|
|
|
|
|
Few producers in Australia can claim to have had the meteoric
rise that Two Hands have witnessed. Right from the start,
we knew that Two Hands were destined for great things
but no-one could have predicted the staggering array
of reviews and points that have come their way. Both
the U.S and U.K markets have been blown away by the
purity of fruit, concentration and attention to detail
that is lavished upon every one of their bottles.
Two
Hands set out with the clear objective to make
the best Shiraz based wines from the best Shiraz producing
regions of Australia.
|
Though the range has now expanded a little outside
those original goals, the main focus is on Australia's
greatest natural resource, Shiraz
With the pick of the best barrels, exceptional fruit and gentle, stylish wine-making this is a tremendously exciting range of wines. Labelling is original, classy and compelling. |
|
 |
|
Two
Hands' upper tier of wines, the Garden Series, is a
fantastic demonstration of three different regional
Shiraz styles, each one named after various females
in the Two Hands orbit: Lily's Garden is voluptuous
McLaren Vale; Sophie's Garden is tighter, more focused
and spicy Padthaway; Bella's Garden is luscious, intense
and ripe Barossa.
|
|
|
Two Hands was established in 2000 by friends Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz and they set about sourcing high quality parcels of fruit with which to make ultra premium wines. Early successes resulted in the hiring of winemaker Matt Wenk, ex second in command at Nepenthe and he has been instrumental in ensuring that Two Hands reputation continues to grow. Integral to the development of the wines and profile has been the addition of the cellar door and micro winery in Marananga, Barossa Valley. This joins the main Two Hands winery at Greenock, Barossa and ensures that Two Hands have a real presence in the key Shiraz growing region of Australia. |
Fruit is sourced from most of the premium Shiraz growing regions of Australia- Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare, Padthaway, Heathcote, Langhorne Creek - with regionally specific bottling of each region available in most vintages under the Garden series label.
The wines have been described by Jancis Robinson as "exceptional…densely charming, gently oaked style". Fragrant, textured, supple and juicily ripe the wines are of fantastic quality. Parker commented on the "near perfect" 98 pt 2002 Ares whilst Matthew Jukes places Two Hands wines in his Top 100 two years in a row. Along with a whole host of other reviews and accolades, these are wines to be taken very seriously.
As each vintage goes by, the wines evolve and show the real Two Hands style. The temptation might have been to utislise too much oak but Two Hands wines are subtly oaked, allowing the sweetness and purity of the fruit to really shine through. The lush textural signature of Two Hands has now been joined by a little more structure and finesse on the finishes and as we await the release of the 2004 vintage, we know that the best is still to come!
Click on the link to buy these wines on-line: -
|
|
|
Two
Hands Riesling 'The Wolf',
Claire Valley
Though
Two Hands have a forged an enviable world wide reputation
for their stunning Shiraz based wines, the owners
are also partial to a drop or two of Riesling. The
Wolf is sourced from fruit grown in the Watervale
region of the Clare Valley and possesses a wonderful
balance of crisp mouth-watering acidity and succulent
citrus fruit. Long, and very concentrated with a
superbly pure finish. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Angel's Share', McLaren Vale Shiraz
Thicker
and richer best describes the Angels Share, the
colour looks like black ink in the glass and the
bouquet is intoxicatingly rich and intense, which
is full of liquorices, mocha, chocolate and spicy
new oak. The flavour profile of this wine is of
ripe fruits, the palate is viscous and thick, based
on a sweet profile of blackcurrants, jam and tar. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Canny Butcher', McLaren Vale Grenache
Luscious McLaren Vale Grenache with a dash of Shiraz
for a little more weight makes a sensuous, silky
smooth wine with hopper fulls of juicy yet savoury
fruit and a brilliantly complex finish. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Brave Faces', Barossa Valley Shiraz & Grenache
Lighter and brighter is the Brave Faces, a brilliant
red in the glass and with an inviting bouquet dominated
by the Grenache, it has lovely whiffs of burnt cola,
leather, fresh cut cloves, baking spice and a meaty
note all backed by some quality French oak. The
palate is in a moderate power band with excellent
structure and underlying integrity, the palate is
long and well rounded with red fruit flavours of
black cherries, rhubarb, earth and raspberries,
with a touch of minty menthol. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Bad Impersonator', Barossa Valley Shiraz
Black, ink jet colour with a slight cherry red flicker.
The bouquet is all baking spice, cloves, mints,
herb garden, plums, cedar and rhubarb with flour
bag, cola and rose oil. The Palate is grippy, bright
with an array of cherries, Full-bodied, with superb
concentration, good delineation, and a rich, layered
mid palate. The wine has a great punch of initial
fruit that is backed by a burst of acid in the mid
palate that drives the fruit to a long finish backed
by fine tannins. This is a real finesse wine that
shows the potential of Australian wines with more
careful oak selections. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Bull & Bear', Barossa Shiraz / McLaren
Vale Cabernet
Deep red to purple in the glass, a bouquet of briary
cedar, concentrated blackberries, earth, tar and
liquorice. The palate is thick and chewy with excellent
depth and richness of flavour. The Cabernet definitely
dominates the bouquet, the Shiraz lifts the middle
palate and the Cabernet tannins take control on
the finish. A very intense wine that is flavour
packed and interesting. |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
Deep black with a slight purple hue. Vibrant lifted notes of red berries and rich plum with hints of clove and spice followed by a subtle influence of oak.
