One of the best Carnivals, at its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still dark garnet and completely opaque, with no hint of brown edges, still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. It has softened a bit more since our previous bottle a year ago. The tannins have resolved, it is not as hot tasting (but still has high alcohol), and is as good as it will ever be. Extremely long, balanced aftertaste. Nearly perfect, will easily last a few more years. Ric
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100% Aussie Shiraz = muscular and dense. Calling this wine full-bodied would be a serious understatement. 4-hour decant yielded enormous flavors of asphalt, anise, baked blueberry pie with black plums, and a top layer of smoked bacon - all buried deep inside this baby monster. Nearly black, it finished a bit sweet but overall was very rich & impressive.
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One of the better vintages. Decanted for an hour. Liquid chocolate covered Skittles. So dense and overripe the alcohol is not noticeable. A total fruit bomb and so jammy sweet it is almost a dessert wine. Still, the quality is unmistakable.
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One of the best Carnivals, at its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. Plenty of tannin but enough fruit to stand up to it. Long, hot aftertaste. Best to give it several hours in a decanter. Ric
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One of the best Carnivals, at its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. Plenty of tannin but enough fruit to stand up to it. Long, hot aftertaste. Best to give it several hours in a decanter. Ric
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Is it the Stelvin caps? It hasn't aged practically at all from the last time I had this wine several years ago. Still same dark purple color and fruit forward.
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A purple almost black color with moderate to fast legs. On the nose black and white pepper stewed black fruits like blackberries and blueberries. Palate was smooth, rich and both red and black dried and stewed fruits, sage, Indian spices and the classic pepper nuances.
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My best experience with this wine. This time I fully decanted over an hour and it helped reduce the jamminess I had experienced in earlier tastings. This time I got a pretty nose of black fruit and herbs. The palate was well integrated if a little alcoholic with loads of ripe black fruit, smoked meat and spices into a long but simple finish
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Much better than the last bottle I had. I decanted this heavily for an hour and a half which subdued the animal spirits of alcohol and oak so that you realise underlying that there is quite a good wine. The nose is overt with blackberry, chocolate and spice. Leads to a full bodied, unctuous palate of concentrated black fruits, smoked meats, and spices in a full bodied, hedonistic style with a nice long finish. Jammy yes but with a long decant this works and I would recommend it. I have a few more bottles and I know how to handle it this time.
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Decanted one hour. This is a powerful, jammy modern style wine which no doubt delivers over the top hedonism but lacks a certain distinctiveness. Nice nose with blackberries and violets. The palate is concentrated and jammy but also smooth with a heavy application of new oak. Flavors of blackberry jam, chocholate and spices are prominent. Alcoholic but I didn’t sense much heat. Full bodied with a long finish. The question is will this evolve and be able to absorb some of its jamminess and oak with time. It certainly can age longer. So probably will revisit in a few years.
Decanted for two hours; light sediment. Deep, but clear, ruby red color. Bold nose of blueberries and other dark fruit. Quite full-bodied, intense and complex dark berry flavors with lively acids. Finish goes on forever, but with some heat. Almost like a port, although without the sweetness. Probably will not further improve with age, but should drink well for at least five more years.
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Screw-cap. Pop and poured. Drank over 1.5 hours at Zach's wedding. Duh where else would there be an opportunity to pop this? 2 people would struggle to finish this over a Valentine's Day dinner. Haha. Appearance is clear, deep intnesity, purplish ruby colour. Long legs. Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, leaping out of the glass with aromas of sweet blackberry jam, black cherries, dark red plums, cassis, sweet black licorice, roasted black pepper. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, very high alcohol (16%) but isn't bruising, very fine integrated high tannins, very full body. Pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, black cherries, dark red plums, cassis, licorice, cigar, cracked black pepper. Very very long finish. Outstanding quality. Exuberantly fruity even after 10 years. However, it doesn't feel jammy and the whole feel of it is quite stellar I must admit. This should not be dismissed as a fruit bomb. Great example of fine McLaren Shiraz. Probably at its best already, and will still hold strong for the next 5 years.
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One of the best Carnivals, probably near its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. Plenty of tannin but enough fruit to stand up to it. Long, hot aftertaste. Best to give it several hours in a decanter. Ric
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Decanted and tasted single blind. Big and hot nose and palate. Plum and plenty of fruit. There is something nearly fresh and young to go along with all the heat. This was pretty easy to pick out. It's really not bad, but the imbalance has to be pointed out, and I am someone who likes plenty of big, new world wines.
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Big jammy black and blue up front but the best part of this wine is back palate where wine delivers layer and layer of chocolate and mocha. Slight vanilla on finish. Alcohol under control
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This wine was PnP wonderful. An assortment of red and blue fruits, with acidity to match, thus creating a balanced, and quite enjoyable experience. Another very solid showing by the "left-handers" down under.
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Plums and thyme on the nose. Blueberries and cherries with some vanilla notes on the palate. Silky tannins. Alcohol barely noticeable, even at 16%. Medium-length finish. Served with appetizer of andouille sausage and a trio of sharp cheddars and then with thin-sliced grilled eye of round aboard some Whole Foods rosemary sourdough slathered with some chipotle mayo.
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I think this will be more enjoyable with food. So I paired it with rosemary crusted lamb chops. Yum! There is nothing subtle about this wine and I like it. If you understand what you are opening, you should find this enjoyable. There are big flavors of blueberry, spices, and some red meat. For a bottle with 16% alcohol, it is impressively light and drinkable. This is not your every night wine but it shouldn't be a one time wine either.
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Upon opening and without decanting, this wine was just dessert. Really though, it struck me as brown sugar. The dessert aspect dissipated to some degree over 3 days, but the wine retained a refined complexity and mouthfeel.
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Nez qui embaume la pièce de fruits bleus et de confitures. En bouche, massif et très fruité, confiture de framboise et cerises au Kirsh. Je dois avouer que le premier verre est délicieux malgré la chauffe. Un 2ième verre montre le manque d`acidité et une certaine lourdeur. Long mais saturant.
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Pure hedonism, a lot of everything and certainly over every top there is. The 2007 Carnival of Love exhibits a massive fruit attack of strawberries, blackberries and creamy raspberry jam. there is also a lot of creamy vanilla emerging after a while - all accompanied by sweet tasty licorice, almond and mint. There is no doubt this is a wine the wine police would hate... The palate is perfectly integrated and actually quite balanced. I do not sense any heat at all and in my hand written notes I read the word "balance" twice. Actually, after some time in the glass a rather nice acidity emerges too. This is a wonderful wine, which deserves to be given some merit. Perhaps sometimes more "fun" than "good", but certainly enjoyable!
(Tasted in a flight with 2010 Langmeil The Freedom 1843, 2007 Lillian Syrah and 2007 Mollydooker Carnival of Love)
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Stood upright for a day, and then decanted one hour before drinking.Color of very dark inky red. Scents of blackberry and blueberry. Tastes consistent with scents, but much more mellow now than when it was first released (and not too fruity nor too hot). Drank against 2009. This 2007 was really much smoother than the 2009. That being said, the 2009 was very good too.
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Popped (ok, unscrewed) and poured - drank over 2 hours. Obvious concentration and agree with most, was always creamy in the mouth. Initial nose of sweet cherry and blackberry. Lots of cherry on the palate. I could see this becoming uninteresting if not paired with equally strong foods. Had it with some short ribs and mixed meat paella (beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and sausage). The saffron and other spices in the paella brought ought a whole new set of flavors - herbs - fennel and tarragon. After the paella, the sweet cherry and dark berries with anise returned, making it almost a dessert wine. No harsh bite anywhere.
