Decanted for 3h and enjoyed with ribeye, consistent with my previous notes this has a beautiful nose, cedar and alcohol; on the palate red fruit, more wood and acid and pepper in the finish. For me this wine feels like it is fully mature and perhaps starting to decline. Won't ever know because this was my last bottle.
Prominent Sandalwood scent, ripe cherries, fresh shower from the sky. The aroma is uniquely Bella’s garden. The palate is so sharply intense to the point that one can sense numbness with liquorice finish. Perfectly intensely balanced.
Opened to breathe for 3h on burger night. Mom loved this. Lots of alcohol and spices on the nose and palate, ample sweet red fruit, spices, tannins, and black pepper in this finish. Very easy to drink and enjoy for a family dinner. I would say this is definitely still in its drinking window, not sure how much longer it will last. 91/92
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Medium ruby,medium(+) red plum,black cherry,black pepper,ripe fruit,chocolate,mushroom,dry,medium(+) acidity,smooth medium(-) tannin,high alcohol,medium(+) body,medium(+) finish,very good wine,suitable for bottle ageing
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5. Deep purple color. Intense savory aroma with truffle and spices. Dry, lively acidity, grippy tannins, textured jammy taste of blackberry, blackcurrant, meat, mushroom, oak, spices. Full body and long (but slightly tart) finish. Guess Aus Barossa Shiraz 2012. 91 (2/6). Result Aus Barossa Two Hands Bella’s Garden Shiraz 2007.
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Tasted head to head with Amon-Ra 2005. This comes in second place, but it is still delicious and half the price! A perfumy nose of alcohol, spices, and oak. On the palate, ample red fruit, oak, and a soft finish. A great showing, paired with grilled steak tips and garden vegetables.
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Nose is still immensely motor shop with not a lot of anything else. A bit of cassis and that’s about it. However...
Palate was rock solid. Still fruit forward but a lot of elegance is starting to come through and a nice earthy floor is being built under all that bigness. Dark fruit, primarily blackberry with a bit of blue. Some dark cherry. Leather, tar, and sweet cedar and tobacco.
Very happy, and it appears that perhaps these are actually age worthy!
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2007 Two Hands Shiraz Tasting at Winetasters of Toronto Club (North York Memorial Hall): 2007 Two Hands Shiraz Bella's Garden was fully mature and filled with tart red fruit and tertiary aromas. The Barossa Valley Shiraz was clear medium ruby in colour with significant browning rim. On the nose, Worcestershire sauce jumped out up front, followed with tart red cherries, red plum, forest berries and earth. The mouthfeel was full-bodied, with medium-high level of acidity and medium level of mature melting tannin. The long finish was packed with flavours of forest berries, fallen leaves and ceder wood. Many tasters at the same table found the wine over the peak, and had trouble with the Worcestershire sauce aromas. The individual ranking was the third, and the table rank was the eighth out of eight Two Hands Shiraz wines in the tasting.
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Euphoria Wine Club BYOB Dinner (Bakalaki Greek Taverna): As with most Shiraz from Barossa, this is big, intense, and powerful. High tannins and moderate alcohol heat, which was perhaps well-balanced from the intensity. Mostly secondary with blackcurrant jam, cherries, sandalwood smoke, tar, and even quite inkish. It quickly evolves to cheese and meat towards the back, and the grass, herbs, and peppers present themselves in the finish. Great wine!
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Very good, but not great. Muted fruit from cork bottle, some blueberry on the nose, but not strong. Savoury flavours more than anything, garrigue, stems, and medium tannins, unobtrusive acidity. Alcohol levels noticeable. I think my previous bottle was better. I have one more to go.
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Still a beautiful wine. Floral nose with some “twiggy” herbs (rosemary and thyme) and just a hint of camphor. Palate is rich and round with a velvety mouthfeel. Notes of pepper, black fruit, pomegranate. Very ready now but not at all showing its age. Easily hold another 3 to 5 years.
