Years of Love and Care, and More Than $1 Million Worth of Fine Wine, Go Down the Drain
It was the crash heard around the world after a forklift malfunction caused the fall of 462 cases of Mollydooker's Velvet Glove Shiraz just as it was being loaded for export to the U.S.
ADELAIDE, Australia, July 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Four hundred and sixty two cases of the 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove Shiraz won't be arriving in the United States this fall after a forklift suffered a malfunction that caused a container holding one third of the winemaker's annual production to crash to the ground, shattering bottles, crushing cartons, and leaving the container floor awash in premium red, red wine.
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Back at the McLaren Vale winery, owners Sarah and Sparky Marquis received a call letting them know that the container of Velvet Glove had been dropped as a forklift attempted to load it onto a truck. The malfunction was caused when a twist lock on the forklift broke, one end of the container broke free, the container tipped and then slid inexorably and inevitably to the ground, crushing, crumpling and compacting the cartons of wine.
"It was the call no winemaker ever wants to receive," said Sparky Marquis. "This wine is our pride and joy, we think it is the best we have ever made, and to see it accidentally destroyed and not consumed, has left us all a bit numb. But luckily we still have two thirds of our production left so we still have plenty to share with our friends."
At $185 per bottle, Velvet Glove is Mollydooker Winery's top premium wine, and was being shipped to the USA ready for the release of the 2010 wines on September 15 (known by friends and fans as International Mollydooker Day). Still suffering shock, the Marquises and insurance assessors are now checking each bottle by hand to determine if any of the $1.025 million shipment can be salvaged.
Sarah and Sparky don't make Velvet Glove every year. Parcels of wine have to achieve a rare 95%+ Marquis Fruit Weight before being eligible for inclusion. Mollydooker's 3 previous Velvet Glove bottlings have received 99, 98 and 97+ scores from The Wine Advocate, and have all been rated 'Classic' by Wine Spectator, making it one of Australia's highest rated wines.
About Velvet Glove Shiraz:
The 2010 Velvet Glove Shiraz grapes were grown on the Gateway vineyard in McLaren Vale. Dark black violet in color, this wine has an intensely spiced nose with fruit aromas of fresh raspberry, plum and blueberry with an edge of tar, mocha and blackberry jam extending the complexity. The palate shows amazing purity of fruit with delicate flavors, fine oak tannins and creamy oak. To honor the beauty and individuality of Velvet Glove Shiraz, Mollydooker wines seal it in a unique bottle, apply a real velvet label printed in silver foil, and then place the bottle in either a velvet bag or handmade gift boxes to provide a joyful experience for the consumer from beginning to end.
About Mollydooker Wines:
Sarah & Sparky Marquis, owners of Mollydooker Wines, are some of the most decorated winemakers in the world, having received more 94-99 point scores in the last 10 years from Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate than any other winemakers in the world, including five 99-point scores. Four of Mollydooker's wines have been chosen in the Wine Spectator's "Top 100" and their Carnival of Love Shiraz has made the "Top 10" list two years in a row. Sarah and Sparky have been named "Australian Winemakers of the Year," have been chosen by Robert Parker among the "Top Wine Personalities in the World," and have been crowned "McLaren Vale's Bushing King and Queen" a record three times. Mollydooker's winery is located on 116 acres of prime McLaren Vale vineyards, about 45 minutes outside Adelaide.
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SOURCE Mollydooker Wines
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