2010 Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz 750ml

Overview

The 2010 Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz is a full-bodied, single-vineyard expression of McLaren Vale, combining concentrated dark fruit with the generous texture that defines Mollydooker’s style. Made entirely from Shiraz, this vintage brings together fruit intensity, substantial structure and a long, richly layered finish.

Carnival of Love forms part of Mollydooker’s Love range, alongside Enchanted Path. Its appeal lies in the combination of concentrated Shiraz fruit and a rounded, enveloping texture. It offers a back-vintage expression of Mollydooker’s bold, fruit-led approach for enthusiasts of richly textured McLaren Vale Shiraz.

Vintage & Winemaking

For the 2010 vintage, single-vineyard fruit was matured in American oak, 97% of it new, complementing the wine’s dark-fruited character with mocha, vanilla and toasted spice.

Critic Scores & Reviews

• Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2012 — No. 98
• The Wine Advocate — 95 points
• Wine Spectator — 94 points

Tasting Notes

Appearance: At release, the wine showed a deeply saturated purple-black colour.

Aroma: Its aromatic profile combined blueberry preserves, cassis and ripe black cherry with liquorice and baking spices. Mocha, vanilla, toast and a subtle eucalyptus note brought further detail, giving the wine an expressive bouquet with both fruit richness and savoury complexity.

Palate: Contemporary reviews highlighted a dense core of blackberry and black cherry, supported by velvety tannins and fresh acidity. The fruit’s generosity was balanced by a substantial framework, while liquorice, pepper and oak-derived spice added depth.

Finish: The finish was notably long, carrying the dark fruit and spice through with a creamy, supple texture.

About the Producer

Mollydooker was founded by Sarah and Sparky Marquis, with its first vintage released in 2005. Its name is Australian slang for a left-hander, a reference to both founders. Based on McLaren Vale’s historic Seaview ridge, the winery built its approach around carefully managed vineyards and the pursuit of ripe, velvety fruit, assessed through its distinctive Marquis Fruit Weight system.

Specifications

• Producer: Mollydooker
• Wine: Carnival of Love Shiraz
• Vintage: 2010
• Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia
• Grape variety: 100% Shiraz
• Style: full-bodied red wine
• Vineyard source: single vineyard, McLaren Vale
• Maturation: American oak, 97% new
• Alcohol: 15.5% ABV
• Closure: screwcap
• Bottle size: 750ml