2009 Mollydooker Carnival of Love RP--93 WS--94

Wine Spectator: 94 Points
Score: 94 Release Price: $90 Country: Australia Region: Australia Issue: Sep 30, 2010 Top 100: 2010, Rank: 55 Dense and chewy, but after an initial hit this backs off to let the gorgeous smoke-tinged black cherry, mulberry, dried tomato and tomato leaf flavors emerge at an almost leisurely pace. There's a sense of refinement underneath the raw power, and the finish holds on expressively. Drink now through 2018. 3,786 cases made.--HS

Robert Parker: 93 Points
Wine Advocate # 192 Dec 2010 Lisa Perrotti-Brown 93 Drink: 2012 - 2019 $75-$100 (90) The 2009 Carnival of Love is 100% Shiraz coming from a single vineyard of 9 year old vines and matured in 97% new and 3% one year American oak. Very deep garnet-purple colored, it gives intense creme de cassis, vanilla, spice, mocha and licorice notes. Crisp and firmly structured with a high level of grainy tannins, this is a full-bodied, powerful Shiraz with a great deal of ripe dense fruit giving very good persistence. It finishes seriously spicy and just a little hot. Consider drinking this one 2012 to 2019 . Following a challenging 2008 vintage when no Velvet Glove, Gigglepot, Blue Eyed Boy, Enchanted Path or Carnival of Love wines were made, Sparky Marquis and his inimitable Mollydooker line-up is back to firing on all cylinders in 2009.