"Deathstorm 2011" was due to strike last Tuesday night here in Michigan. What to do?  Open an over-the-top, hedonsitic "fruitbomb" of course!  Not much bigger than the Aussie Shiraz "The Boxer" from Mollydooker!

Mollydooker (or Mollydooka in my best Aussie accent) is the winery operated by Sarah and Sparky Marquis, the outstanding husband and wife winemaking team from Australia. Mollydooker is located in McLaren Vale, about 45 minutes outside of Adelaide.  The vineyard is comprised of 116 acres.  Half the vineyard contains Shiraz grapes with the rest comprised of Cabernet, Merlot, Semillon and Chardonnay. http://www.mollydookerwines.com/web/index.cfm#shake

The Marquis team is responsible for making some of Australia's most well-respected and most talked about wines.  From their top of the line "Carnival of Love" (95 points Wine Spectator) and the "Velvet Glove" (96 points Wine Spectator) to their "bargain" wines like the "Blue-Eyed Boy" (91 points Wine Spectator) and of course "The Boxer" (90 points Wine Spectator), Mollydooker is an outstanding label to look for.  Be warned though. . . the Mollydooker brand can be a bit "over-the-top" in terms of its fruity taste.  These are not your old-world sophisticated, subtle wines.  These are unmitigated, in your face, turn your teeth purple, fruit bombs— and quite frankly, there is nothing wrong with that, especially on the eve of "Deathstorm 2011"!

All Mollydooker wines are bottled with inert nitrogen to protect the fruit flavor of their wines.  This process also reduces the sulphites needed to preserve the wines.  The nitrogen though, tends to flatten the backend of the fruit flavor of the wine unless it is "woken up" with a shake.  Mollydooker wines are not only famous for their bold fruit flavors but also for the "Mollydooker Shake" to enhance the enjoyment of the wine.  To see how to do the "shake", check out this video featuring Sarah and Sparky Marquis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrt9G-q2Zy0



As the "Deathstorm" rolled in on Tuesday evening, I brought out the 2009 Mollydooker Boxer.  I followed the video directions, shook the bottle, and then decanted for about an hour.  The Boxer lived up to its "big as life" Aussie reputation (even if the "Deathstorm" did not live up to expectations here in southeast Michigan).  In the glass, it has an inky purple/black color.  On the nose, I smelled both red and dark berries including raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries.  The palate explodes with all the berry flavors that you can imagine.  This is a heavy, thick Shiraz that is not complicated at all— its just a fruit bomb— but, not a syrupy fruit bomb.  The fruit is sweet and very smooth.  

This is not a wine for everyone.  If you do not enjoy "big" wines, you will hate this. If though, you enjoy bold wines that dominate steak dinners, this is your wine.  Mollydooker is becoming easier to find here in Michigan and I found The Boxer at WholeFoods in Ann Arbor for $24.00 a bottle. Because of the Mollydooker pedigree and the bold flavors it presents, I would recommend you seek this one out.

And yes, it will turn your teeth purple!  Cheers!