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I’m not sure what this says about either my wife or me. On May 21 we opened a bottle of Carnival in her hospital room at Northern Westchester Hospital. I’ve reviewed Carnival of Love every Valentine’s Day since 2008; it became a tradition for us after our first tasting in 2007. The 2007 vintage still impresses, with a lovely smoked black fruit nose. On the palate you get mouthful of creamy black fruit. We drank the bottle over the course of four nights (I refrigerated the bottle between dinners), and I don’t recommend saving an open bottle. Day 2 was as good as day 1, but day 3 lost its edge. On day 4 it was no longer pleasurable. On Thursday morning (5/29) my bride of over 30 years died after a year-long battle with lung cancer. Rest well my love.
ITG: Purple, opaque, not cloudy. Medium legs. OTN: Soft, rich fruit. Blackberry, raspberry, no burn, very soft. OTP: Interesting wine. Starts slightly green/tart but then big sweet fruit comes out. Still some tannins but not overly dry on the finish. Nicely balanced with medium finish. Still has life left in the bottle...good for another 5+ years easily. Nice structure. 94Pts.
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Gorgeous fruit on the nose. Big blackberry sarsaparilla fruit with a creamy mid palate. This is crazy smooth, like Ribena, if you grew up in England. It has a very long soft finish and is a great wine for drinking and chatting. It has tannins, but it's really not a food wine. Is it a fruit bomb? sure, but its elegant and refined too. And best of call - it has a screw cap, so no worry about spending $100 for a flawed bottle of wine.
Negatives? its sweet, much sweeter than I remember. This wine came in 9th oplace in Wine Spectator's top 100 wines of 2008. I don't know if it belongs there but I can say one thing- I typically drink a couple of glasses of wine during the week. I opened this bottle and was surprised that I finished the whole bottle without noticing it. It's that smooth and silky soft that you don't notice it going down.
I love this. I'd recommend it to anyone.
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This keeps getting better and better! I've always disagreed with the owners that their "big wines" are made to drink right away. I've been drinking MD's for years, and this 2007 has never showed better. Still powerful, but today a much smoother wine that it has ever been. I'm just about running out of the 07 - too bad, i'd like to try it on its 1oth birthday.
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Very smooth. Alcohol very well hidden behind all the candied fruit. The wine is starting to remind me a little of the '05 vintage where it was like Skittles in a glass, just not quite as many flavors.
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Popping open a bottle of Carnival on Valentines Day has been a tradition for my wife and me for many years now. Sadly we could not make dinner on Thursday (our first miss), so this report is from our deferred-but-still-devine Saturday dinner. This year I decided to open an '07 since I have only one last bottle of the '06. I'm a HUGE fan of the '06 and my previous tastings of the '07 didn't thrill me. But that was then, this is now! Although the '07 isn't quite as nuanced and layered as the '06, it has really settled down: on the nose you get the black cherry scent with hints of vanilla, on the palate a rush of creamy black fruit. I didn't taste any of the heat that can be typical of the Carnival; it's probably past that point now. I didn't shake this since it's way beyond the window where it's needed, but it does open up over an hour or two. I enjoy exploring how it changes over the evening, but some of the vibrancy fades over several hours and I prefer it right after opening.
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If I remember correctly, this wine was a little hot, and disjointed. I have always loved these spicy, big alcohol shiraz's however I think my palate is moving on...
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As delicious as last time, the 2007 Carnival of Love is so much everything the adjectives and adverbs available are not enough to describe it. Honestly, this is skillful winemaking but it is not a wine for the faint hearted or for close to religious "natural wine" movement. Nonetheless, it is a massive, fully-packed and enjoyable effort. Drinking perfectly right now after shaking (yes shaking) and aerating for two+ hours.
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As usual, big, bold, still lots of fruit. I am started to prefer these wines after they have been stored for a few years. They are smoothing out and becoming a bit easier to drink (unlike the recommendation from Mr. Marquis!).
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Fun wine for a big Aussie. Still has a lot to give. Recommend 30-60 minutes n a decanter, will let it air a bit. That said, even with a serious wine group, everybody loved it and wanted more. If you like a large shiraz, it is great. If you don't, than move on to something else.
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At first sniff, this wine tells you it is here to make an impression. It contains 150 percent of everything - especially fruit and oak. It is very easy just to classify this effort as "too much" or "over the top", but I would say there is very little which beats this wine to fig marmelade and some good cheese. This is true tonight too. There is no other producer who makes wines like this and I am convinced the Carnival of Love represents one side of the scale of what is possible to accomplish with the Syrah varietal.
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Indulging and high-flying Shiraz from Sparky Marquis that brandishes both dazzling and bold flavors with amazing precision and poise. Waves of mocha and peppery black fruit drench the palate upon entry. Savory delivery in the middle folding in smashed cloves, brown spice and juniper berries. Fine grain and immense tannins still prominent to showcase all the lush, saturated and concentrated tastes without being sappy or overboard. Eye opening, exotic ending culminating in flashes of dark coffee and black river stones. Fantastic wine that is drinking well now and should go for many years into the future
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Decanted for about an hour, after the Mollydooker shake. The wine was really delicious, especially if you're in the mood for a big bold in your face Aussie Shiraz. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed this bottle alongside a 1986 Freemark Abbey, 2006 Noon Cabernet, and a NV bottle of Krug.
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Expressive nose of black and blue fruits, licorice and cocoa. Medium plus body of blueberry, black cherry, vanilla bean and white pepper. Medium slightly hot finish.
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Holy crap!! This is what Shiraz should be. Strong bouquet, nice and inky at first but mellowed out over the night. Decanted for 1 hour before drinking and drank over the next two hours. Could have used another hour of decanting but the restaurant was closing soon.
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Drank w friends at a tavern, eating tavern food. Better than last time, very smooth, integrated big red wine, very ripe and rich, no freshness in any way. I would call this a "super-quaffer".
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More. More oak. More vanilla. More extracted fruit. More alcohol. Surprisingly, after a couple hours in the decanter this became recognizably syrah, though huge and cocktail like. In wines of this style, perhaps one of the better put together ones - there's enough acidity here to keep it from being overly flabby. I'd save it for cigars in the drawing room, though...
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This wine has about 150 percent of everything. 150 percent dark mature fruit combined with Christmas spice and ginger(!), 150 percent oak giving a soft and velvety vanilla tone to the nose and finally it has 150 percent body and 'ripeness'... This may sound like a monstrosity, but it actually is not. As long as you accept the wine for what it is, it is a lovely companion especially to cheese. The 16 percent alcohol is almost perfectly disguised and I actually came to think of the wine being well-integrated despite its massiveness. Only Sarah and Sparky Marquis can produce wines like this - and they are certainly very good at it. (Compared to the 2005 this effort is more one-dimensional and straight forward.) (score is 93-94)
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This was a great bottle! Much smoother and less tannic than previous bottles I've had recently. Beautiful fruit, but this time got vanilla, mocha and a beautiful minor hint of menthol (not at all over-powering -just perfect). Unlike the recommendation from the owners, we did not shake and did not pop and pour. Opened the bottle and let sit for aout 3 hours, then decanted for 2 more - it was perfect.
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Sampled 9/16/11. Decanted 3 hours. Another Carnival of Love ride, and like its predessors is pack full of smooth overripe/candied fruit. Not nearly as much as the '05 with its Skittles like pop, but still a powerful wine that hides its alcohol very well and is a real crowd pleaser.
