripe mulberry/blackberry aromas are complimented with chocolate, cedar and cinnamon on the nose. Well-integrated oak tannin provides flavors of clove and supple texture, which supports the rich plum, blackberry and mocha. The overall structure is supple and generous with fine-grained tannin and a lingering finish.

Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz-Cabernet is made from 55% Shiraz, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep purple. Boysenberry and mulberry aromas with a hint of cedar and pepper. Similar berry fruits show through on the opulent, textured palate with a lingering finish.

Fermentation took place over 10 – 12 days in a combination of open and static fermenters. The temperature was closely monitored to ensure the wine retains its natural fruit expression. New and older French and American oak was used for the maturation of selected wine parcels over a period of 13 months.  These parcels were put together from our family estate to best demonstrate the depth and character of our fruit, balanced by integrated oak. 

Review:

It's gorgeously ripe and perfumed on the nose showing blackberry, sweet cherry, vanilla and hazelnut characters with a touch of pepper spice. The palate displays lovely weight and plump mouthfeel, leading to a lengthy supple finish. Brightly expressed and immediately appealing. At its best: now to 2027.

-Wine Orbit 93 Points

The Kasteelberg range of wines, celebrates the discovery of Riebeek and the Kasteelberg mountains in 1661. Kasteelberg stands sentinel over the fertile valley below. From the slopes of the mountains, hand-selected grapes are expertly crafted with care to produce rare and expressive wines. The Kasteelberg range truly is the pinnacle of our Winemaker's art.

Often referred to as Shiraz Country, the Riebeek Valley is renowned for exceptional Shiraz wines.
The Kasteelberg Shiraz is a lively rich wine, full bodied with a subdued smokiness on the nose and a pallet of ripe fruit and interesting spice.
Well-balanced and smooth, the aftertaste lingers with the exciting flavors of Christmas pudding.

Serve at room temperature. The perfect companion to barbequed lamb, fillet medallions and game. Lovely with Springbok stuffed with bacon, garlic and rosemary and a great match to a cheese and preserve platter.

Review:

"I'd expect to prefer the 2017 Shiraz to the 2018 bottling, but it's actually the reverse. Maybe Alecia Boshoff has just got more experience with the fruit from this Kasteelberg site. Sweet and spicy, with enticing incense and violet aromas, fine tannins, succulent red berry fruit and deftly integrated one-third new oak. 2021-26"

- Tim Atkin (South Africa 2020 Report), 92 pts

This dry rosé has a beautiful light color. Its displays aromas of red fruits with a nice, refreshing and clean finish. There is also a touch of minerality. 

Love(R) Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé is delicious with BBQ, lasagnas, grilled fish as well as a fresh Mediterranean salad. 

This dry rosé has a beautiful light color. Its displays aromas of red fruits with a nice, refreshing and clean finish. There is also a touch of minerality. 

Love(R) Coteaux d'Aix en Provence Rosé is delicious with BBQ, lasagnas, grilled fish as well as a fresh Mediterranean salad. 

Deep red with a slight purple hue on release. The wine has a rich mix of dark chocolate infused with coffee bean and black liquorice, then scents of tar, aniseed, raw (pure) soy and black olive on the nose. The palate is expansive, and yet balanced and finessed. An amalgam of dark berried flavors and textural sensations. The 100% new oak is completely absorbed, meshed with ripe tannins, completing a palate of impressive length and youthfulness.

     Slowly the tide turned, Australians began drinking more wine and Dad with his uncanny ability to select and plant Clifton Park with the grape varieties of the future, saw fortunes change for Clifton Park and the Thorn family. I loved my Dad's wry sense of humor and his work ethic was an inspiration to us all.

   "My father, Ron, was born in 1923 at the Angaston Hospital not far from where the Thorn-Clarke Winery is currently located. He was the fourth born of the nine children my grandparents raised at Clifton Park in the Eden Valley Ranges. Dad's great-grandparents took up farming land in the Barossa in the 1840's and purchased Clifton Park, where Dad grew up, in the 1870's. To this day, Clifton Park remains in the Thorn family and the 1870's vineyard still produces quality fruit.

      As the family grew, Dad showed tenacity and judgment by pulling out orchards and extending the family vineyards. During the 1950's, 60's, and 70's, times were testing for a family business based on dry land horticulture and mixed farming. Dad's strong work ethic proved an invaluable asset during the tough years on the farm and he traveled widely as a shearer, drove bulldozers and worked at the local cement works to support his family.

