Mollydooker

Here is a winery that I have only heard praise for over the past 6 months or so. Their 2005 Carnival of Love bottling got 99 points from Robert Parker and their less expensive bottlings seemed to have all scored in the low to mid 90's. Needless to say after Robert Parker's scores came out it was impossible to find any of the wines at a reasonable price, but the 2006 vintage was just released and I bought a couple bottles for $20 each; the 2006 "The Boxer" and the 2006 "Two Left Feet" ... the Boxer is 100% shiraz, while Two Left Feet is a blend of shiraz, merlot, and cab.

The other night we opened the bottle of "The Boxer" ... prepared to be amazed by the wine. It was big (high alcohol and tons of fruit), but the balance that I look for just wasn't there. It was over the top just for the sake of being over the top. I hoped that it would come into its own w/ a little time in a decanter, but it didn't. I hoped it would improve on the 2nd day, or the 3rd, but it didn't.

There are still plenty of people praising these bottlings for the 2006 vintage, but maybe it's not just my style of wine. I'm still looking forward to the "Two Left Feet" and I hope that by blending the varietals they were able to achieve more balance out of the wine. Although I must say I'm not going to be tracking down any more bottles of "The Boxer" till next year ...