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After a busy and stressful week, Friday arrived, and there came a moment when some wine seemed fitting. Feeling lazy, I grabbed a bottle with a screw cap. This wine is dark, brooding, and as dark as a moonless night. The nose has an echo of skunk, which is so often found in Aussie Shiraz. At first, this was Amarone-like, with underlying raisin elements. But with time in the glass, the integrated nature of the wine emerged, with some nice dark fruits, and a seamless and balanced palate. By the end of the bottle, the wine was starting to sing, and as its last syllable, it let me know that it has many years left, and will continue to improve. Please decant at this youthful stage of its development for at least 2 hours.
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Pitch black. Very spicy yet elegant. Much better than the other Mollydookers I have had. Still quite young, but quite approachable already with a surprising elegance.
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As good as Shirz can be. A massive full full full bodied wine. Huge depth with great mid palette and amazing length. This one should improve a bit over time but how can you not drink it now.
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Opened later in the evening at my HS reunion after drinking house red wine. Came across more like a port, heavy with high alcohol, hard to appreciate the flavors. Nothing elegant about this wine! Grossly overpriced like all Aussie Shiraz.
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Absolutely awesome showing today. Still major fruit, but not the wild stallion that it's been. Smooth, somewhat chewy, definitely not jammy, with gorgeous velvety Tannins. Still very deep purple color. Seems like lots of time left.
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Clear deep dark purple in colour. Clean big nose of black fruits, vanilla, and spice. Dry, med acidity, full body, smooth almost invisible tannins. Flavor so big, hard to appreciate at times. Lollipop is a good descriptor, but also have allot more going on on mid palate, and at the end. Not a wine I could drink to much of, but still a great wine.
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What an amazing wine. Dark, smooth and intense, huge fruit, overtones of vanilla, cherry and caramel. Loads of structure with understated tannins providing a nice balance to the more candy-like notes. Decanted for about half an hour before drinking and drank over about two and a half hours. Very accessible half an hour after decanting, and seemed to open a little bit more over the following hour or so, but didn't change noticeably after that point.
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Here is a wine that should be decanted for a day or two. Really massive with dark fruit, smoke, and alcohol. Nonetheless really fun glass or two of concentrated juice
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Robe très sombre. Nez puissant sur des arômes de barbe à baba, confitures, moka en retrait, un peu de vanille également. En bouche, ça ratisse large. Le fruit est très massif. Velouté incroyable. Je n'imagine pas la texture de la cuvée Velvet Glove. Devant le Blue Eyed Boy 2006 qui était plus corsé. Le Carnival of love est plus souple en bouche tout en étant tellement explosif. Finale acceptable. Bouteille spectaculaire mais un peu too much pour moi.
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OMG!! This was massive. Held up to a light no hint of light shown through. This wine smelled of strong fruits, jams, and creme. The taste was unbelievable. Never had a wine like it. Its in a class of it own. Almost not even wine. The fruit was so massive i can't believe the grapes in this bottle are the hand me downs of the velvet glove. What can the VG possibly taste like!?!?! Is was huge on blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, vanilla, creme, and spice
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Big nose of dark fruits, leather, coffee and even hints of earth. Very nice mouthfeel with more luscious dark fruits on the palate. Very nice balance and smooth tannins. Long finish. Very nice if you like these style wines.
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Wine was sweet, sensitive, delicate, powerful and magnificent as the person to whom it was dedicated - "Bubby Nomi" you will be truly missed by everyone you touched. Love Jerry.
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Oh, yeah! A great balance of rich dark fruits, licorice, oak, and a nice dose of tannins. Great now, but I think (and hope) that this will hold up for quite some time. (This was the first of 72 bottles received today -- although I've had a couple of bottles before -- and I'm quite sure this is going to provide much enjoyment for the years ahead.)
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Well well well .... Carnival does it again. A beautiful offering from the Marquis. Huge wine, lots of fruit, lots of alcohol, still a bit tannic, but it all comes together afer a few minutes in the glass. Tonight this was more refined than the Boxers, but they (an '06 and an '07) gave Carnival a good run for the money. Value wise, Boxer probably still can't be beat, but it's nice to have a Carnival (and a Glove) once in a while.
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This wine reminds me of Christmas, it has so many spices in it that you just remember how you seasoned your last roast. Huge concentration and sweetness. I do like this wine a lot but rate it only at 94 as I know this wine can perform better than it did this time. And guys. I know it's not the cheapest wine but I do encourage you to do the Shake with it!
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Wonderful aromas of smoky oak, black fruits and peppercorn. A delicious and full bodied red that delivers complex and compelling aussie Shiraz characteristics. This wine needs some time to open up, but follows through on ripe blackberry, boysenberry, stewed plum, creme de cassis and crushed berry notes. A decadent chocolate drenched wave with spice box rolls in on the finish. Not quite as impressive as the last time I had this, but still quite lovely. Main course pairing with beef at Noble Fare, Savannah.
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What a huge wine, aromas of grilled meat and earth with the berries laced through. Once it sat for an hour, the taste was all blueberry, boysenberry, cherry and plum. I understand some folks find this style crass, but we all know what we are getting when we buy a wine like this, and this is a prime exampe of how to do it very well. A remarkable effort.
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Having recently been dissapointed by the 07 VG (odd cheesy note) I was not expecting much from this. Its a superripe fruit bomb as expected, but certainly likeable. Even the nose is a bit sweet with some beef and smoke. The palate is about as full as a palate gets, teeth staining and thick with a velvety texture. Loads of blue and black berries. Not much structure to this, which contrary to a lot of people's perception, is what I thought made the 05 so good when it first came out. Also missing a bit of black pepper when compared to the older sibling.
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Decanted for several hours. This is a fruit bomb and has some elegance to go with it. Aromas of meat, coffee, earth and dark fruits. Flavors of blueberry, plum and spice are rich and concentrated. Great Wine!
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What's not to like? Gorgeous fruit bomb, indeed, but pretty good structure to go with it. Forget about anything but chocolate with this baby. Can drink now or cellar for at least another five years.
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Nose: Mesquite, barbecued meat, ground coffee beans, thick, rich, dried out blueberry syrup, and some very real ashtray action. Nose it long enough and you will get the full effect of 16% (or higher) ABV. Palate: Loads of creamy blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, anise on the attack. Moderate amount of heat is joined by strong tannins on the mid-palate then give way to a long, long, black cherry/blueberry finish. A fruit bomb indeed, and despite my palate shifting away from Aussie shiraz and the Mollydooker style, the Carnival of Love is a well crafted example that I enjoyed. Give it a few more years to mellow out though.
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Drank with Gerry, Dermot & David. Popped and poured. Deep blackish purple color and a sinful nose of black fruits, vanilla and spice. Tongue coating glycerin washed away by 16% alcohol leaving flavors of sour cherry, boysenberry and a touch of vanilla. A bit of sweet balances the sourness on the finish. All and all a nice bottle of wine but no where near as good as Velvet Glove or the 2006 C.O.L.
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Incredible despite being a bit young... Deep purple in the glass, full-bodied. Aroma jumps out of the glass across the room. Has the classic Mollydooker fruit bomb with all the alcohol to go with it, but MUCH more balanced than their lesser offerings--this brings in some beautiful wood, leather, and spice tones to the background. The beautiful finish goes on forever. Really something special.