     Ron Thorn Shiraz is made from the best fruit that we grow and is produced only in exceptional years. This wine is given the benefit of 20 months barrel maturation and 12 months in bottle prior to release. This is our tribute to Dad's life and his contribution to the Thorn-Clarke story."  - Cheryl Thorn Clarke

Review:

The Royal Shiraz Cabernet is made from 50% Shiraz, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon

The Royal Shiraz – Cabernet Sauvignon borrows its name from a grand old hotel in Riebeek Kasteel. It is the oldest hotel in the Western Cape; a beloved fixture of the area.

Juicy and fruity, rich and ripe in style with blackberry, blackcurrant and spice flavors, subtle vanilla and black pepper. Smooth and well-balanced with a lingering finish of berries, spice and beautifully integrated oak.

Pairs well with red meat, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs, game, duck, pasta and cheese.

The Royal Shiraz Cabernet is made from 50% Shiraz, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon

The Royal Shiraz – Cabernet Sauvignon borrows its name from a grand old hotel in Riebeek Kasteel. It is the oldest hotel in the Western Cape; a beloved fixture of the area.

Juicy and fruity, rich and ripe in style with blackberry, blackcurrant and spice flavors, subtle vanilla and black pepper. Smooth and well-balanced with a lingering finish of berries, spice and beautifully integrated oak.

Pairs well with red meat, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs, game, duck, pasta and cheese.

The Royal Shiraz Cabernet is made from 50% Shiraz, 50% Cabernet Sauvignon

The Royal Shiraz – Cabernet Sauvignon borrows its name from a grand old hotel in Riebeek Kasteel. It is the oldest hotel in the Western Cape; a beloved fixture of the area.

Juicy and fruity, rich and ripe in style with blackberry, blackcurrant and spice flavors, subtle vanilla and black pepper. Smooth and well-balanced with a lingering finish of berries, spice and beautifully integrated oak.

Pairs well with red meat, especially classic recipes like roasted leg of lamb, grilled lamb chops and beef kebabs, game, duck, pasta and cheese.

Schwarz Nitschke Block Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz.

This Bethany vineyard was planted by Jason Schwarz's parents in 1968 and has been tended to by the hands of his family ever since. The vines are dry-grown and produce small crops of intensely flavored fruit.

A display of the purest blood-plum and black cherry, with cracked black peppercorn and streaky bacon over some seriously fine oak. Some subtle herbaceous qualities, nettle and thyme bring life to an otherwise immense nose. Very juicy on the palate, deeply flavorsome, long and with mouth-coating tannin for a very textured, very focused Barossa classic.

Slow cooked beef ribs, grilled meats, wild game and grilled vegetables.

Review:

From a single 55-year-old vineyard in the Bethany subregion of Barossa, this is a modern, finessed and approachable Shiraz, with open-knit aromas of succulent red and black berries, florals, clove and earthy spice. The palate shows restraint and silkiness. Fine tannins are neatly woven between the juicy fruit. Drink now or cellar up another decade or so.

-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points

Thorn Clarke Shotfire Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz. 

Striking deep red-purple in color. A rich, voluptuous wine with aromas of blackcurrant and mulberries accompanied by notes of smokey oak and hints of cloves. The palate is filled with dark fruits and chocolate backed up by taut tannins and lingering oak.

 Story:

When the Clarke forebearers discovered gold in 1870 at the Lady Alice mine in the Barossa goldfields, so began a family dynasty intrigued by geology. A fine legacy that is reflected today in the terroir of our vineyards. The Shotfire range immortalizes the Shotfirer's hazardous job of setting and lighting the charges in the mines.

Fran shares his story on how he discovered Thorn-Clarke:
     "It was October 2001 and I was searching for and sourcing for Australian wines, as it was clear that Australia was going to become the "next big thing." After tasting about 100 assorted wines, I decided I liked the style of Barossa, Shiraz best - chocolate, cherries, mint and eucalyptus - so I started focusing on Barossa growers (years later, Barossa Shiraz would develop its reputation as the Icon Shiraz for Australia).
     Late on a Thursday afternoon, the carrier delivered a beat-up box of 12 bottles from Australia, 10 of which were leaking. The box was from a guy named Steve Machin, who had just left Hardy's and was beginning work with the Clarke family on setting up a possible new brand. The samples were sticky and messy, but I popped the corks anyway ..... and I was glad that I did. The wine inside tasted like Christmas - mint, eucalyptus, camphor, and evergreen aromas. Great acidity, color, flavor and length of finish - very tasty. These samples were so good and so exciting, especially compared to what I had tasted prior, that I immediately called the number on the card. I didn't realize that it was a Perth number (Western Australia) and it was actually 3:00 in the morning. It turned out I was calling the residence of David and Cheryl Clarke, where a sleepy Cheryl answered the phone. I told her, you don't know who I am, but we are going to be doing business together very soon, and lots of it! After a few months of talking, faxing (yes, faxing) and sorting out the details, I began importing their wines.
     That super-star wine from the busted box of samples is the wine we know today as Shotfire Shiraz. It was originally called Stone Jar, but fortunately we came up with a better name. Many years and vintages later, I'm still glad to be importing Shotfire Shiraz and other Thorn-Clarke selections .... and I'm still glad that Cheryl Clarke woke up for that phone call."

