August Wine Club 2023

I'm not sure if I'm in such a good mood because of the summer weather or because I'm so excited about the wine club selections for August. We're headed back to Washington for what the Washington Wine Commission likes to call #WAugust...I'm glad we have 31 days to celebrate.

I don't know about all you wine club member, but I feels like we've drank our way around the world so far this year-France, Italy, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Oregon, Idaho. It feels good to be back close to home. Like most months it's tough to narrow down the selections, this month way probably the hardest. There are so many amazing Washington wines out there right now and I want to showcase the standout varietals. So, without further ado...

August Indigo Wine Club Selections

Look at these two pretty little bottles of wine. I know I should be impartial but one of these wine is my most favorite varietal coming out of Washington right now, Roussanne. The Indigo selection is the 2022 Esja Stillwater Roussanne (pronounced Es-Ya). I think the Indigo red wine selection is really quite a perfect red wine for our hot August summer days and nights. The selection this month is the 2022 Sonder Grenache/Picpoul blend. It is recommended that this wine be served, slightly chilled. It is not your typical Washington red, and I didn't plan it this way, but I'm feeling pretty genius, both of these wines and the winemakers use minimal intervention in making the wine and I think we are rewarding with a pure expression of. the varietal.

August Sapphire Wine Club Selections

In the history of the wine club this will be the third Riesling we've offered. That kinda bums me out. I'm not sure what flavor profiles you have pre-conceived about riesling but lately the rieslings I've been exposed to are exquisite, layered, expressive and have run the gamut from sweet to dry. The 2022 Hoquetus Riesling, I hope will peak your interest in Rieslings again. \hō-’ke-təs\ (rhymes with lettuce you'll never forget us) The red wine selection is the 2018 Elephant Seven Yellow Bird Vineyard Syrah. We did feature the Marsanne from Elephant Seven last August.

August Peacock Selection

Last, but not least, is the 2017 Dumas Station Cabernet Sauvignon rounds out August's selections. This winery is going about their business in Dayton racking up accolades left and right for their wine. The current winemaker even had ties to a local Idaho winery. I'm a sucker for buying wine when I meet with the winemaker, in this case was actually an easy sell because the wine is really good.

Stay tuned throughout the month for more details and information on the selections for WAugust wine month.

July Wine Club-Peacock

I'm posting this video again because it pertains to the peacock selection this month. It like the Sapphire selection is from Mollydooker wines and the person in the video is the actual "Blue Eyed Boy"

So with out further ado, the Peacock selection for July is the 2021 Mollydooker 'Blue Eyed Boy' Shiraz.

This wine and the 'Gigglepot' is the from the "family line" of the Mollydooker wines. Luke is the wine makers's son and heads of the sales team. Gigglepot is named after his sister Hannah, who manages the tasting room. What strikes me about Mollydooker is their commitment to making solid wines. Their motto is " We make wines that make people go WOW, through attention to detail and commitment to excellence!"

Along with the patented Mollydooker Shake ™️, Mollydooker guarantee their wines by rating it on its Marquis Fruit Weight ™️ (the measure of how far back on your tongue the velvety sensation of fruit goes). If the parcels of grapes don't qualify at the the required Fruit Weight, the wines are not made. In 2008 they only bottled their Lefty wines and in 2015, they only bottled there Lefty and Family wines.

ABOUT MOLLYDOOKER

Click the link 👆🏻to find out more information.

The wine itself is beautiful representation of an Australian Shiraz. Right away the striking color of the wine stands out. The rich dark color lends itself to dark fruit flavors, think big juicy blueberries. On the palette the fruit flavors are fresh and full bodied. So many great layers on this wine. a great layer of cocoa and hints of vanilla. The wine was barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak, with 55% being new and 45% in one year old barrels. Don't forget the Mollydooker shake when opening this wine and if you open this at the Bluebird, the Tomahawk or the Steak and Shrimp would be the easy choice with this wine. I would even venture to try it with the Duck:Roasted Duck Breast, spinach/garbanzo bean succotash, apricot chutney and hazelnuts.

July Wine Club-Sapphire

I really wanted to find a unique white wine for this month's selection featuring the wines from Australia and New Zealand. I know I could have easily found a Sauvignon Blanc. I was really happy to find the wine that I did.

The Sapphire selection this month is the 2022 Escarpment Chardonnay.

We are headed back to New Zealand's southern part of the North island. Escarpment is defined as a long, steep slope that lies at the end of a plateau. The winery is located on Te Muna road in Aotearoa, New Zealand. 'Te Muna' in Māori, means 'secret' or 'special place'. Winemaker Tim Bourne focuses on producing wines that capture the unique sense of place, the chardonnay is sourced primarily from their vineyards on Te Muna road.

This wine reminds of a Chardonnay (Burgundy) from France. The vineyard sits on alluvial loams, which are layered over deep gravel: this ensures great drainage. Which in turn help nuture the production of premium quality, healthy vines. The climate is generally cool with summer days not normally exceeding 86° (30°C). This allows the fruit to develop clean and with commanding flavors. Along with the fruit being handled with great care, the grapes are whole bunch pressed and fermented using indigenous yeast (this enhances the texture and complexity). The wine was aged in barrel, 20% new, for 11 months.

Right off the bat, the minerality is present in the aroma. There are hints of citrus, but the flinty mineral stood out the most, on the nose and the palette. This is probably not like any Chardonnay you've ever had. To quote the tasting notes "It is a wine that is built around elegance and restraint, offering focus and persistence."

For the red wine selection we are headed back to Australia where the grapes are grown in . McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek. This months red selection is the 2020 Mollydooker 'The Boxer' Shiraz. 'Mollydooker' is Aussie slang for a left handed boxer (The boxer on the label is wearing two left-handed gloves). Sarah Marquis is the owner and Chief Winemaker for Mollydooker,

https://mollydookerwines.com/articles/sarah-and-the-mollydooker-story/?valid=true

Check out the above link to see how Mollydooker came to be.

In 2006, the first vintage of The Boxer came out. Robert Parker got a hold of it and rated it the "Best value Red Wine in the World" 😳 Two Left Feet was voted the second best and the Maitre D' Cabernet as the fourth. The Violinist Verdelho was also chosen as the 'Best Value White Wine in the World. Their wines sold out in 17 days after that. Since then they have continued to garner consistent success and accolades.

Before I get too far ahead of myself, there is a proper way to open this and other red wines from Mollydooker. Check it out:

Did you notice he did The Mollydooker Shake™️ with his left hand? Total pro. If you've already imbibed your bottle and want to try "the shake", hit me up I have more bottles.

This wine is just really good. I know I said I'm trying to be better at describing wines but I really like passing on as much pertinent information and having you form your own opinions about wine. This wine has a lot going on. For me it started out dark fruits on the nose, think black cherries and plums. Once it hits your pallet, game on. This wine is so beautifully layered and elegant. My notes highlighted the creamy texture, with hints of chocolate. Once again I defer to the winery's tasting notes "This Boxer is truly a knockout.