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This has a wonderful structure. It still needs a little more cellar time, but it has outstanding dark fruit flavors. It has a long finish and once it gets more time to fully develop, I think this could rate even better. At first I thought it was not as good as the 2006, but I don't feel that way after this last bottle.
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Dark, full bodied with lots of blueberry and some cherry on the nose. Rich soft tannins with a bit of spice in the mouth. Surprisingly well balanced considering how much fruit was on the nose. Nice long finish. Excellent!
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Although it needs cellar time, this is a very satisfying wine. Opened and did "The Shake"; the wine still opened over the course of the evening. I think 'uge123' adequately describes the wine, I'll compare it to the 2006: not as layered, not as big. Where the '06 is a mouthful the '07 comes up short. I'm planning to wait another year before I open another. If you decide to open one now I recommend a 2-hour decant ('Shake' or not.)
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Color: Deep purple to the rim, opaque Nose: Floral and bright fruit leap from the glass. Blueberry, raspberries, cherries, violets, plums, blackberries and exotic spices predominate. Taste: Sweet smooth fruit, moderate to low acidity, very fine smooth well integrated tannins. Long elegant finish. This really is an iron fist in a velvet glove. Power and elegance together. Hedonistic. Perfect if you love a perfectly executed shiraz fruit bomb. If elegant aged wines are your preference, then perhaps this not your style. Too bad it's screw capped. It would be great to see how it would taste in 10 years.
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Retailer tasting. Nearly black in color, and pretty close to what I'd expect from this wine: rich, full-bodied, blackberry liqueur, cassis, and chocolate with asian spice. Will look forward to a future tasting, and estimate this now in the 91-92 range, possibly higher, but I'll withhold scoring it to a better opportunity.
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luscious rich ripe red and black fruit, alcohol is a bit severe right now but dry chocolatey and very rich wine neverthless. a little jagged in it's youth. 91-92.
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1/1/2023 - cpdwines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had to filter twice...
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9/26/2021 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 98 Points
One of the best Carnivals, at its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still dark garnet and completely opaque, with no hint of brown edges, still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. It has softened a bit more since our previous bottle a year ago. The tannins have resolved, it is not as hot tasting (but still has high alcohol), and is as good as it will ever be. Extremely long, balanced aftertaste. Nearly perfect, will easily last a few more years.
Ric
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3/14/2021 - Sanlucar Likes this wine: 95 Points
100% Aussie Shiraz = muscular and dense. Calling this wine full-bodied would be a serious understatement.
4-hour decant yielded enormous flavors of asphalt, anise, baked blueberry pie with black plums, and a top layer of smoked bacon - all buried deep inside this baby monster. Nearly black, it finished a bit sweet but overall was very rich & impressive.
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3/10/2021 - Winiac wrote: 88 Points
Very concentrated and strong, but overly oaked to the bitterness.
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2/27/2021 - Wine Girl 2021 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking a little past it prime but still good High alcohol and strong black pepper notes
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2/9/2021 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple in color. Notes of blackberry, spice and white pepper. Great wine, still so young for 14 years of age.
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11/22/2020 - mclanew Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Last wine of the night and the worst wine. Popped and poured. It drank like an overdone oozy mess. Worse than I remember the last time.
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9/12/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the better vintages. Decanted for an hour. Liquid chocolate covered Skittles. So dense and overripe the alcohol is not noticeable. A total fruit bomb and so jammy sweet it is almost a dessert wine. Still, the quality is unmistakable.
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9/8/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of the best Carnivals, at its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. Plenty of tannin but enough fruit to stand up to it. Long, hot aftertaste. Best to give it several hours in a decanter.
Ric
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5/29/2020 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of the best Carnivals, at its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. Plenty of tannin but enough fruit to stand up to it. Long, hot aftertaste. Best to give it several hours in a decanter.
Ric
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4/10/2020 - jlgnml wrote: 94 Points
Really terrific right out of the bottle and finished 3 days later. Deep color, sweet finish, lingering on the palate. Youthful.
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2/15/2020 - JuliannaDHS Likes this wine: 91 Points
As others have recently noted, this is still seemingly young. Plenty of fruit and a nice meaty savory element. 16% (?!) Alcohol is well hidden.
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2/3/2020 - ny2sc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Is it the Stelvin caps? It hasn't aged practically at all from the last time I had this wine several years ago. Still same dark purple color and fruit forward.
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12/25/2019 - G_H wrote: 95 Points
Still incredibly young and fresh to drink. Feels a decade younger than 2006. Great stuff!
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11/15/2019 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A purple almost black color with moderate to fast legs. On the nose black and white pepper stewed black fruits like blackberries and blueberries. Palate was smooth, rich and both red and black dried and stewed fruits, sage, Indian spices and the classic pepper nuances.
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10/12/2019 - Winiac wrote: 88 Points
Overly oaked wine that makes the wine hard to drink and enjoy. Very ripe fruit with good acidity, otherwise.
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9/8/2019 - J Bitner wrote: 96 Points
- Brick color. It's in total harmony with a full body. Satin-Like texture with a long finish.
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9/3/2019 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
My best experience with this wine. This time I fully decanted over an hour and it helped reduce the jamminess I had experienced in earlier tastings. This time I got a pretty nose of black fruit and herbs. The palate was well integrated if a little alcoholic with loads of ripe black fruit, smoked meat and spices into a long but simple finish
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7/7/2019 - mclanew wrote: 92 Points
Much better than the last bottle I had. I decanted this heavily for an hour and a half which subdued the animal spirits of alcohol and oak so that you realise underlying that there is quite a good wine. The nose is overt with blackberry, chocolate and spice. Leads to a full bodied, unctuous palate of concentrated black fruits, smoked meats, and spices in a full bodied, hedonistic style with a nice long finish. Jammy yes but with a long decant this works and I would recommend it. I have a few more bottles and I know how to handle it this time.
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6/5/2019 - mclanew wrote: 89 Points
Decanted one hour. This is a powerful, jammy modern style wine which no doubt delivers over the top hedonism but lacks a certain distinctiveness. Nice nose with blackberries and violets. The palate is concentrated and jammy but also smooth with a heavy application of new oak. Flavors of blackberry jam, chocholate and spices are prominent. Alcoholic but I didn’t sense much heat. Full bodied with a long finish. The question is will this evolve and be able to absorb some of its jamminess and oak with time. It certainly can age longer. So probably will revisit in a few years.
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5/14/2019 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still very fruit forward. Big and burly. Typical eucalyptus in the background. We loved it.
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9/2/2018 - Opusone99 wrote: 95 Points
Sans prise de notes.
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7/27/2018 - Opusone99 wrote: 95 Points
Très belle fiole!
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5/13/2018 - Graddini wrote: 95 Points
Essence of blackberry liqueur and spice. Mouth filling, mouth watering acidity, luxurious intensity. Spectacular and at its peak. Wine of the night.
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3/3/2018 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours; light sediment. Deep, but clear, ruby red color. Bold nose of blueberries and other dark fruit. Quite full-bodied, intense and complex dark berry flavors with lively acids. Finish goes on forever, but with some heat. Almost like a port, although without the sweetness. Probably will not further improve with age, but should drink well for at least five more years.
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2/10/2018 - RBHendrick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good, but not worth all the hype or cost etc. Didn't evolve much while drinking... I'd say no reason to cellar it any further. Drink up!
