2. March 2009 by Azat.

Just got an interesting email from Mollydooker.  As you know I love Mollydooker wine.  Especially Two Left Feet, The Boxer and Carnival of Love

They have a new wine coming out called Sip it Forward.  Here is the email
G’day Azat,Things have been flat out here at the winery with the incredible response to our ‘Please Help us find a Wine Name’ email. Sparky and I are very appreciative of your fantastic input and suggestions. In the final count we had 2000 names suggested, and as they were all great ideas, it was extremely difficult to choose just one.
After much “discussion” we are excited to announce the name that we have chosen to embody the charity wine… ‘SIP IT FORWARD’.
A huge CONGRATULATIONS goes to Ian Muncy from Miamisburg, Ohio for submitting a name which we think encapsulates the purpose of this wine; being able to bless others around us. When I first read the name, I couldn’t stop thinking that as we drink and share this wine, how we could also be helping others in the world… not just the kids in Cambodia, but perhaps someone nearby, a local charity or something that each of us is passionate about. I think that the idea of paying forward our blessings excites and empowers all of us.

Want to Order Sip it Forward?
Several people have mentioned that they would like to purchase the wine when it is released. All you have to do is reply to this email or contact us at righthand@mollydookerwines.com with the subject line “Sip it Forward Waiting List” to ensure you get the first chance to purchase this wine when its released later this year. (The wine will be $25 per bottle or $300 per case and will only be available on our website. All proceeds will benefit Transform Cambodia).

Want to Get Involved?
How’s this for exciting. One of the other wine names suggested was “Blend a Hand” and while it wasn’t selected as the name of the wine, we thought that it would be awesome to use this name for our 2009 events. We have decided that this Fall we will host a series of Blend a Hand - blending seminars where we would love for you to help us blend the 2008 Sip It Forward. We hope you can join us for this exciting, interactive and creative part of what we do to blend WOW wines. We will be posting updates to our online Travel Schedule (www.mollydookerwines.com  /Find Us/Event Schedule) in the coming months, so make sure to check back to find an event near your home town. You can also email us anytime and as a Mollydooker Mate, we’ll make sure you get an invitation.

So now we’ve chosen the name, the next fun task will be designing the label!! We can’t wait to share it with you!

With Love,
Sarah Marquis,
On behalf of Sparky, Luke, Holly and the whole Mollydooker Team

Contact our ‘Right Hands’ - AKA Customer Service:(888)MDSHIRAZ (888) 637.4472

Mollydooker Wines USA: 1325 Imola Avenue #324, Napa, CA 94559

Mollydooker Wines: 8/938 South Road Edwardstown South Australia 5039

Posted in $$, Wine, Blogroll | Print | No Comments »

15. February 2009 by Azat.

2004 Cantonella Cervoles Tinto (Spain, Costers del Segre): Ah, Espana.  My coworker is at Barcelona and I was reading her facebook and made the decision that today we are going to have a nice Spanish red.  Spain the land of tapas, gambas alla plancha, and sexy citizens and GREAT Tempranillo. Some of the new superstars of the wine grape world are also coming from Spain. Cervoles Tinto is a blend of Tempranillo, Cab, Garnacha and Merlot is an inky pool of forward and full-bodied fruit and smoke that is a rave of Old World restraint and New World gluttony.  The wine is a dark and deep color and an attractive nose of black berries. On the palate, it is juicy with a rich and velvety texture followed by a well-balanced finish.  A absolutely fascinating bottle of red wine.  Robert Parker gave the wine 92 points, too.(prior year 94) And you can still find them in the 20-25 dollar range

Tasting notes from The Wine Advocate:

“Wow! What an amazing, reasonably priced wine. This 1,000-case cuvee, aged 12-14 months in French oak, from one of the appellation’s highest altitude vineyards (it borders Montsant/Priorat), is a blend of 41% Tempranillo, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Grenache, and 11% Merlot. Fabulously fragrant, with notes of crushed rock, black raspberries, blueberries, and cassis, this inky/purple-colored wine boasts great fruit, medium to full body, fabulous texture and purity, and a long, heady finish. This is a compelling as well as provocative wine to drink over the next 7-8 years.”

I would rank this wine a 3-3.5 stars and its very reasonable priced

And by the way, happy Valentine’s Day!

Posted in $$, ***, Wine, Blogroll | Print | No Comments »

25. January 2009 by Azat.

Conundrum is a beautiful wine from Caymus Vineyards.  Although its a separate brand on its own.  It is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Muscat Canelli.  In addition to that they also add small amounts of Sémillon and Viognier.  I first has this wine at my friends Babak Hosseinzadeh’s house and I was blown off my feet at the beautiful aromas and taste of this wine.  Its an excellent food wine that can be enjoyed with  wide variety of international cuisines and a whole range of courses: from appetizers through dessert. To fully enjoy its aromas and flavors, the wine is best served slightly chilled.

Wine makers notes: “Powerful aromas of green apple, tangerine zest and honeysuckle.  Core flavors of apricot, melon, pear and light vanilla are beautifully balanced by the sparkling acidity of citrus fruits. The lush, creamy, mouth-filling texture is heightened by powerful floral and bright tropical fruit notes and leads to a full, powerful finish.”

We enjoyed the wine with a great pasta dish and a wonderful desert that Krista(Babak’s wife) had prepared.

I would rand this wine at 3.5 stars and a good bargain at about $22

Posted in $$, ***, Wine, Blogroll | Print | No Comments »

20. January 2009 by Azat.

It would be a crime if I started a blog without doing my first post about my favorite wine all time…  However before I do talk about “The Boxer” from Mollydooker I want to explain the name behind 90PlusWine.com.  The main reason is that majority of the wine I consume is rated 90 points or higher by one of the major wine rating magazines(Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate(my favorite) and Wine Spectator).  Its natural for the wine that is rated high to be of better quality however wine does not necessarily need to be expensive to be 90+ points and these are the wines that I will talk about most in this blog.  Often you will see gems in the 8-12 dollar range that get great ratings.  In addition to that you will often see different agencies rank/rate wine differently and I have notices that my pallet will agree more with that of Robert Parkers ratings from Wine Advocate…  over time we will talk more about each but enough of that for now.

Lets talk about 2005 “The Boxer”.

Here is what Parker said about it “The Boxer Shiraz 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. 95 points. Robert Parker Jr Wine Advocate # 165”

I first tried “The Boxer” about 3 years ago.  Had always been a big fan of Marquis Philips wines especially S2 and #9.  When I heard they had left that venture and started Mollydooker I had to try their new wine.  I got an early shipment of Two left Feet(we will talk about it some other time) and The Boxer.  I immediately opened a bottle of the boxer and decanter it and let it sit for an hour(in general I always recommend people decant their reds an hour or 2 prior to consumption).  When I tried my first sip I knew I was hooked to this new wine from them.  It bursts in your mouth with multiple of flavors and has a great aroma.  It is a VERY powerful, big, bold Shiraz from Australian McLaren Valley.  The taste lasts for long time and will linger in your mouth for a good 20-30 seconds after you swallow the wine.  Tones of raspberry, cherry, chocolate and oak last a long time.  The color of the wine is dark dark burgundy.  You hardly notice light even when held to the sky

I give this wine a 4 ½ stars only because I have tasted 3-4 bottles that are true 5 stars and I hate giving 5 stars and its only about $20.  Cant buy any wine in that price range that can compare.
Label for The Boxer

Posted in $$, ****, Wine | Print | 2 Comments »