Saturday, August 1, 2009

Mollydooker 2006 Two Left Feet

68% shiraz, plus cab sauv and merlot. Initial impression: extremely fruity blackberry/huckleberry/blueberry, vanilla, piecrust, violet and a pronounced piney/cedar/woodsy overtone on the nose. the shiraz dominates--i don't get the currant or cherry i'd expect from the cab/merlot components. very dark red/purple. pretty sharp acid on the finish. almost unnoticeable tannin though the finish does last for 30 sec and tannin comes out then. the finish is insufficiently fruity given the promise of the nose. at this point i wonder if the wine is actually past its prime in a mere 3 yrs. not that it's bad, just not as good as expected 88+ points.

However after a few more minutes...smoothing out the acid on midpalate and licorice is coming out. needs some food I think. with food and bread little better, 89.

24 hours later, having used inert gas on the open bottle, now it's Aug. 2: The nose is really strong blackberry jam and blueberry and the palate is a nice spicy impression of these fruits with a moderately long finish and lots of sediment, and decent but less obtrusive acid. The wine isn't past its prime, it's probably six months to a year from peaking and will then last a couple years more. Now I'd give it 90+.

Further note: 10 days after opening on Aug 1, on Aug 10 this was under argon in the refrig so I thought I'd try a bit. The nose was really lovely. On the palate the acid was too high but this was not undrinkable and I believe if I'd opened it say last Thursday (today being Monday) I suspect it would've been quite good. This is definitely a wine worth buying for under $20.

Below is Jay Miller from Parker's Wine Advocate with a stronger review; and Wine Spec with a similar score to my initial one. I wonder if the WS tastes so many wines they don't give it the same breathing time as Parker's staff?

Miller WA: The 2006 Shiraz (68%) – Merlot (17%) – Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) Two Left Feet is a glass-coating opaque purple color. The brooding nose reveals plummy dark fruits, blueberry, licorice, and a hint of chocolate. On the palate it is thick, layered, and voluptuous. The structure is well-concealed and the wine is seamless and very long. It will reward a few years of cellaring but delaying gratification will be difficult. It is a great value. 93 points.

Wine Spec 88 points. Crisp in texture and a bit tannic, with ripe black fruits and smoky oak making for an intense combination of flavors, finishing rich and slightly herbal. Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2010 through 2015. 9,053 cases made.

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