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11/25/2017 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 95 Points
Screw-cap. Pop and poured. Drank over 1.5 hours at Zach's wedding. Duh where else would there be an opportunity to pop this? 2 people would struggle to finish this over a Valentine's Day dinner. Haha.
Appearance is clear, deep intnesity, purplish ruby colour. Long legs.
Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, leaping out of the glass with aromas of sweet blackberry jam, black cherries, dark red plums, cassis, sweet black licorice, roasted black pepper. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, very high alcohol (16%) but isn't bruising, very fine integrated high tannins, very full body. Pronounced flavour intensity, with flavours of blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, black cherries, dark red plums, cassis, licorice, cigar, cracked black pepper. Very very long finish.
Outstanding quality. Exuberantly fruity even after 10 years. However, it doesn't feel jammy and the whole feel of it is quite stellar I must admit. This should not be dismissed as a fruit bomb. Great example of fine McLaren Shiraz. Probably at its best already, and will still hold strong for the next 5 years.
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6/20/2017 - Asmiller Likes this wine: 90 Points
high alc content
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5/26/2017 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of the best Carnivals, probably near its peak, but not going to fade anytime soon! Still huge and powerful, with their typical aromas of massive black fruits with some oak, very pronounced. Extremely full-bodied but better integrated than when younger. Plenty of tannin but enough fruit to stand up to it. Long, hot aftertaste. Best to give it several hours in a decanter.
Ric
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2/13/2017 - quanmeister Likes this wine: 92 Points
Hard to judge after drinking the velvet glove . Still very good but probably shouldn't have opened this one after such a stellar bottle prior.
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1/13/2017 - gmbdds wrote: 88 Points
Decanted and tasted single blind. Big and hot nose and palate. Plum and plenty of fruit. There is something nearly fresh and young to go along with all the heat. This was pretty easy to pick out. It's really not bad, but the imbalance has to be pointed out, and I am someone who likes plenty of big, new world wines.
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12/31/2016 - BURGHen Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Big jammy black and blue up front but the best part of this wine is back palate where wine delivers layer and layer of chocolate and mocha. Slight vanilla on finish. Alcohol under control
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4/11/2016 - HappyWineGuy wrote:
Worthy of the points it gets, fruit has stepped down, fun secondary fkavors of sambuca and mint. Great balance. Everyone loved it.
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3/24/2016 - VlgJeff wrote: 93 Points
This wine was PnP wonderful. An assortment of red and blue fruits, with acidity to match, thus creating a balanced, and quite enjoyable experience. Another very solid showing by the "left-handers" down under.
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10/25/2015 - Jonny d Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plums and thyme on the nose. Blueberries and cherries with some vanilla notes on the palate. Silky tannins. Alcohol barely noticeable, even at 16%. Medium-length finish. Served with appetizer of andouille sausage and a trio of sharp cheddars and then with thin-sliced grilled eye of round aboard some Whole Foods rosemary sourdough slathered with some chipotle mayo.
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9/1/2015 - msilver wrote: 95 Points
Great bottle. Had this for Valentine's Day. Just awesome.
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5/18/2015 - rwstorer wrote: 92 Points
- Aromas of raspberry, cherry, chocolate and vanilla and has flavours of cherry with a medium/full body.
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4/4/2015 - King JR wrote: 95 Points
Awesome showing. Fabulous right out of the bottle. So smooth, silky tannins. Huge in the mouth. Just a wonderful wine.
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2/14/2015 - JuliannaDHS wrote: 91 Points
I think this will be more enjoyable with food. So I paired it with rosemary crusted lamb chops. Yum! There is nothing subtle about this wine and I like it. If you understand what you are opening, you should find this enjoyable. There are big flavors of blueberry, spices, and some red meat. For a bottle with 16% alcohol, it is impressively light and drinkable. This is not your every night wine but it shouldn't be a one time wine either.
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1/4/2015 - ekirby Likes this wine: 91 Points
A big, fat Aussie wine. Fine if that's what you're after, but an expensive date.
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12/30/2014 - Aideng12 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Upon opening and without decanting, this wine was just dessert. Really though, it struck me as brown sugar. The dessert aspect dissipated to some degree over 3 days, but the wine retained a refined complexity and mouthfeel.
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12/22/2014 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Nez qui embaume la pièce de fruits bleus et de confitures.
En bouche, massif et très fruité, confiture de framboise et cerises au Kirsh. Je dois avouer que le premier verre est délicieux malgré la chauffe.
Un 2ième verre montre le manque d`acidité et une certaine lourdeur. Long mais saturant.
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11/14/2014 - MOCGator wrote: 97 Points
Breathtaking. Nothing more to say.
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9/10/2014 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pure hedonism, a lot of everything and certainly over every top there is. The 2007 Carnival of Love exhibits a massive fruit attack of strawberries, blackberries and creamy raspberry jam. there is also a lot of creamy vanilla emerging after a while - all accompanied by sweet tasty licorice, almond and mint. There is no doubt this is a wine the wine police would hate... The palate is perfectly integrated and actually quite balanced. I do not sense any heat at all and in my hand written notes I read the word "balance" twice. Actually, after some time in the glass a rather nice acidity emerges too. This is a wonderful wine, which deserves to be given some merit. Perhaps sometimes more "fun" than "good", but certainly enjoyable!
(Tasted in a flight with 2010 Langmeil The Freedom 1843, 2007 Lillian Syrah and 2007 Mollydooker Carnival of Love)
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7/19/2014 - dase13 wrote: 95 Points
Stood upright for a day, and then decanted one hour before drinking.Color of very dark inky red. Scents of blackberry and blueberry. Tastes consistent with scents, but much more mellow now than when it was first released (and not too fruity nor too hot). Drank against 2009. This 2007 was really much smoother than the 2009. That being said, the 2009 was very good too.
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6/8/2014 - pmilne wrote: 93 Points
Popped (ok, unscrewed) and poured - drank over 2 hours. Obvious concentration and agree with most, was always creamy in the mouth. Initial nose of sweet cherry and blackberry. Lots of cherry on the palate. I could see this becoming uninteresting if not paired with equally strong foods. Had it with some short ribs and mixed meat paella (beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and sausage). The saffron and other spices in the paella brought ought a whole new set of flavors - herbs - fennel and tarragon. After the paella, the sweet cherry and dark berries with anise returned, making it almost a dessert wine. No harsh bite anywhere.
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6/1/2014 - Cobbster Likes this wine:
I’m not sure what this says about either my wife or me. On May 21 we opened a bottle of Carnival in her hospital room at Northern Westchester Hospital. I’ve reviewed Carnival of Love every Valentine’s Day since 2008; it became a tradition for us after our first tasting in 2007. The 2007 vintage still impresses, with a lovely smoked black fruit nose. On the palate you get mouthful of creamy black fruit. We drank the bottle over the course of four nights (I refrigerated the bottle between dinners), and I don’t recommend saving an open bottle. Day 2 was as good as day 1, but day 3 lost its edge. On day 4 it was no longer pleasurable. On Thursday morning (5/29) my bride of over 30 years died after a year-long battle with lung cancer. Rest well my love.
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4/16/2014 - jinks Likes this wine: 94 Points
P&P. rich, decadent white chocolate, deep berry fruit, huge tannins. right up my alley
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2/15/2014 - mkaskowitz wrote:
- Garnet color. It's balanced with a medium/full body with a medium finish.
