The Aussies have a way with words. Take “mollydooker” for example. No mere Yank would have a clue what that means without some guidance: it’s Australian slang for a lefty. Got it?
Inevitably, Aussies being Aussies, someone decided to name their winery “Mollydooker.” That’s no surprise - the two co-owners were both lefties with a sense of humor. The winery (a stylized picture of the vineyards is shown above) is located in South Australia, in the McLaren Vale region, about 25 miles south of Adelaide. Mollydooker makes some highly regarded wines, as well as moderately priced ones such as our wine of the week.
- McLaren Vale is one of Australia’s top Shiraz producing regions, in terms of both quantity and quality.
- The “Shiraz” grape, Australia’s signature variety, is known to most of the rest of the world as Syrah. Why the different name? Did I mention that this is Australia, mate? One theory is that the name Shiraz came about in the mid-1800s due to the strong Australian accent. Another was that it was a mere typo.
- On a more practical level, today Shiraz differentiates full-bodied, powerful Australian wines from the more subtle, medium-bodied European Syrahs. Some other regions (such as California) have adopted Shiraz to signal a wine done in the Australian style. And several Australian producers are experimenting with more subtle wines and labeling them Syrah.
Our wine of the week is a 2018 Mollydooker “The Boxer” Shiraz (about $25 retail). This full-bodied wine packs a serious punch – it’s 16 percent alcohol. It’s made from 100 percent Shiraz, fermented and aged in American oak barrels. The Boxer is deep purple, with moderate tannins, notes of black fruit, plum, black pepper and vanilla, and a noticeably short finish. This is a good quality wine but it's not subtle; it smacks you in the face with alcohol and fruit, and the alcohol seems to dominate, to the point that there is a noticeable "burning" sensation on the finish.
- The Boxer illustrates an interesting point about wine critics and differing tastes. It has received generally good reviews from wine critics. But, wine critics often seem to prefer full-bodied, powerful wines, and this certainly checks those boxes. On the other hand, many people prefer less powerful, subtle wines, and for them The Boxer might be a bit overwhelming.
- The Boxer needs a hearty meal to temper its power, preferably a juicy ribeye steak and some spicy side dishes. It’s not a wine to sit and sip. But, as Australians might say, it’s just the thing to knock you on your arse.
Cheers!