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Bouquet is power house of fresh garden herbs, mint & flowers, warm spicy notes of pepper & nutmeg, cocoa & sandalwood. Palate is lighter than the nose, good structure of fully Integrated acid and tannin; Medium to full bodied. Color is Ruby purple. A very proud beautiful Barossa Shiraz.
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Deep ruby in colour. On nosing, medium plus aroma of red currant, red berries, dried rose followed by herbal and green notes then polished leather. Also earthy cloves and some dried fruits . Taste with similar flavours, medium acidity, high alcohol, medium and supple tannin, medium plus body and medium plus finish. Better with some decanting but no significant change in flavours. Felt like walking into a berry garden after rain with leather tools. Excellent wine.
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Second bottle and drinking consistently well this year. Super inviting nose, lovely dark crimson hue. Attack is precise with a good end to end coating of flavours. Well integrated and long finish. Good level of complexity for a wine at this price point. Alcohol high but well hidden ( be careful!)
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Aerate to decanter, color is dark red with purple and black hues, still no sign of age. Big beautiful aromas of ripe bing cherries, red plums, some blackberries, baking spice, and milk chocolate. Flavors of rich dark cherries, plums, baking spices, tar and leather. Refreshing level of acid and plush tannins not fully integrated still suggest this has years of life to go, but why wait. Finish was lengthy and redolent with concentrated cherries and spice but some alcohol showing gave it a medicinal quality. Overall excellent but not as good as my experience three years ago and also suffered in direct comparison to the '06 La Sirena Barrett Vineyard Syrah.
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shared with pat at selkirk manor to celebrate the end of the work week. for readers old enough to remember the lucky strike commercial, this wine is LSMFT/RF&FP. Vinacull describes it better than i can. all i can say is that this wine has everything going for it. wish i had read winemaker's notes more carefully, as this wine has a long life ahead of it. this experience renews my faith in wine from australia after being turned off by the scandal of using purchased grapes to increase the supply of a wine that received favorable reviews. of course, this wine is in a higher price bracket so it is fair to expect more from it. i am glad to have purchased it at discount but might even be willing to pay the full retail price which it now commands.
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Drinking very well now but a great deal of life yet. Drank from the bottle for 2 hours and then stored over night and had the next day. Was consistent throughout - dark and forward fruit, beautifully integrated tannins, and black pepper. Gives faith in Australia
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry, black plum, spice and forest floor. Black fruit, spice and vanilla on the palate. Leads to a long finish. Dense and full bodied. Served with corned beef.
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I wish I had opened a little sooner. Had been sampling some 2013 Napa cabs and this one was somewhat disappointing. Really mellowed out and very little finish and definitely on the decline.
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PIE! This one is like pie. A great pie full of berries and dark fruit, not a lot of sugar, but some baking spice, and a wonderful texture of thick fruit. Perfect for a Merry Christmas!
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Deep dark purple garnet. Heavy nose with plenty of dark fruit and some spice along with noticeable alcohol. At 15.5% ABV this is a hugely extracted "bruiser". While reasonably balanced, this is very powerful and still young. My hope is it settles down over time as this overpowers even the strongest foods, like in this case smoked pulled pork with a tangy BBQ sauce and some added chili sauce.
Filtered, double decanted, and aerated with a Vinturi. Brutal when first opened (even after the Vinturi and double decant) -- almost seemed corked -- but after a 4-hour decant, it was beautiful.
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Most definitely needs time in the decanter, first 3 hours are not very pleasant. Finding this a tad hot and heavy, albeit not unpleasant. Talk on the town that 07 wasn't great in South Australia with entry level premium wines only a decade in them max. This is holding up alright, 12 year cellar life (2019) is my 2 pennies worth.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Blackberry, black plum, anise, mocha and spice on the nose and palate. Ripe juicy tannins. Mouth coating. Leads to a fruit forward, long finish. Full bodied. Paired with smoked ham.