Thorn Clarke Shotfire Shiraz is made from 100% Shiraz. 

Striking deep red-purple in color. A rich, voluptuous wine with aromas of blackcurrant and mulberries accompanied by notes of smokey oak and hints of cloves. The palate is filled with dark fruits and chocolate backed up by taut tannins and lingering oak.

 Story:

When the Clarke forebearers discovered gold in 1870 at the Lady Alice mine in the Barossa goldfields, so began a family dynasty intrigued by geology. A fine legacy that is reflected today in the terroir of our vineyards. The Shotfire range immortalizes the Shotfirer's hazardous job of setting and lighting the charges in the mines.

Fran shares his story on how he discovered Thorn-Clarke:
     "It was October 2001 and I was searching for and sourcing for Australian wines, as it was clear that Australia was going to become the "next big thing." After tasting about 100 assorted wines, I decided I liked the style of Barossa, Shiraz best - chocolate, cherries, mint and eucalyptus - so I started focusing on Barossa growers (years later, Barossa Shiraz would develop its reputation as the Icon Shiraz for Australia).
     Late on a Thursday afternoon, the carrier delivered a beat-up box of 12 bottles from Australia, 10 of which were leaking. The box was from a guy named Steve Machin, who had just left Hardy's and was beginning work with the Clarke family on setting up a possible new brand. The samples were sticky and messy, but I popped the corks anyway ..... and I was glad that I did. The wine inside tasted like Christmas - mint, eucalyptus, camphor, and evergreen aromas. Great acidity, color, flavor and length of finish - very tasty. These samples were so good and so exciting, especially compared to what I had tasted prior, that I immediately called the number on the card. I didn't realize that it was a Perth number (Western Australia) and it was actually 3:00 in the morning. It turned out I was calling the residence of David and Cheryl Clarke, where a sleepy Cheryl answered the phone. I told her, you don't know who I am, but we are going to be doing business together very soon, and lots of it! After a few months of talking, faxing (yes, faxing) and sorting out the details, I began importing their wines.
     That super-star wine from the busted box of samples is the wine we know today as Shotfire Shiraz. It was originally called Stone Jar, but fortunately we came up with a better name. Many years and vintages later, I'm still glad to be importing Shotfire Shiraz and other Thorn-Clarke selections .... and I'm still glad that Cheryl Clarke woke up for that phone call."

Thorn Clarke Terra Barossa Shiraz is made from 100 percent Shiraz

Comments

Deep purple red. Aromas of ripe plums, cherries and earth with subtle notes of vanilla and cloves. The aromas follow through onto the palate with a fruit focus, subtle oak notes and soft, rounded tannins. The wine walks the line between medium and full bodied with a plush mouthfeel.

Vinification Notes

The grapes are crushed and de-stemmed into fermenters. Yeast is added immediately once in fermenter and the ferments are pumped over twice daily to maximise colour, tannin and flavour extraction. Cooling is used to ensure ferment temperatures remain in the 22-25 degree celcius range which will allow the fruit to display maximum fruit expression. Pressing then occurs approximately seven days after crushing and the  wine is then put into predominately American oak to mature.

Review:

"This is a gently spicy shiraz with aromas of red berries and plums, gentle spice and a little perfume and spiced pastry, too. The palate has a supple and fleshy feel with bright and ripe red to dark-berry flavors. Soft, plump tannins. Drink now. Screw cap."

-James Suckling 91 Points 

The Factor is predominantly from the Gomersal and Marananga sub-regions of the Barossa, providing dense texture and richness to the palate with subtle notes of olive tapenade, saddle leather and minerals. Ripe aromas of plum and wild blackberries, olive, pepper and spice are all supported by a dark core of espresso roast, ripe blackberries and saltbush. Brooding and densely packed, this lavish wine has ample generosity to cellar for many years, where it will slowly unravel.

Review:

Wine Spectator 96 Points

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 96+ Points