Avenue Vine

When asked to share their thoughts on what separates Mollydooker wines from the pack, Sarah & Sparky answer “It’s our Watering Programme and Fruit Weight, mate.” The Marquis Vineyard Watering Programme focuses on nurturing strong and healthy vines with balanced canopy growth to achieve the most intense fruit flavors possible. The amazing fruit flavor achieved in the vineyard is exactly what creates the Marquis Fruit Weight in the wine. Marquis Fruit Weight is the “velvet glove” sensation of fruit that sits on your tongue before the structure of the wine is exposed. The higher the Fruit Weight, the more intense and rich are the flavors in the finished wine.

Achieving a high Fruit Weight grade doesn’t start in the winery; it starts in the vineyards, which is where Sarah and Sparky’s scientific know-how is first applied. “We ripen the vine, so that it can ripen the fruit,” explains Sparky. Knowing that healthy vines create the best fruit, Sparky studied vineyard canopy management for his college thesis. So groundbreaking was his work on Pinot Noir in Tasmania, that he won a scholarship to present it in France and the US. Over the last 20 years he’s developed the Marquis Vineyard Watering Programme, which is used by all vineyards producing grapes for Mollydooker.

The Marquis Vineyard Watering Programme is based on intensive data collection and analysis, which starts at budburst and carries on with inspections of each vineyard throughout the entire growing season. Twice a week, the Mollydooker vineyard team physically measures the growth of the vines, and reports on canopy growth, rachis maturation and the Fruit Weight of the juice. The data is then fed into a complex set of formulas, the results of which provide the team with precise watering recommendations for the following three days.

For example, toward harvest time, the grapes have a rapidly accelerating sugar level, but the essential flavor level lags behind. So, the Mollydooker team applies water to control the sugar level until the flavor level catches up. Leigh, Sparky’s Dad and Vineyard Programme Manager, tells us, “It’s the range and intensity of the flavor which translates into Marquis Fruit Weight, and ultimately into the incredibly rich, velvety wines that have become Sarah and Sparky’s trademark.”

Marquis Fruit Weight is the deciding factor that determines the label under which a particular wine will be bottled. Sparky explains, “Starting with our 2006 wines, Mollydooker now has four Fruit Weight grades ranging from 65% to 100%. Any wine that rates below 65% Fruit Weight is sold off as bulk wine.”

The “Lefty Wines” ($20) consist of five different wines that have been graded with a Marquis Fruit Weight of 65-70%. The 2005 Boxer Shiraz was one of the most highly acclaimed Lefty wines, and was actually the highest pointed wine in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate issue #165 ‘Best Value Wines Under $20’. Next in line are the three brand new “Party Wines” ($50), crafted from Shiraz and Cabernet, which have 75-80% Marquis Fruit Weight. The “Love Story” wines ($80) include the highly-rated Carnival of Love and Enchanted Path, and must obtain 85-90% Marquis Fruit Weight to qualify. And the brand new and very top wine, aptly named Velvet Glove ($175), is the easiest to grade, as it has obtained 95+% Marquis Fruit Weight - and stands alone in quality. “Due to the high Fruit Weight grade demanded for Velvet Glove, it’s likely it won’t be made in every vintage,” says Sarah.

Mollydooker’s highly-anticipated second vintage, with 11 wines in total, will begin to release in mid-June, at which time Sarah & Sparky are hitting the road across the United States to share their new wines, and to talk about the things that make their wines different, including the Marquis Vineyard Watering Programme and Marquis Fruit Weight. They look forward to meeting you and to sharing the wines that make you go “WOW”!

EDWARDSTOWN, South Australia–July 16, 2007