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Nice typicity. Pepper, dark red(almost) plummy fruit, vanilla. Smooth tannins. Enough acid on the finish. Great with steak. It is unabashedly modern Aussie Shiraz, but it's a very nice example
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This was worth the wait, though I think it will continue to get better and better as tannins soften. This is certainly a big fruity, alcoholic wine, but it has mellowed with age to make it much more drinkable for my palate. Very little on the nose with just a hint of blackberry along with alcohol. In the mouth it starts really well with lots of blueberry, blackberry, and other dark fruits along with a bit of spice. The tannins really hit in the back of the mouth and the high alcohol content becomes much more noticeable. Finishes strong as mouth adjusts to tannins. Dank this on its own, but think it would have shown even better paired with food.
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Takes an hour to open up. Fully developed at this time. Blackberry, blueberry, black tea, and a little cherry comes through. Medium to full body, very smooth palate and soft finish. May be past it's peak, drink now.
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This packs a huge punch! Packed full of fruit and spice with a decent finish. Personally I found it a little too rich without a great deal of complexity but perhaps it just needs to age for longer?
Much improvement from the previous bottle tasted in 2013; allowed to breathe in the open bottle for around 30 minutes prior to serving; also highly perfumed nose full of dark berries and cherries, chocolate, graphite, and elegant spices, plus some summer flowers; much reduced acidity on the more textured palate, and still quite dense and packed with lots of dark fruits and wood spices; very long finish yet still with noticeable dry tannins; overall, 92-93 points at this stage; not sure if this wine would evolve any further but it was quite enjoyable and probably as good as it could get already.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, chocolate, white pepper and spice. Velvety blackberry jam, chocolate and spice on the palate. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied with a rich, dense texture. Paired with filet mignon and a red wine sauce.
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Decanted about an hour. Deep violet color, amazing nose of jammy blackberry, cassis, plum, and spice. Fruit is prevalent on the initial palate, but the pepper and spice you'd expect from an Aussie Shiraz is what lingers. Not overly dry - could easily enjoy alone, but was an awesome accompaniment to the prime steaks we enjoyed with it. Medium tannin on the long finish. Can't wait to try the top 100 winning '12 vintage in a few more years!
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Big and bold. Better on first day. Dark purple red. Cola, nice big fruit core but surprisingly balanced for what it is. Rich dark fruits, with menthol and spice. Lush coating palate. On the second day, it lost the sweetness and felt flat. While the wine is not going anywhere, it certainly is not going to develop any further.
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decanted and drink over 3 hours. Big fruit initially, but mellowed out after an hour. Great wine very smooth with lots of depth. Not a typical Shiraz to me (in a very good way). Maybe only another five years, but drinking very well right now
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Double decanted and then poured through aerator. Delicious plum and raspberry aromas and flavors; blueberry and chocolate notes on long. Very consistent with previous bottles. Silky smooth on the palette.
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Dark red -purple. Layers upon layers of black raspberry and blueberry, with nice acidity to round it out. This is a big wine, but has lots of depth and character. I see why it gets lots of yearly praise from the Wine Spectator
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Plenty of fruit, no tannins to go with our initial experience at Indeblue. Shared with Rob & Beth. The Greek after dinner bottle, brought from Santorini, ended a wonderful evening.
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To call Two Hands Bella's Garden consistent is an understatement - every year it is an excellent mid level selection. Not overdone at all, this presents blackberry, cranberry, and lively acidity balanced with bay leaf and salinity. Nicely done.
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Good depth of flavor - deep dark fruit. Not pruney, but quite dense. Good acidity. Almost throws it off balance at times. A bit disjointed as it flows through to the finish. No secondary flavors as of yet - not sure if those will come through.