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2/15/2014 - WineSnob7 wrote: 94 Points
Happy Valentine's Day - this is big time
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1/31/2014 - CK Wines Likes this wine: 94 Points
ITG: Purple, opaque, not cloudy. Medium legs. OTN: Soft, rich fruit. Blackberry, raspberry, no burn, very soft. OTP: Interesting wine. Starts slightly green/tart but then big sweet fruit comes out. Still some tannins but not overly dry on the finish. Nicely balanced with medium finish. Still has life left in the bottle...good for another 5+ years easily. Nice structure. 94Pts.
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1/18/2014 - rexmerlot wrote: 92 Points
Definitely getting better with time. Lots of fruit but not so in yr face as last bottle.
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1/17/2014 - dase13 wrote: 94 Points
Dark red color. Scents of red berries. Tastes of strong red berries, smooth and somewhat mellowed compared to how it used to drink.
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12/15/2013 - Wineson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth easy drinking but lacking in character. Went great with pizza.
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12/8/2013 - Ravello wrote: 95 Points
the wine has mellowed out nicely, still with great retained fruit soft tannins and with nice pepper and anise
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12/4/2013 - alohashirt Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous fruit on the nose. Big blackberry sarsaparilla fruit with a creamy mid palate. This is crazy smooth, like Ribena, if you grew up in England. It has a very long soft finish and is a great wine for drinking and chatting. It has tannins, but it's really not a food wine. Is it a fruit bomb? sure, but its elegant and refined too. And best of call - it has a screw cap, so no worry about spending $100 for a flawed bottle of wine.
Negatives? its sweet, much sweeter than I remember. This wine came in 9th oplace in Wine Spectator's top 100 wines of 2008. I don't know if it belongs there but I can say one thing- I typically drink a couple of glasses of wine during the week. I opened this bottle and was surprised that I finished the whole bottle without noticing it. It's that smooth and silky soft that you don't notice it going down.
I love this. I'd recommend it to anyone.
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11/16/2013 - King JR wrote: 96 Points
This keeps getting better and better! I've always disagreed with the owners that their "big wines" are made to drink right away. I've been drinking MD's for years, and this 2007 has never showed better. Still powerful, but today a much smoother wine that it has ever been. I'm just about running out of the 07 - too bad, i'd like to try it on its 1oth birthday.
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11/2/2013 - pc2006mg wrote: 93 Points
Very good!
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10/5/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very smooth. Alcohol very well hidden behind all the candied fruit. The wine is starting to remind me a little of the '05 vintage where it was like Skittles in a glass, just not quite as many flavors.
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9/14/2013 - themki wrote: 96 Points
Rich velvety blend of fruit and sweet oak, balanced with just enough tannin. Perfect now.
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2/16/2013 - Cobbster Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popping open a bottle of Carnival on Valentines Day has been a tradition for my wife and me for many years now. Sadly we could not make dinner on Thursday (our first miss), so this report is from our deferred-but-still-devine Saturday dinner. This year I decided to open an '07 since I have only one last bottle of the '06. I'm a HUGE fan of the '06 and my previous tastings of the '07 didn't thrill me. But that was then, this is now! Although the '07 isn't quite as nuanced and layered as the '06, it has really settled down: on the nose you get the black cherry scent with hints of vanilla, on the palate a rush of creamy black fruit. I didn't taste any of the heat that can be typical of the Carnival; it's probably past that point now. I didn't shake this since it's way beyond the window where it's needed, but it does open up over an hour or two. I enjoy exploring how it changes over the evening, but some of the vibrancy fades over several hours and I prefer it right after opening.
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1/13/2013 - lucaslabelle wrote: 92 Points
If I remember correctly, this wine was a little hot, and disjointed. I have always loved these spicy, big alcohol shiraz's however I think my palate is moving on...
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1/11/2013 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 93 Points
As delicious as last time, the 2007 Carnival of Love is so much everything the adjectives and adverbs available are not enough to describe it. Honestly, this is skillful winemaking but it is not a wine for the faint hearted or for close to religious "natural wine" movement. Nonetheless, it is a massive, fully-packed and enjoyable effort. Drinking perfectly right now after shaking (yes shaking) and aerating for two+ hours.
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12/30/2012 - tkolego wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for three hours. Blueberry and fig on the nose. Big and jammy. Was warned about the heat but didn't find it bothersome.
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11/22/2012 - King JR wrote: 92 Points
As usual, big, bold, still lots of fruit. I am started to prefer these wines after they have been stored for a few years. They are smoothing out and becoming a bit easier to drink (unlike the recommendation from Mr. Marquis!).
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11/19/2012 - Wineshington wrote: 92 Points
Fun wine for a big Aussie. Still has a lot to give. Recommend 30-60 minutes n a decanter, will let it air a bit. That said, even with a serious wine group, everybody loved it and wanted more. If you like a large shiraz, it is great. If you don't, than move on to something else.
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10/31/2012 - prettydeceextrap wrote: 82 Points
(C) Cloyingly sweet and absurdly alcoholic. Shriveled raisins and port-like structure. Drink now.
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9/18/2012 - King JR wrote: 93 Points
Still amazing! Seems to be geting better, smoother, but stilll anazingly lively!
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7/13/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 93 Points
At first sniff, this wine tells you it is here to make an impression. It contains 150 percent of everything - especially fruit and oak. It is very easy just to classify this effort as "too much" or "over the top", but I would say there is very little which beats this wine to fig marmelade and some good cheese. This is true tonight too. There is no other producer who makes wines like this and I am convinced the Carnival of Love represents one side of the scale of what is possible to accomplish with the Syrah varietal.
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6/2/2012 - rwstorer wrote: 92 Points
Still going strong with a fuller, rounder expression than my previous note. A crowd pleaser.
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6/1/2012 - wine maestro wrote: 94 Points
Indulging and high-flying Shiraz from Sparky Marquis that brandishes both dazzling and bold
flavors with amazing precision and poise. Waves of mocha and peppery black fruit drench
the palate upon entry. Savory delivery in the middle folding in smashed cloves, brown spice
and juniper berries. Fine grain and immense tannins still prominent to showcase all the lush,
saturated and concentrated tastes without being sappy or overboard. Eye opening, exotic
ending culminating in flashes of dark coffee and black river stones. Fantastic wine that is
drinking well now and should go for many years into the future
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5/20/2012 - lucaslabelle wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for about an hour, after the Mollydooker shake. The wine was really delicious, especially if you're in the mood for a big bold in your face Aussie Shiraz. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed this bottle alongside a 1986 Freemark Abbey, 2006 Noon Cabernet, and a NV bottle of Krug.
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5/19/2012 - Pugs wrote: 94 Points
Great shiraz. Needs some time in a decanter though, I would recommend decanting for two hours. It is so much better with some time.
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5/9/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 89 Points
Expressive nose of black and blue fruits, licorice and cocoa. Medium plus body of blueberry, black cherry, vanilla bean and white pepper. Medium slightly hot finish.
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4/29/2012 - copdyke wrote: 95 Points
Holy crap!! This is what Shiraz should be. Strong bouquet, nice and inky at first but mellowed out over the night. Decanted for 1 hour before drinking and drank over the next two hours. Could have used another hour of decanting but the restaurant was closing soon.
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4/26/2012 - ekirby wrote: 91 Points
Drank w friends at a tavern, eating tavern food. Better than last time, very smooth, integrated big red wine, very ripe and rich, no freshness in any way. I would call this a "super-quaffer".
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3/4/2012 - stubbie999 wrote:
More. More oak. More vanilla. More extracted fruit. More alcohol. Surprisingly, after a couple hours in the decanter this became recognizably syrah, though huge and cocktail like. In wines of this style, perhaps one of the better put together ones - there's enough acidity here to keep it from being overly flabby. I'd save it for cigars in the drawing room, though...
