Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy

Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy is a full-bodied South Australian red built on ripeness and weight, with the reference notes pointing to McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek fruit. At 16.0% alcohol it sits at the powerful end of the table-wine range, and the flavours described for it follow suit: ripe blackberry and plum, with dark chocolate in the background. Expect a velvety, plush texture rather than a gripping, austere one, and a long, smooth finish. Wines made from warm-climate fruit at this strength tend to carry their alcohol as richness and rounded sweetness of fruit, so the palate leans generous rather than lean or herbal. That density is what should guide the table. Charred and grilled red meat suits it well: ribeye, lamb shoulder, beef short ribs, or burgers with a smoky glaze. Braises and barbecue with sweet-savoury sauces match its fruit, and hard aged cheeses such as aged cheddar or Manchego have enough fat and salt to stand up to it. Very delicate dishes, light seafood and anything heavily spiced with chilli will be overwhelmed by a wine this size. For serving, pull it slightly below room temperature, around 16 to 18°C. A big red at 16% tastes hotter and flatter when served warm, and a short fridge stint of 15 to 20 minutes usually gets a bottle from a warm kitchen into the right range. Pouring it into a decanter, or simply opening the bottle 30 to 45 minutes ahead, lets the dense fruit open and softens the alcohol's edge. Use a large-bowled red wine glass with room to swirl, and fill it only a third of the way. This is a bottle aimed at drinking in the near term, when the fruit is at its most vivid and plush. Wines in this style are made to be generous on release, and cellaring is more likely to dull that exuberant fruit than to build new complexity.