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Respi-Aerate to decanter, let sit for perhaps 90 min. Color dark red with purple and black hues, opaque at center, transparent red at rim, full body, some extract left in bottle. Beautiful open bouquet of kirsch, lighter red cherries, baking spice, pepper, leather and hints of milk duds. Overall a telltale Aussie nose that promises big rich ripe fruit to flood the palate. However on taste I was pleasantly surprised that this was more refined and balanced in its presentation than the aromas suggest, with concentrated delicious dark cherries and red berries complicated with some tar, mint, spice, and leathery notes. Medium acid, medium-plus tannins seemed mildly grippy but did not detract from enjoyment, and a medium-plus finish. This is in the pocket now (92-93), and was of course a great pairing with a leg of lamb roasted with EVO, garlic and rosemary on Easter Sunday. In fact this was the best Two Hands Shiraz we've had in a number of years. One bottle to go, and will drink in 3-5.
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Strangely no heat upon opening as per my previous note. Nevertheless a 4hr decant. Agree a big wine, but being an Aussie I lap this stuff up. Plum, cherry and a little jammy that gives the mouth a little coating with a solid medium+ finish. Enjoyed now but a few years left, probably some integration to go.
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Wonderfully balanced. Chewy. Not a fruit bomb - but very rich with ample fruit. A little hot on first opening but smoothed out with about an hour of air post Venturi. Even better on day 2. This really seems to be coming into a good phase and is drinking nicely. I think it still has a little time to continue to develop and integrate even more. Glad I have a few left in the cellar. Will look forward to trying this again next year. What a pleasure. Score [50 + 5 + 14 + 19 + 8 ] = 96.
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92 may not be high enough. I always loved this label, and this bottle was no different. Very special nose, depth, and color. A talented wine writer would go crazy on this one--it was that good.
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Not the fruit bomb I feared, but not as special a bottle as I had hoped. Popped and let it breathe for 30-45 minutes. Strong fruit, but balanced. The alcohol, though high on the lable, didn't jump out at me. A bit jammy, but not too much. Great grip. A nice bottle and its style matches my palate more than most Australian bottles these days.
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Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Bouquet of blackberry, mocha, baking spice, bacon fat and vanilla. Blackberry jam, black plum, vanilla, spice and firm, gripping tannins lead to a very, long finish. Full bodied, fleshy and dense. This is pure Barossa Valley; big and powerful. Drinking very well with lots of runway left. Paired with steak and a mushroom cream sauce.
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This is a big wine with a lot of fruit and alcohol. It could still take more cellaring or drink now but either way open for awhile to let the residual alcohol burn off.
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Clear purple, nearly black, with some deep ruby on the rim. Thick dark legs reveal a lot of extraction. The nose is clean, intense, developing, and moderately complex, with aromas of ripe red fruit, white pepper, menthol (Vick's?), leather and milk chocolate. The palate is dry but quite fruit-driven. The acidity is medium (+). The tannins are medium (+) to pronounced and still quite grippy. The alcohol is pronounced and hot at 15.5%. I could not detect any minerality to speak of. The mouthfeel is smooth, almost velvety. The palate is consistent with the nose, with dry, tart red fruit and a long, savory finish. This is a full-bodied wine, without being ponderous. The flavor intensity is very pronounced. It is surprisingly balanced, despite its size and fleshyness. It needs lots of air and rich food to tame it, considering these notes were written after it had been open, with a Vacu-Vin closure for four days. It is ready, but seems like it would continue to improve if properly cellared at least until 2017.
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Opened, not decanted, started drinking immediately - mistake! Initial smell of alcohol and heat, not enjoyable. The wine started to open up by the last glass and was quite enjoyable, initial smell completely disappeared. A casual night, cant be bothered rating properly, but lesson learnt, this wine needs decanting.
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Tasted single blind. Ripe fruit on the nose with a little citrus. The palate is better than the nose with blackberry prominent. Good balance between savory and fruit notes. Not my best score for a Bella's but I find some big swings within and between vintages.
