FAQ

MollyClub Shipments

How do I customise my MollyClub shipment?

You can customise your wine selection through your MollyClub profile. Head here to sign in.

When I customise my MollyClub shipment, can I change to any six wines?

You can select any 6 wines as long as the total value of the shipment is a minimum of $250. Of course, you can always additional wines of your choice to your order.

Do I need to spend $250 (including loyalty pricing) for my MollyClub shipment?

The minimum spend requirement is $250 after loyalty pricing is applied.

If I have more than 6 bottles in my annual shipments, will I still get complimentary shipping?

Absolutely. Each of the 3 annual shipments attract complimentary shipping, so feel free to add as many bottles as you like, however you must have a minimum of 6 bottles at a minimum value of $250.

If I’m in the Lefty tier and I place an order for wine separate to my 3 annual shipments, will I get complimentary shipping?

As a Lefty, you’ll receive complimentary shipping on orders of 12+ bottles.

Mollydooker Shake

Why do the Mollydooker Shake?

When we bottle our wine, rather than use additional sulphites to prevent oxidisation, we use nitrogen. We use nitrogen to protect the wine because it’s a flavourless and odourless gas, however when you use nitrogen in winemaking it compresses the flavour and feel – if you think of flavour as a big round ball the nitrogen flattens the back end of the round ball. As soon as you do the Mollydooker Shake it releases the nitrogen and the flavour ‘pops back out’ to its full size again.

Should I shake all my Mollydookers?

Please shake all our red wines up until they are five years old (from their vintage date). Please do not shake our whites & rosé because we use very little nitrogen in our winemaking of these wines, because the CO2 that is produced during primary fermentation protects the wine from oxidation. Last but not least, please do not shake our sparkling wines because there will be quite an explosion!

How do I do the Mollydooker Shake?

Get step-by-step instructions here!

Can I shake a Mollydooker Red after it is five years old?

You don’t need to because the nitrogen naturally releases out of the wine by then, however if you do it is not detrimental at all, and it’s always good fun.

Can I decant my Mollydookers or use an aerator instead of doing the Mollydooker Shake?

No, because it does not produce the same effect. Decanting, or dispensing with an aerator, oxygenates the wine. If there is nitrogen in the wine, it acts antagonistically to oxygen, so by not doing the Shake, not only are you not releasing the nitrogen, you are also reducing the effectiveness of the decanting/aerating. We have done blind tastings of the Shake vs. the Decant and the Shake is always the winner. If you want to do both, do the Shake first which will release the nitrogen and then decant and/or aerate.

How do I do the Mollydooker Taste Test?

From a new vintage bottle of Mollydooker, pour out some wine until the neck of the bottle. Do the Mollydooker Shake on the rest of the wine in the bottle, and pour some into another glass. Then taste them side by side. The difference will amaze you!

Here are Sarah’s comments on the difference: Pre-shake, the wines are intense, concentrated and still magnificent. However after the shake, the wine becomes more approachable, the aromatics are lifted and the fruit is smoother on the palate. Overall a more enjoyable experience!

Sediment

Got sediment? Don’t worry!

Sediment is completely natural and safe, this does not affect the flavour or quality of the wine.

Can I decant to remove sediment?

You sure can. Our wines can be decanted to assist with managing any sediment.

Should I still do the Mollydooker Shake if I’m concerned about sediment?

Absolutely! Do the Mollydooker Shake on all still red wines that are less than five years old. If any sediment was present, it naturally falls to the bottom rather quickly due to the density of the material. Even though some sediment might be present, it should not affect each glass being poured.

How does sediment form?

Sediment can form in two ways, both of which are completely natural and do not affect the quality of the wine.

As the wine ages, some of the colour and tannin molecules join up forming long chains that are too heavy to remain in the liquid. Once this occurs, they drop to the bottom of the bottle and are known as ‘colloids’. This process tends to form as a soft, silty layer in the bottom or the sides of the bottle.

The other way sediment may form is exposure to cold temperatures: tartrate crystals which are often seen as small “gritty” crystals, can form in wines that are exposed to prolonged cold conditions.

What steps does Mollydooker take to reduce sediment in your wines?

When preparing our wines for bottling, we ‘chill’ the wines to encourage the tartrate crystals to form in the tank, before we polish filter and bottle. We do this by holding the wines at 0-5 degrees for several weeks.

However, post bottling if the wines have been stored at a cooler temperature than what we could achieve at the winery, then there is a chance that tartrate deposits may form. Being that the sediment is a combination of colour molecules and tartrates, because our wines have so much colour there are more molecules to form long chains during ageing. This can take place in the first year or two, when most sediment would form.

We try our best in the winery to overcome sediment formation in bottle without jeopardising wine quality. However, it’s a natural process that occurs in red wine and, pending climatic conditions, some bottles may form a harmless deposit.

The Wine

How soon can we drink our wine?

You can drink them straight away. Just do the Mollydooker Shake on any of our still reds under five years from their vintage date and they will be ready for drinking.

How long will the wines last?

Harvey Steiman at WineSpectator.com gives a life of 15-20 years for most of our wines. We don’t have any that are 20 years old yet so we can’t tell you from personal experience, but we have been drinking some of our wines which are 14 years old and they have been stunning. We make our wines so that you can enjoy them now, however if you do enjoy older wines, as long as they are cellared properly they are safe to put away for 15-20 years.

What are your recommendations on wine storage and serving temperature?

We recommend that you store our wines at 13°C (55F). This is the ideal temperature to preserve and protect your wines so they taste great when you drink them.

The best way to enjoy Euphoria and Miss Molly is to chill it in the fridge for at least 3 days prior to drinking, which will ensure the bubbles are at their optimum.

Our Sparkling, White and Rosé wines are best served at 4°C (40F) and our Reds at 16°C (60F) to maximise their wonderfully rich, intense fruit aromas and flavours.

Remember to do the Mollydooker Shake on all our red wines if they are under five years old. Do not shake Euphoria, Serenity, Summer of ’69, The Violinist or Miss Molly.

Are Mollydooker wines vegetarian and vegan friendly?

In our white wines, we use skim milk as a gentle fining agent to remove any undesirable structural components. So our whites are vegetarian friendly, but not vegan friendly. In our still red wines, we don’t use any additives that are derived from animal products, so vegans and vegetarians can definitely enjoy!