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2/26/2012 - ecnemergut wrote:
Port party 2012
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1/14/2012 - Christoffer78 wrote: 93 Points
This wine has about 150 percent of everything. 150 percent dark mature fruit combined with Christmas spice and ginger(!), 150 percent oak giving a soft and velvety vanilla tone to the nose and finally it has 150 percent body and 'ripeness'... This may sound like a monstrosity, but it actually is not. As long as you accept the wine for what it is, it is a lovely companion especially to cheese. The 16 percent alcohol is almost perfectly disguised and I actually came to think of the wine being well-integrated despite its massiveness. Only Sarah and Sparky Marquis can produce wines like this - and they are certainly very good at it. (Compared to the 2005 this effort is more one-dimensional and straight forward.) (score is 93-94)
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1/3/2012 - hawkeye54 wrote: 88 Points
Too rich and jammy to be a great wine.
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1/3/2012 - sumshark wrote: 92 Points
A tad hot tonight, masking the palate
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10/31/2011 - danielbleier wrote: 95 Points
consistent with notes of 7/14/2010 except that this wine has mellowed and shows a bit more mocha that prior openings.
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10/29/2011 - ecnemergut wrote: 95 Points
Pop and pour, after the Mollydooker shake. No formal notes. Over ripe fruit, but well integrated and smooth.
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10/1/2011 - King JR wrote: 95 Points
This was a great bottle! Much smoother and less tannic than previous bottles I've had recently. Beautiful fruit, but this time got vanilla, mocha and a beautiful minor hint of menthol (not at all over-powering -just perfect). Unlike the recommendation from the owners, we did not shake and did not pop and pour. Opened the bottle and let sit for aout 3 hours, then decanted for 2 more - it was perfect.
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9/17/2011 - mxpbuy wrote: 94 Points
Sampled 9/16/11. Decanted 3 hours. Another Carnival of Love ride, and like its predessors is pack full of smooth overripe/candied fruit. Not nearly as much as the '05 with its Skittles like pop, but still a powerful wine that hides its alcohol very well and is a real crowd pleaser.
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9/9/2011 - A&C wrote: 92 Points
After a busy and stressful week, Friday arrived, and there came a moment when some wine seemed fitting. Feeling lazy, I grabbed a bottle with a screw cap. This wine is dark, brooding, and as dark as a moonless night. The nose has an echo of skunk, which is so often found in Aussie Shiraz. At first, this was Amarone-like, with underlying raisin elements. But with time in the glass, the integrated nature of the wine emerged, with some nice dark fruits, and a seamless and balanced palate. By the end of the bottle, the wine was starting to sing, and as its last syllable, it let me know that it has many years left, and will continue to improve. Please decant at this youthful stage of its development for at least 2 hours.
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8/30/2011 - KristianT wrote: 91 Points
Pitch black. Very spicy yet elegant. Much better than the other Mollydookers I have had. Still quite young, but quite approachable already with a surprising elegance.
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8/27/2011 - MOCGator wrote: 96 Points
As good as Shirz can be. A massive full full full bodied wine. Huge depth with great mid palette and amazing length. This one should improve a bit over time but how can you not drink it now.
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8/20/2011 - ekirby wrote: 88 Points
Opened later in the evening at my HS reunion after drinking house red wine. Came across more like a port, heavy with high alcohol, hard to appreciate the flavors. Nothing elegant about this wine! Grossly overpriced like all Aussie Shiraz.
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8/3/2011 - King JR wrote: 95 Points
Absolutely awesome showing today. Still major fruit, but not the wild stallion that it's been. Smooth, somewhat chewy, definitely not jammy, with gorgeous velvety Tannins. Still very deep purple color. Seems like lots of time left.
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7/25/2011 - Colia wrote: 94 Points
Purple, opaque, throwing a heck of a sediment. Blueberries, black cherries, blackberries, licorice, nutmeg, cinnamon. Huge. Long. Excellent.
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7/23/2011 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Clear deep dark purple in colour. Clean big nose of black fruits, vanilla, and spice. Dry, med acidity, full body, smooth almost invisible tannins. Flavor so big, hard to appreciate at times. Lollipop is a good descriptor, but also have allot more going on on mid palate, and at the end. Not a wine I could drink to much of, but still a great wine.
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7/11/2011 - ptmotr wrote: 94 Points
What an amazing wine. Dark, smooth and intense, huge fruit, overtones of vanilla, cherry and caramel. Loads of structure with understated tannins providing a nice balance to the more candy-like notes. Decanted for about half an hour before drinking and drank over about two and a half hours. Very accessible half an hour after decanting, and seemed to open a little bit more over the following hour or so, but didn't change noticeably after that point.
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6/20/2011 - KVM wrote: 92 Points
Here is a wine that should be decanted for a day or two. Really massive with dark fruit, smoke, and alcohol. Nonetheless really fun glass or two of concentrated juice
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6/4/2011 - Opusone99 wrote: 93 Points
Robe très sombre. Nez puissant sur des arômes de barbe à baba, confitures, moka en retrait, un peu de vanille également. En bouche, ça ratisse large. Le fruit est très massif. Velouté incroyable. Je n'imagine pas la texture de la cuvée Velvet Glove. Devant le Blue Eyed Boy 2006 qui était plus corsé. Le Carnival of love est plus souple en bouche tout en étant tellement explosif. Finale acceptable. Bouteille spectaculaire mais un peu too much pour moi.
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5/15/2011 - powrsurg wrote: 96 Points
OMG!! This was massive. Held up to a light no hint of light shown through. This wine smelled of strong fruits, jams, and creme. The taste was unbelievable. Never had a wine like it. Its in a class of it own. Almost not even wine. The fruit was so massive i can't believe the grapes in this bottle are the hand me downs of the velvet glove. What can the VG possibly taste like!?!?! Is was huge on blackberry, black cherry, raspberry, vanilla, creme, and spice
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5/10/2011 - Chriskrueger wrote: 90 Points
Surprisingly not all that great - my fault for opening so young
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5/6/2011 - danielbleier wrote: 94 Points
consistent with prior notes...still very young.
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4/24/2011 - CabIsKing wrote: 93 Points
Big nose of dark fruits, leather, coffee and even hints of earth. Very nice mouthfeel with more luscious dark fruits on the palate. Very nice balance and smooth tannins. Long finish. Very nice if you like these style wines.
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1/14/2011 - King JR wrote: 98 Points
Wine was sweet, sensitive, delicate, powerful and magnificent as the person to whom it was dedicated - "Bubby Nomi" you will be truly missed by everyone you touched. Love Jerry.
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1/11/2011 - hairynosedwombat wrote: 93 Points
Oh, yeah! A great balance of rich dark fruits, licorice, oak, and a nice dose of tannins. Great now, but I think (and hope) that this will hold up for quite some time. (This was the first of 72 bottles received today -- although I've had a couple of bottles before -- and I'm quite sure this is going to provide much enjoyment for the years ahead.)
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11/19/2010 - King JR wrote: 95 Points
Well well well .... Carnival does it again. A beautiful offering from the Marquis. Huge wine, lots of fruit, lots of alcohol, still a bit tannic, but it all comes together afer a few minutes in the glass. Tonight this was more refined than the Boxers, but they (an '06 and an '07) gave Carnival a good run for the money. Value wise, Boxer probably still can't be beat, but it's nice to have a Carnival (and a Glove) once in a while.