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Decanted four hours. Deep garnet stone color. Aromas of tar and mesquite smoke. Soft entry keeps me coming back. Resplendent with dark cherries, mesquite and olive tapenade. There is a solid fruit core and a lengthy finish. Impressive balance, generosity and linear flavor delineation. Enjoy now or hold. This is a beauty. 93
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In great shape right now, but it was tough to compare it to the other wines of the night ('05 SQN Atlantis Grenache mag, '05 Saxum Bone Rock, '04 Saxum Bone Rock, '07 Charles Smith Heart Syrah, '04 Ornellaia and many others). Probably has a few years left in it, but very balanced right now.
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Spontaneous Blind Tuesday night Rhone Varietals (Portland, Oregon): Wine had very aromatic grapey, blue fruit with hint of savory spice. Palate showed huge delicious dark fresh fruit, mouth coating soft tannin (One taster suggested a Rutherford quality tannin), sandalwood with hint of smoke. Finished long with alcohol in check.
Most guessed Barossa
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Ho-hum, nothing special. Stored at a constant 55 degrees and there wasn't much there. Maybe it was a bad bottle, but the huge fruit described in prior notes was nowhere to be found. To be sure, it is well made, but it was nothing like the Two Hands Ares that I've had.
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Big and viscous and very fruity. This bottle showed little acidity and couldnt really feel much tannin. A little out of balance with the fruit overwhelming other sensations. The flavors in the fruit are outstanding, just wish the structure was as good.
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Wow, 15.5% alc/vol; decanted for about an hour first; very powerful nose full of cherries, plums, graphite, minerals, and freshly cut grass, with quite noticeable rose petals in the background; the palate was very dense and loaded with cassis, plums, dark berries, green peppers, and exotic spices, which lingered through the medium-long and slightly drying finish; drinkable now, however, the acidity was still moderately high, suggesting at least a few more years away from maturity; overall, a nicely made and powerful Australian shiraz; 90-91 for now; based on its aging potential, this wine may improve by 1-2 points in 3-5 years; will try the next bottle after 2016.
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Aerated with Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Beautiful nose of blackberry, mulberry, spice, pepper, and vanilla. Blackberry jam, vanilla and fine tannins lead to a velvety, mouth coating finish. Full bodied. Paired with prime rib. A memorable bottle.
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Deep ruby-purple in color, showing lots of luscious blackberry and blueberry aromas with just a slight hint of mint. Medium bodied, with blackberry pie notes, fresh on the palate and clean. Very impressive.
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Dark, plum like rich fruit dominates this layered fruit forward, no fruit bomb Shiraz. This wine is so concentrated it is almost chewy, but in a delicious way. There is nothing subtle about this, just expect your mouth to be engulfed with dark berry goodness.
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Opened and decanted two of these for two hours to go with dinner. These were disappointing compared to previous bottles. The fruit was gone, although after sitting for a couple more hours the wine opened up a bit more. At this point I don't know whether to finish them off or wait a bit longer. There's plenty to drink so we'll probably wait.
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The wine is a deep, dark purple color. There are crushed berries, minerals, fresh ground espresso, dark chocolate, smoked meat, black pepper, vanilla, black cherries, Asian spices, and violets on the very inviting nose. This is fairly full bodied with nice, ripe tannins and good acidity. The wine is big, bold, and ripe on the palate with no raisin or syrupy notes. The palate features nice juicy, spicy berries with some oak in the background with minerals, meat, and dark chocolate. There is a long, lingering finish with the spicy berries lingering seemingly forever. This may not be for everyone, but if you want an in your face Shiraz, look no further.
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Wow....! Understated, with red fruit but not a lot, and some rhubarb. Looks so dark, but almost has a lightness to the taste, yet a long finish. Tannins nicely mellowed. My favorite Two Hands except for Ares.
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Deep dark brooding purple. Luscious and scrum-dilisious. Really an incredible Auzzie Shiraz. It has impressed me year oafter year, going back to the 2004 vintage. Have more bottles, but this was my last 2007. Loved the gaminess and burst of vibrant LIVE Red Berry fruit. Just loved it, and couldn't help polishing the whole bottle off in one night!!
