The Little Black Dress

About a month ago I wrote a blog post on the Little Black Dress Pinot Grigio. However, today I am hear to tell you of another relative in that sexy family. The Little Black Dress Merlot is out of this world. I was quite astounded when I tasted this wine. This merlot not only fits in nicely at the family bar-b-que but it also can be a star at the most elegant affair

The nose of this wine is of rich, supple dark fruit. The taste of deep dark cherries, cranberries and a hint of vanilla engulf your palate like a tidal wave. This medium bodied merlot also provides a nice toasty oak flavor which soothes the tastebuds and warms the soul. I found this to be a very sexy wine and would dare any wine aficionado to find fault in it. The finish is smooth and lingering. 

This wine really portrays the same things the actual little black dress portrays. It is as elegant as Coco Chanel, classy as Audrey Hepburn and sexy as Marilyn Monroe.  I’ve heard that the Little Black Dress wines are geared and marketed toward the female audience. That may be the case but men, I say to you, don’t get left behind. This wine will definitely provide pleasure to your tastebuds as well. 

For a wine this good you probably think you would need to go to an exclusive wine shop to purchase it. That may be true in some states but in California, you a can actually find this little jewel in your local supermarket retailing from 10.99 to about 12.99. This is a mere pittance for a wine that is so versatile. Merlots really got a bad wrap from the movie Sideways. However, I am hear to tell you that this jackpot is better than most Pinot Noirs (the preferred wine in the movie) I’ve tasted. 

Go out and pick up a bottle of this beauty today and let me know what you think. I will definitely be adding this one to the jackpots page.

Until next time drink responsibly. Cheers!

Mollydooker The Boxer Shiraz

Late last year while at dinner with some friends we decided to order a couple of bottles of wine for the table. Being predictable I opted for the red wine which was an Australian Shiraz.  It was a truly intense wine with heavy fruit content. The smell was quite aromatic and the taste of sweet fruit stood out in the complex wine. As you all know I am not a fan of sweet wines, but this was different. There was definitely a boldness with a peculiar hint of sweetness. I found the wine to be delicious and made sure I wrote down the name before I left the restaurant. As I was jotting down the name I couldn’t help but giggle because the name was quite fitting. Mollydooker’s “The Boxer” Shiraz packs quite a powerful punch. However, the wine finishes on a very smooth note.

The Boxer Label

The next day I took a trip to one of my favorite wine shops, The Green Jug, in search of The Boxer and sure enough they had it in stock. The holidays were fast approaching so I purchased a few bottles for myself and some extras to give as gifts. On New Year’s Eve my husband and I decided to open a bottle to drink instead of going with the traditional Champagne.  Although it was good, I was a little disappointed because it wasn’t as good as I’d remembered it being at the restaurant.  It was still intense but the fruit was extremely sweet and tight. I thought that part of the problem was me not letting it breathe long enough and at that time I didn’t have my wonderful Vinturi aerator.

Not willing to give up on The Boxer, I visited the website of the producer to try and understand this wine a bit better. Again, Mollydooker wines are produced in Australia by an award winning husband and wife team. Sarah & Sparky Marquis have been producing wines for years and now have a winery in McLaren Vale outside of Adelaide in South Australia. Their Watering Programme and Fruit Weight system has proven to be key in making great wines.

While visiting their website I noticed that they had a link to what they called the Mollydooker Shake.  Curious to find out more, I clicked on the link and sure enough there is a video teaching you how prepare Mollydooker wines for optimal consumption.  To watch the video please click here. Below I have also included written instructions on the Mollydooker Shake. If you can, check out the video because it is not only educational, but fun also.  According to Sarah and Sparky they put the minimal amount of sulfites in their wine because of sensitivity in some people. To reduce the sulfites they add inert nitrogen gas prior to bottling.  The purpose of the Mollydooker Shake is to eliminate some of the nitrogen. By doing the shake some of the nitrogen escapes and the full, round flavor of the wine comes out. Since learning this new wine dance, I have found The Boxer every bit as tasty as our first match-up.

Go out and pick-up The Boxer tonight. This jackpot retails for about $20.00 to $25.00. Before drinking it though don’t forget to do the Mollydooker Shake. Have fun!!!

Mollydooker Shake Instructions

I could think of many things I would do if I had 14 hands, but because this is a PG-rated blog we will just focus on the 14 Hands Merlot from Washington State. I was out at Islands Restaurant with my husband having a couple of appetizers and drinks before the Los Angeles Lakers game (we love the Lakers) this evening. When the server asked us what we wanted to drink I immediately asked if there was a wine list or menu. It was not  surprising when she gave me a regular dinner menu, which included a limited amount of wines on the back cover. After a short perusal I opted for a taste of the 14 Hands Merlot. She brought back a small taste and I found it palatable so I ordered a glass.

When the glass came I took another sip and found this wine to be pretty tasty. It was a lot softer than most merlots but still possessed that full fruity taste. There were flavors of ripe fruit like black cherries and berries. There was also a smooth, creamy, light chocolaty flavor as well. 

Even though this was a milder version of merlot it was able to hold its own with a very spicy platter of Buffalo wings. I must say I actually enjoyed this wine so much so that when I left the restaurant, I searched for it in my local supermarket. I didn’t find it there but I will search the Internet to determine where I can find this little jackpot in my area.

Have any of you tasted this wine before? Please provide comments below. If you live in the San Fernando Valley please direct me to where I can find some. All comments are welcome.

Time to focus on the Lakers. Until next time take care and please remember to drink responsibly.

Most people who know me know that I favor red wines over white. I love great zinfandels, syrahs, and even merlots. That is not to say that I don’t enjoy white wines. I do like them but there has to be something extra special about them.

A couple of years ago a co-worker of mine gave me a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc for my birthday. I thanked her graciously as any co-worker would and took the bottle home. Because it was a white wine I put it in the fridge when I get home so that it would get a nice chill. However, I didn’t drink it for several weeks because it was, of course, a white wine. More than that it was a sauvignon blanc and I really hadn’t found one of those that I was crazy about.

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At the end of August, we decided to go to Vegas. as we do most years. When we returned I realized that we were running low on red wines and remember that I had this bottle of sauvignon blanc in the fridge. I decided to open it and serve it with the dinner I was making that evening. I was quite surprised with this wine. Its intense, vibrant flavor was quite refreshing. For those of you who don’t know it is usually quite hot in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles in September. This crisp, chilled wine actually hit the spot and  made you forget about the heat, as well as any other stresses of the day. The taste is of citrus (i.e. grapefruit & lime) as well as a bit of herb makes it extremely refreshing.

  The aroma is very bright and cheerful. For some reason when I drink it reminds me of Hawaii, even though it is a New Zealand wine. I have definitely found this wine to be a jackpot and have bought it for numerous friends. The flavor is unbelievable and it retails for a mere $12.99 to about $19.99. This wine is delicious all year long but in the heat of Southern California summers it is absolutely a must have. Go out and pick up this gem…summer is on the way!

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