There is simply no doubt about it, Campbell Mattinson is the most creative and informative wine writer on the planet. I’ve just finished reading his article on Sarah and Sparky Marquis of Mollydooker wines, and if you think you know about Sarah and Sparky, their high octane wines, and Robert Parker Jr’s love affair with them. Well, think again. Campbell uncovers the real reason why wines made by the Marquis’s, including Shirvington, Parson's Flat, Henry's Drive, Marquis-Philips, and Mollydooker, have such intensity. Its not because they try to make wines with rich flavors of blackcurrant or even the subtly of rose petals, its not a desire for complexity, or elegance, or to be different, or even interesting; although I’m not too sure about the last two. Its……., well you have to read the article to find out. (Yes, you need to subscribe. So you’ll miss out on two bottles of wine this year. They will have been corked anyway.)
There is one paragraph of the article that I do want to quote, and I hope Campbell will forgive me, but its mostly a quote from Sparky. It concerns the longevity of Mollydooker wines.
"People are always asking me, When should I drink this wine? How long should I cellar it?" he says. And I don't doubt him for a second - his wines are blisteringly fruity and whacky with alcohol, and a lot of people are bound to wonder whether time will mellow the fruit, leaving only ... "And you know what I say to them? I'm making another one next year! When should you drink it? How long will it take you to find a corkscrew?!! Or now that we're going screwcaps, How long will it take you to get a glass?!!"
I don’t know about you, but that seems like a pretty good explanation as to why someone would make wines the way that Sarah and Sparky Marquis do, year after year.
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