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Good but not great wine at this point. Nice nose. Good front of the mouth taste but not much at the back of the tongue. Hopefully will improve with age.
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Great dark ruby, fabulous nose, nice finish. Flavors of plum, rhubarb and low tannins. Thought the acidity was a bit high and we were disappointed with the fruit. I've always trusted Costco but this may of had some mishandling along the way. Too good be called a flawed bottle but this didn't rate the scores like everyone is giving it. Very little fruit, even on the second night.
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Just a great wine, never losing or lacking its Aussie roots but showing everything that a good Syrah/Shiraz can be. It may not be the biggest that you'll ever have, but it is balanced exceedingly well with some air in it, and when you factor in the price, you recognize you've got a winner through and through.
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I thought this was a fantastic bottle of wine for the money. It was deep, dark, and had a great taste and nose immediately after beeing decantered. Lots of rich fruits, no tannins, and easy to drink. What more could you want in a good Shiraz.
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dark ruby in color. nice red fruits on the nose. palate is medium bodied and fairly sweet. tannins seem well integrated at this point. it's just pretty one dimensional for what i was expecting. on the surface it's nice, but there's just no real depth there. perhaps i expected too much, but at this price point, i can find better. i really wanted to love this wine, but i just couldn't get there.
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Continues to impress! Dark ruby red, and crimson shine to the edge. This fruit is note longer leaping from the glass by rolling out in successive waves of ripe red berry, rhubarb, and sassafras. Just lovely. Any contention earlier in it's life that this was just bother Auzzie fruit bomb must be past now. The matured 2 Hands Bella's is a joy to behold and well worth the dive into it's luscious fruit berry pond.....
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The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, and Black Pepper. The body is Full. The wine has Juicy texture. The wine finishes Long.咖啡味道
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Decanted for 3 hours. Sugar-coated black cherry dipped in vanilla extract. Powdered milk chocolate layered in silk. Tart, tight tannins with glycerin. Fruit is rediscent & closed down at this stage. Based on several passed bottles consumed & the top scores assigned, this vintage is in an odd phase. Suggest cellaring for a minimum of 2 years.
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No significant change from last year for me. Funny how it became tired and lackluster before...obviously due to a palate fatigue at the time.. This time it improved dramatically with air.
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Decanted. Really nice fruit with that familiar tart blackberry. Also hints of anise, oak and coffee. This tasted best at one hour after decanting. Not the best Bella's I've tasted but great.
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drank non-blind with the 2008. both wines dark purple in colour,with nose of dark berries and spice. fruit was a little brighter on the 07, with more red fruit tones .Both the 07 and 08 mediium acidity but 07 grittier in tannins than the 08
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- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of blackberry and raspberry. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a long finish - Excellent Shiraz...could smell the fruit from across the room!
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Suntacular 2011 (FMIII Home): bummer, last bottle! I wish I had bought a case when it was on sale for $29... ugh. Big and powerful, tons of fruit and alcohol showing on the back end, which blew off later. Excellent long finish. This is the kind of wine that grabs your attention.
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It is not an anonymous acquaintance to take a sip of this concentration bomb. Enjoyed from a large glass you smell the alcohol as well as freshly churned butter a little eucalyptus black pepper and strawberries. The taste confirms those scents that are accompanied by noticeable tannins and generally a little grapefruit-bitterness to complement the sweet elements that are also present. This is seasoned with vanilla from the cask and a hint of chocolate. The fruit tastes like it smelled expanded with cherries. It is a pleasure to shake hands with Two Hands Bella's Garden. It pulls effortlessly 92 points.
