I recently went to a private wine tasting where one of the Founders of Two Hands Wines, Michael Twelftree (pictured above) opened four of his wines and provided some in depth commentary on those wines and his winery. I will review two of his wines today and the other two I will make some comments my next two reviews, in a few days, keep a look out!
Two Hands 2014 Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon
The idea for Two Hands was born in September 1999 when founders Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz sat at a friend’s engagement party and decided it was time to make their own wine and market it on the world stage. The original aim was, and still is, to make the best possible Shiraz-based wines from prized growing regions throughout Australia. With so much Australian wine being sold around the globe under multi-region labels in a formulaic style, the intention was to break the mold and showcase the diversity of Australian Shiraz by highlighting regional and vineyard characteristics by allowing the fruit to be the primary feature of the wines. Two Hands’ first vintage was in 2000, after a modest $30k investment and starting with just 17 tonnes of fruit. The journey had started.
In 2004 a state-of-the-art winery was built in the picturesque Barossa Valley in South Australia, specifically designed for small batch handling. To maximise the individual regional and varietal characteristics and to allow for greater quality control, every parcel of fruit, no matter how small, is handled separately from crushing through to fermentation and oak maturation.
Opening a bottle, I noticed deep dark Ruby color with aromas of sweet currants, red berry and earthy herbs. On the palate generous red berry fruit and plums with a touch of black pepper. Tannins are a bit firm and tight but overall the wine was well balanced with good length on the finish. The wine is drinkable right now and over the short term, say 5 years. Tasting Sample. Good value!
Two Hands 2013 Angels’ Share Shiraz
Opening a bottle of the 2013 Angels’ Share Shiraz (Angels’ Share refers to the portion of wine that evaporates during the fermentation process), I noticed a clean deep and dark reddish purple color with aromas of fresh blue fruits with an earthy mineral nuance. The palate revealed rich ripe fruit, blackberries, blueberries and also noting some hints of plum and dried cherries. The wine is well balanced with firm tannins and lively acidity. The finish shows some cacao and fresh oak with earthy herbs in a medium length. Should improve with a few more years, but don’t wait too long as you might be disappointed! Very nice Shiraz! Tasting Sample!
Cheers!