Australian wines at FWS Part Two

[wondersofwine]

Wines 1-3 in earlier post

#4 2006 Mollydooker "Blue-Eyed Boy" Shiraz
McLaren Vale, Australia
Winemakers are Sparky and Sarah Marquis. Mollydooker is Australian slang for left-handed and both winemakers are lefthanded.
Did you know that this and other Mollydooker bottlings are bottled with nitrogen gas? We were told that you unscrew the screwcap and pour out a small amount of wine, then put the lid back on tightly and shake the bottle vigorously. A mousse will rise to the top of the bottle. When it subsides, the wine is ready to pour for sampling. The restaurant owner/wine educator can't give over the paradox of vigorously "shaking" a bottle of wine.
Purple-red color; very opaque. Probably left wine stains on my tongue and teeth. This got 96 pts. from Wine Advocate and 92 from Wine Spectator but is not my style. Too thick-tasting and extracted. Very peppery. I prefered the Elderton Shiraz by a wide margin. Again I was out-of-step with several at my table who prefered the Mollydooker and were eagle to snag a few bottles before it disappears from the shelves.

#5 2007 Torbreck "Cuvee Juveniles" GSM (Grenach, Syrah/Shiraz, Mataro or Mourvedre)
Barossa Valley,
This may have been the only wine of the evening I had tried before (different vintage of course)--not sure about whether I had tried the Muscat before. Dave Powell is the winemaker. Uses grapes from very old vines ranging from several decades to close to a century. Lighter red after the Mollydooker; semi-transparent. This Rhone blend is an entry-level wine for Torbreck and was very approachable. I liked it and think it would make a good summer wine. Ended up ordering one bottle at about $20.

#6 2006 John Duval "Plexus" SGM blend
I'm glad we tried the two Rhone blends to compare. I liked the John Duval slightly better than the Torbreck but not at almost twice the price (about $40). It tasted a little more elegant, had a bit more presence, with maybe more potential to develop over time, but to me wasn't worth the price difference. John Duval also makes a 100% Shiraz called Entity. This is the one that Carolina Wine Company sold for $89 per bottle but they are out of stock. (I edited the earlier post where I said that CWC had the Elderton Command Shiraz for $89.)

#7 We completed the reds with 2006 Kangarilla Road Cabernet Sauvignon, McLaren Vale, South Australia
This was dark purple and opaque. The nose had the distinctive mint or eucalyptus scent that some Limestone Coast and McLaren Vale red wines possess. It was not very tannic for a young C.S. but still nicely structured. I prefered the 2002 Henry's Drive Cabernet Sauvignon which was my most recent Australia C.S. prior to this one.

#8 R.L. Buller NV (non-vintage) Muscat, Rutherglen
from Brown Muscat grape or Muscat a Petit Grains Rouge)
The grapes ripen into raisined berries high in natural sugars and then the wine is made solera style with different years being added to the mix and the wine reflecting older juice as well as more recent. This was 18% alcohol and leggy on the sides of the glass. Nick accurately described it as nutty and caramel in flavor and nose. It would be a great match to pecan pie, creme brulee or praline candies.

Fun evening with some interesting conversations.