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Drank over the course of about four hours, but didn't decant. At the start, just felt sort of weightless: it was showing fruit, tannin, etc, on the outside, but just felt empty in the mouth. By the last glass, all of those external characteristics - particularly the intense, dark fruit - were deeply amplified - but that helium-like weightlessness was still there. I guess it's just the mouth feel - similar to other Aussie shirazes I've had - that kills it for me. The velvety softness of it seems incongruous with the blast of fruit and tannin. Not my style. Although I liked this better than the 2002 Elderton Command I had last night, that wine seemed to have a better sense of self - the Command was languid, soft, and lazily volutuous to its core - while the Bellas Garden seems intense and vibrant on its face, with no core or heart to back that up.
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Dark fruits, smooth...Big, but smooth and pretty easy to drink. Nice bottle. Chocolate, dark spices, plum. Doesn't show the 15.5% alcohol but almost there.
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Almost black in the glass, this wine shows amazing concentration. Beautiful berry fruit and a hint of white pepper on the nose. The palate shows elegant, slightly sweet plum and lovely use of oak.
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Seems to have opened up since tasted a year ago; lots of plums, strawberries aromas and flavors; blueberry and chocolate notes on long, smooth finish; a bit more silky and not as hot compared to what I remember from last time
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Fabulous bouquet with crashed berries, purple dark ruby red, plenty of legs, bold, integrated tannins, very fine and creamy, black berry, cassis, currant, vanilla, tobacco, a bit of white peppy, concentrated, complex, refined, long velvet finish. I will buy more for sure.
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Drank alongside a bottle of 'Lily's Garden', and it was just a touch better from an acidic structure POV, but this was stunning nonetheless - Black, full bodied with a nose of extreme plum, blueberry, pepper, spice and vanilla, well made, very intense, yet balanced, sweet, silky smooth on the palate with terrific length, awesome! (93 Points).
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Pop and decanted; let breathe about 20minutes. Dark color; nice nose of cherries and some oak. In the mouth, this shows sweet fruit - mostly back cherries and chocolate. The alcohol level is a stated 15.5%. This doesn't sow much heat but is a heat. This is a powerful and concentrated wine.
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Loved it. Big and generous, with loads of lush fruit, but also some real backbone. The weight and density of this wine hangs on a well-structured framework. And though the fruit is pretty massive is clean and pure, not cooked.
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Stunning example of a great Shiraz. Full body, excellent complexity. The wine looks Violet colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, Raspberry, Black currant (cassis), Mineral, Smokey Bacon, and Lead Pencil. It tastes like and Black Pepper. The body is Full. The wine is textured Round. The wine finishes Long.
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Truly compelling in the full-bore style. I complain an awful lot about Aussie Shirazes in this genre, but Two Hands usually does it right. This is forward but not overpowering. Ripe fig, blackberry, blueberry, and just about every other kind of berry mix it up with some nuts and general inkiness. Lots of depth and an easygoing velvety feel. Though it's ripe, the alcohol doesn't scream 15%+!!! to me, which is the problem I usually encounter with Aussies of this ilk. Tremendous.
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Decanted for 2 hours. Deep purple color. Amazing nose with dark fruit predominant. Blackberry, currants, vanilla, and minerals on the palate. Full bodied with no noticeable heat. Fruit and minerals are well integrated for a long finish. Overall an outstanding Aussie Shiraz that is drinking very well at this time.
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Aromas of blackberries and blueberries. Potent aromas but not over the top or fake. Very big on the palate. Pure blackberry and cherry flavors. Viscous mouthfeel but doesn't get too syrupy. Sweet tannins grip on the end of the long finish.
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I didn't think I would top the previous wine of the night but this one did. I forgot how good my first bottle was. Popped, Vinturi'd, decant for about an hour. Big, bad Aussie Shiraz. Not hot on my palate at all, great fruit, minerals, vanilla, cranberry, long balanced finish. Sadly my last bottle.
