Mollydooker - I just don't get it

[Chris_Blum]

Dingos and Sparky Marquis took my baby

[jcoley3]

@Richard T r i m p i

“I have noticed that a lot of people, both in the wine industry and outside it, look for the fault in wine before they look for the beauty in the wine, and I think that conflicts with life’s normal model. We are sort of glad
that not everyone likes our wine because we don’t make enough anyway…”

“We never set out to make blackberry concentrate that can be poured over ice cream, as some people
claim on the blogs. It was about creating as much flavour as possible.”

• Sparky Phillips, May 2008

Wow. I will assume for the moment this is a genuine quote from Sparky Marquis (and not Dan Phillips?). Sorry. No. Most people in (and out) of the trade actually do look for beauty in wine first. To conflate “as much flavor as possible” with beauty is, to me, a fundamental aesthetic mistake.

With that perspective, one might as well endlessly salt a dish.

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

Whoops. Yes Jim - “Marquis”.

Despite personal feelings about Mollydooker, they fill a niche and have gained a certain popularity. Among the fringes of the world of wine there is early-picked juice from high altitude shepherd/vignerons, and wines like these. It seems to me that supporting diversity means “accepting” both, even reluctantly. Ofcourse, that’s no reason to advocate both!

RT

[paul_hanna]

@jcoley3

@Richard T r i m p i

“I have noticed that a lot of people, both in the wine industry and outside it, look for the fault in wine before they look for the beauty in the wine, and I think that conflicts with life’s normal model. We are sort of glad
that not everyone likes our wine because we don’t make enough anyway…”

“We never set out to make blackberry concentrate that can be poured over ice cream, as some people
claim on the blogs. It was about creating as much flavour as possible.”

• Sparky Phillips, May 2008

Sorry. No. Most people in (and out) of the trade actually do look for beauty in wine first. To conflate “as much flavor as possible” with beauty is, to me, a fundamental aesthetic mistake.

With that perspective, one might as well endlessly salt a dish.

Great comment!!

[Theodore_Anderson]

@jcoley3

one might as well endlessly salt a dish.

Which makes a damn fine accompaniment to MD!

[brianmcbrearty]

Sounds like you get it. What’s not to get?
“Stupifyingly loathsome.” I’m gonna use that periodically. (with your permission) Ain’t as though stupifyingly loathsome stuff don’t come 'round pretty regularly. I just didn’t have a succinct yet flowery way to sum it up before now. Heavens but I’m happy with this.
These wines had their time, strangely enough.

[Linda_Baehr]

@G. D y e r

Glycerol as I understand it is neither alcohol nor sugar, though it has the viscosity of the former and the sweetness of the latter.

Glycerol is an alcohol, but it is also considered a carbohydrate. Anything chemical compound ending in -ol is in the alcohol classification. Since yeast produces a lot of glycerol even under normal circumstances, sometimes high alcohol wines can get a lot of sweetness from the alcohol/glycerol.

[scottschu]

A few years ago I bought for points so at one point I had a bunch
'Dooker. I have noticed now that as the bottles get some age on them they are becoming more tame, which you would expect for any bottling but for some reason everyone wants to pop-n-pour the Mollydooker bottlings. Although I’m not a huge fan of the $20 offerings I do dig the Carnival and Enchanted bottlings.

[Rob_Winn]

@Richard T r i m p i

“I have noticed that a lot of people, both in the wine industry and outside it, look for the fault in wine before
they look for the beauty in the wine, and I think that conflicts with life’s normal model. We are sort of glad
that not everyone likes our wine because we don’t make enough anyway…”

“We never set out to make blackberry concentrate that can be poured over ice cream, as some people
claim on the blogs. It was about creating as much flavour as possible.”

• Sparky Phillips, May 2008
  
  
  RT

They only made 18285 cases of the 09 Boxer, it may not last. I know Frenchie is in for a few cases, so make it 18,283.

[johnbonds]

I was discussing this post with a friend of mine the other night and he made a few nice points which I will paraphrase…

For those who are not into wine or don’t yet “get it,” Mollydooker is a good way to get the interested. Sure, once you have developed your palatte, their lower end stuff might not blow your skirt up anymore.

Also @ 16% and up alcohol, the value of the 'Dooker as an “evening enhancer” can’t be understated…

[Peter_Kleban]

@johnbonds

I was discussing this post with a friend of mine the other night and he made a few nice points which I will paraphrase…

For those who are not into wine or don’t yet “get it,” Mollydooker is a good way to get the interested. Sure, once you have developed your palatte, their lower end stuff might not blow your skirt up anymore.

Also @ 16% and up alcohol, the value of the 'Dooker as an “evening enhancer” can’t be understated…

Hmmm. Wouldn’t Rohypnol be cheaper ?

[G_D_y_e_r]

@Linda Baehr

@G. D y e r

Glycerol as I understand it is neither alcohol nor sugar, though it has the viscosity of the former and the sweetness of the latter.

Glycerol is an alcohol, but it is also considered a carbohydrate. Anything chemical compound ending in -ol is in the alcohol classification. Since yeast produces a lot of glycerol even under normal circumstances, sometimes high alcohol wines can get a lot of sweetness from the alcohol/glycerol.

Thanks for straightening out my misconception.

How does the body process glycerol? Does it get you drunk like ethanol? Or is it simply broken down like a carb. Depending on how it affects sensory and digestive processes, maybe glycerol should be listed with RS & ABV on tech sheets.

[G_D_y_e_r]

Digging around a bit on the web, found an obscure paper on glycerol in wine. It says 4-10 g/L is glycerol is typical in wine and around 5 g/L is the sensory threshold. According to the Wiki glycerol is about 60% as sweet as sugar, so this seems consistent with the 2-3 g/L threshold for sensing RS.

I guess the bottom line is high glycerol wines will taste sweet (duh!). It appears a 10 g/L glycerol wine will taste a bit off dry. I often find CA wines that are technically dry still taste a bit sweet, so perhaps high glycerol levels are to blame.