Inside McLaren Vale Shiraz: A Winemaker's Perspective
At The Wine List we keep coming back to the people behind the bottles. Sarah Marquis makes some of McLaren Vale's most recognisable Shiraz at Mollydooker — big, generous reds with a devoted following and a few tricks entirely their own. We asked her about the warm coastal climate, the family watering program behind every vine, and why the older reds want a good shake before you pour. Here's what she told us.
Sarah Marquis, Mollydooker, McLaren Vale, image supplied
What makes Shiraz a standout varietal in your region?
Historically, Shiraz has been the most popular variety to grow due to our climate. This is mainly due to the warm mediterranean climate which allows plenty of sunshine to fully ripen the shiraz (dark fruit, spice). With close proximity to the sea, this also brings cooling sea breezes which help drop the summer temperatures so that ripening doesn't happen too quickly.
Mollydooker vineyards in spring, McLaren Vale, image supplied
Where in your winemaking journey did you learn the most, and from whom?
A lot of the theory that I was taught when I studied winemaking at Roseworthy Agricultural College, I have continued to apply and build on. It was at Uni where we developed the Marquis Vineyard Watering Program, that we still use today on all our vineyards to produce the incredible texture, flavour and colour in our wines.
What decisions in the vineyard or winery most influence the style of your Shiraz?
90% of the quality of our wines are produced in the vineyard. We use an intensive watering program that closely monitors the growth of the vine, allowing it to create grapes with full flavour and colour, yet have silky smooth tannins. What we do in the winery adds that extra 10% in quality by use of barrel fermentation, oak barrel profiling and careful handling to produce the wines we make.
What food do you personally love pairing with this wine?
A roast lamb dish pairs beautifully.
What's a winemaking moment or vintage you're most proud of?
This year, Robert Parker (the most famous wine critic in the world) invited me as his most favourite Australian winemaker, to be filmed in a documentary of his life.
If someone's new to Mollydooker, what should they know before their first glass?
That we make our wines using 3 points of difference:
- The Mollydooker Shake – we use Nitrogen gas in all our red wines as natural preservative, to protect the wines from oxidation and to reduce the amount of sulphites. The Nitrogen flattens the flavour though, so when the wines are up to five years old, it's best to shake them to allow the full flavour profile to show.
- Fruit Weight – we measure the quality of our wines by the intensity of fruit on your tongue. The further back it goes on your tongue the higher the fruit weight, the higher the quality. Every wine has a certain Fruit Weight % that it must reach to make that wine, which then ensures consistent quality wines every year.
- Vineyard Watering program – a unique technique we use in all our vineyards that produce the signature style we make.
These 3 things combined is what makes Mollydooker wines taste like they do.
Sarah's point is that the wine is mostly made in the vineyard — sunshine, sea breeze, and the watering program she helped develop back at university. The barrel does the final 10%. If you'd like to taste what that adds up to, the Mollydooker range runs from the everyday Boxer to the flagship Carnival of Love — and remember the shake on the reds.
The Mollydooker Shiraz range
- Mollydooker Boxer Shiraz — bold and generous, the everyday
- Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy Shiraz — deep and powerful
- Mollydooker Carnival of Love Shiraz — the celebrated flagship
- Mollydooker Miss Molly Sparkling Shiraz — a festive sparkling red
The Marquis family, Mollydooker, image supplied
Browse the full Mollydooker range or contact Laura for a recommendation.