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10/15/2010 - G_H wrote: 94 Points
This wine reminds me of Christmas, it has so many spices in it that you just remember how you seasoned your last roast. Huge concentration and sweetness. I do like this wine a lot but rate it only at 94 as I know this wine can perform better than it did this time. And guys. I know it's not the cheapest wine but I do encourage you to do the Shake with it!
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9/3/2010 - wine maestro wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful aromas of smoky oak, black fruits and peppercorn. A delicious and full
bodied red that delivers complex and compelling aussie Shiraz characteristics.
This wine needs some time to open up, but follows through on ripe blackberry,
boysenberry, stewed plum, creme de cassis and crushed berry notes. A decadent
chocolate drenched wave with spice box rolls in on the finish. Not quite as impressive
as the last time I had this, but still quite lovely. Main course pairing with beef at
Noble Fare, Savannah.
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8/29/2010 - phlegls wrote: 94 Points
Very smooth fruit bomb
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7/14/2010 - danielbleier wrote: 94 Points
What a huge wine, aromas of grilled meat and earth with the berries laced through. Once it sat for an hour, the taste was all blueberry, boysenberry, cherry and plum. I understand some folks find this style crass, but we all know what we are getting when we buy a wine like this, and this is a prime exampe of how to do it very well. A remarkable effort.
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7/6/2010 - Uglypinga wrote:
Having recently been dissapointed by the 07 VG (odd cheesy note) I was not expecting much from this. Its a superripe fruit bomb as expected, but certainly likeable. Even the nose is a bit sweet with some beef and smoke. The palate is about as full as a palate gets, teeth staining and thick with a velvety texture. Loads of blue and black berries. Not much structure to this, which contrary to a lot of people's perception, is what I thought made the 05 so good when it first came out. Also missing a bit of black pepper when compared to the older sibling.
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6/30/2010 - matthen wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for several hours. This is a fruit bomb and has some elegance to go with it. Aromas of meat, coffee, earth and dark fruits. Flavors of blueberry, plum and spice are rich and concentrated. Great Wine!
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5/9/2010 - JimN Likes this wine: 93 Points
What's not to like? Gorgeous fruit bomb, indeed, but pretty good structure to go with it. Forget about anything but chocolate with this baby. Can drink now or cellar for at least another five years.
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4/30/2010 - ews3 wrote: 89 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2010 (Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, Washington DC): like a lollipop
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3/31/2010 - rexmerlot wrote: 93 Points
Great Wine. No formal notes taken
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3/25/2010 - gunpwdr wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Mesquite, barbecued meat, ground coffee beans, thick, rich, dried out blueberry syrup, and some very real ashtray action. Nose it long enough and you will get the full effect of 16% (or higher) ABV. Palate: Loads of creamy blueberries, blackberries, dark cherries, anise on the attack. Moderate amount of heat is joined by strong tannins on the mid-palate then give way to a long, long, black cherry/blueberry finish. A fruit bomb indeed, and despite my palate shifting away from Aussie shiraz and the Mollydooker style, the Carnival of Love is a well crafted example that I enjoyed. Give it a few more years to mellow out though.
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2/20/2010 - bundydavis wrote: 94 Points
Big fruit bomb, but not overpowering. This wine almost like desert. Lovely.
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1/29/2010 - mmyette wrote: 93 Points
Kaboom! The fruit bomb explodes! Hard not to like it though.
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11/6/2009 - rwstorer wrote: 92 Points
Drank with Gerry, Dermot & David. Popped and poured. Deep blackish purple color and a sinful nose of black fruits, vanilla and spice. Tongue coating glycerin washed away by 16% alcohol leaving flavors of sour cherry, boysenberry and a touch of vanilla. A bit of sweet balances the sourness on the finish. All and all a nice bottle of wine but no where near as good as Velvet Glove or the 2006 C.O.L.
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6/28/2009 - DrPete wrote: 95 Points
Incredible despite being a bit young... Deep purple in the glass, full-bodied. Aroma jumps out of the glass across the room. Has the classic Mollydooker fruit bomb with all the alcohol to go with it, but MUCH more balanced than their lesser offerings--this brings in some beautiful wood, leather, and spice tones to the background. The beautiful finish goes on forever. Really something special.
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3/19/2009 - dpohlman wrote: 95 Points
This has a wonderful structure. It still needs a little more cellar time, but it has outstanding dark fruit flavors. It has a long finish and once it gets more time to fully develop, I think this could rate even better. At first I thought it was not as good as the 2006, but I don't feel that way after this last bottle.
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1/30/2009 - Mike Bates wrote: 96 Points
Dark, full bodied with lots of blueberry and some cherry on the nose. Rich soft tannins with a bit of spice in the mouth. Surprisingly well balanced considering how much fruit was on the nose. Nice long finish. Excellent!
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12/31/2008 - Cobbster wrote: 92 Points
Although it needs cellar time, this is a very satisfying wine. Opened and did "The Shake"; the wine still opened over the course of the evening. I think 'uge123' adequately describes the wine, I'll compare it to the 2006: not as layered, not as big. Where the '06 is a mouthful the '07 comes up short. I'm planning to wait another year before I open another. If you decide to open one now I recommend a 2-hour decant ('Shake' or not.)
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12/28/2008 - uge123 wrote: 95 Points
Color: Deep purple to the rim, opaque
Nose: Floral and bright fruit leap from the glass. Blueberry, raspberries, cherries, violets, plums, blackberries and exotic spices predominate.
Taste: Sweet smooth fruit, moderate to low acidity, very fine smooth well integrated tannins. Long elegant finish.
This really is an iron fist in a velvet glove. Power and elegance together. Hedonistic. Perfect if you love a perfectly executed shiraz fruit bomb. If elegant aged wines are your preference, then perhaps this not your style. Too bad it's screw capped. It would be great to see how it would taste in 10 years.
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11/15/2008 - pgm wrote:
Retailer tasting. Nearly black in color, and pretty close to what I'd expect from this wine: rich, full-bodied, blackberry liqueur, cassis, and chocolate with asian spice. Will look forward to a future tasting, and estimate this now in the 91-92 range, possibly higher, but I'll withhold scoring it to a better opportunity.
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11/8/2008 - yanik wrote: 94 Points
definitely opened too early but wanted to check it out. Big, lush and bit alcoholy - but give it another couple years should be superb
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11/7/2008 - DT-Mills wrote: 90 Points
Not sure, maybe too young. Still closed evan with an one hour decante.
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10/30/2008 - mike l. wrote: 91 Points
luscious rich ripe red and black fruit, alcohol is a bit severe right now but dry chocolatey and very rich wine neverthless. a little jagged in it's youth. 91-92.
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10/29/2008 - cabrnay wrote: 96 Points
As always, very unique, very smooth velvetty texture. Not a cab lovers wine but has a texture and presence all it's own.
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10/25/2008 - Amerique wrote: 94 Points
Very rich, highly extracted, delicious blueberry fruit, slightly smoother and with more depth than the Blue-Eyed Boy
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10/19/2008 - buckeye76 wrote: 93 Points
RICH BERRY FRUIT IN THE NOSE AND FLAVOR, NICE COMPLEXITY AND A MEDIUM TO LONG FINISH.
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9/25/2008 - neurovino wrote: 94 Points
Mollydooker Tasting, Cary, NC. Thick, heavy, bold, intense. Fine, integrated tannins. Awesome.
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