A lush mouth filling palate backed by a core of rich red to purple fruits.
This wine shows a great deal of intensity but the fruit is lively with a degree of restraint - almost refreshing - making you want to go back for that second g;ass. Gnarly Dudes will reward with short term cellaring but is drinking wonderfully now. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands Brilliant Disguise 100% Moscato
Summer
in a glass! Free run juice from old Muscat vines
in the Barossa Valley are used to make this brilliant
take on the Italian Moscato idea. Gently frizzante,
tantalisingly sweet, beautifully aromatic, delicately
low in alcohol - could there be anything more
perfect for light desserts or cool summer sipping?
|
|
|
|
Two
Hands, For Love or Money, Cane Cut Semillon
Made from Semillon left on the vines but with the
canes cut when fully ripe to slowly dehydrate and
concentrate. The resulting wine is rich gold in
colour, powerfully aromatic with hints of pear and
honey. The palate is rich with spice, honey, dried
fruits and finishes fresh and clean. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Bella's Garden', Barossa Valley Shiraz
Brick red, magenta hues. Lifted characters of ripe
red, berries, chocolate, liquorice, cloves and subtle
cedary oak. Palate shows intense sweet fruit early
and is persistent, balanced by savoury tannins that
build through the middle and lingers to the end.
The palate is also supported by a subtle chocolate
character and balanced soft acid. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Samantha's Garden', Clare Valley Shiraz
The
first release under the Garden Series label for
Two Hands Clare Valley Shiraz. Focussing on the
pure, varietal fruit character, Samantha's Garden
uses older oak ageing to compliment rather than
dominate the fruit. Well structured with dense blackcurrant
fruit and a long, intense finish.
|
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Sophie's Garden', Padthaway Shiraz
A
Brilliant rhubarb red in colour with a purple flint.
The bouquet displays intense mint, aniseed, menthol,
dusty cherries, raspberries and subtle liquorice
and freshly cracked pepper. The palate is rich,
focused and tight, loaded with bright acid that
drives the fruit to the middle palate, where the
fruit is backed by powerful and flavoursome tannins. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Lily's Garden', McLaren Vale Shiraz
Brilliant, smart black with red flints in colour.
A bouquet of caramel, mocha, fresh coffee beans,
liquorice and a ripe mint, backed by intense dry
prunes and a lifted spice. The palate is thick,
concentrated and viscouse. The fruit weight is very
powerful and the juicy texture coats your mouth,
leaving you with an extremely long finish that is
balanced and well rounded. This is a very exciting
wine. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Max's Garden', Heathcote Shiraz
Two
Hands Garden Series wines are named after the proprietor's
nearest and dearest and the birth of Max yielded
up an opportunity to release a new wine from the
much heralded Heathcote region in Victoria. Characteristically
dense and concentrated, the cooler climate in Heathcote
leads to a more lifted, aromatic and spicy profile
whilst still having that luxurious, plush fruit
that is the Two Hands textural signature. |
|
|
|
Two
Hands ‘Edward & Harry's Garden', Langhorne Creek
Shiraz
Proprietor
Richard Mintz's twins happily donated their name
to this blockbuster Shiraz from the Langhorne Creek
region south of Adelaide. Home to large resources
of old vines, the resultant wine is jam packed with
soft, exquisitely textured fruit overlaid with subtle,
structuring oak. Complex, though approachable in
its youth, Edward & Harry's Garden is sure to
flourish |
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Ares'
Two
Hands flagship wine is made only in the very best
vintages and from the very best barrels. Produced
in tiny quantities and quite beautifully packaged,
this wine has already received glowing reports,
likening it to the famous Penfold's Grange. Dense,
massively concentrated and truly memorable.
|
|
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Aphrodite' Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvingon
Though
Two Hands were set up with the idea that they
would focus on Shiraz (something they have done
spectacularly well at), opportunities arise to
make other stunning wines from time to time and
the success of their ultra premium Ares wine has
inspired them to do the same with Cabernet. Parker
has suggested that this may be one of the most
profound Cabernets to come out of the Barossa
and who are we to disagree. Deep, brooding and
hugely concentrated with a slick core of pure
cassis overlaid with nuances of smoked meats,
spice, balsam and vanilla. Not for the faint hearted!
|
|
|
|
Two
Hands 'Aerope'
Grenache has long been the understudy to Shiraz but the release of Two Hand’s Aerope, puts Grenache back into the limelight as one of the unsung heroes of the Australian wine world. Virtuoso Grenache wines such as Rayas in Chateauneuf du Pape show just how extraordinary this grape can be and Aerope certainly has stunning complexity and intensity. Throughout this multilayered wine there are subtle hints of violet, wild strawberry, liquorice and garrigue herbs. The palate is rich, almost viscous but well balanced and lifted. The finish is perfumed, intense and extremely long.
|
|
|
|
|
Buy wine 