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Decanted 2 hours. Deep purple color. Mineral laden crushed berries, vanilla, smoked meat, and a nice floral note on the nose. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and good acidity. Fantastic on the palate with loads of ripe fruit riding over nice mineral notes. Ripe but not over the top and syrupy. Tannins and acidity hold everything in check. Fairly long finish with a nice pepper not kicking in and lingering. Really nice stuff. This may improve, but it is delicious right now.
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Had this one year ago. Seems to have mellowed a bit, though using the word mellow with this wine is probably a mistake. Big and lush, with raspberry liqueur, spice, cranberry, hard candy, and actually an undercurrent of rocky minerality. Definitely not as hot feeling as previous bottle. 91+
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my first impression was that it wasn't nearly as over the top as i'd expected. actually very pretty in its deep swirling perfume of mixed berries, licorice, hints of fresh gingerbread, cardamom — and this balanced beautifully against the flavor profile, which was plenty big, but not in a McBain kinda way... just... lots and lots of prettiness to admire. supple, with a freshness of acidity that almost shimmers, and with maybe a bit less tannin than i'd like, but whatever, i really appreciate how it all fits together. i don't pick up on the high alcohol but for the wee tiniest bit, and i think i'm usually pretty sensitive to it... so that's nice. excellent composition, all around.
p.s. for a fun comparison, i opened a bottle of cheap vin de pays syrah that i'd left sitting upstairs all summer as an experiment to see how much damage this crazy hot summer could dole out. this led to the second pleasant surprise of the night: it was just fine. and you'd think, given the heat wave we had in the northeast this summer that it would've been a total trainwreck of a bottle. i mean, it was never a good bottle anyway, but goddamn it if it didn't keep its integrity! guess there may be something to UC Davis enology professor Andrew Waterhouse's relaxed attitude toward wine storage after all.
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93+. I am in Love! This may have not gotten "better" than the bottle opened 8 months ago, but the fruit seems more vibrant plush and rich. Beautiful Ruby Red, and shiny, semi-clear some light passing. Nose has lots of Red berry fruit with some olive. The mouthfeel is so ripe, with Cherry, Cranberry, or maybe pomegranate. Long wonderful finish that sings, and becomes deeper the longer this bottle is open.
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Looked forward to popping this and it was everything I read: Big, bold, dripping syrah fruity with enough others aromas of leather, smoke, and some unidentified spice. Medium finish, leaving you wanting more.
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Improved since first attempt. On first night was over the top to my tastes, though the last half glass (3 hours after opening) began to come together very well. Night two was very enjoyable in a big wine kind of way. Much better showing than last time.
Very fruit driven. Missing beam of pepper I have tested in other vintages ( which I liked). Long persistent finish.
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NobleRottersSydney - Two Hands wines with Matt Wenk (Alio's, Surry Hills): [15.8%, cork, A$60] Purple. Essence of blackberry and inky iodine aromas. Intense, full-bodied wine. Masses of powdery tannins. Lavish sweet fruit-cake /christmas pudding flavours, shot through with stewed red berries. Ripe fruit saturates the mid-palate, alcoholic warmth dominates (for me) the finish, which is medium length. It’s clearly a more pleasant drink at seven years than three; and there is a kind of brethren qaulity across the two Bella’s wines. Even with the heat here, there’s not the raisiny aspect to the flavours I find in the Padthaway wine. Impressive, if a bit intimidating…
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Great wine, easy to drink. Dark berries. Let it air out at least an hour before drinking. Not quite at it's peak, but was very good with smoked salmon. Wait a year to drink the next.
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Agree with some of the other tasting notes, at $35 worth the adventure but a rip off in the $60 range. Not a traditional Aussie Shiraz. Lighter, both in body and color, and sweeter than I expected. Fruit and cotton candy jump out at you. It was a bit of a surprise to me that there were no oak, leather, or spice tones. Smooth with a nice finish.
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I used an aerator and decanted for 1 hour. It’s been four months since I’ve tried this wine I enjoyed this vintage! Wow… the aerator and decanting time really helped the wine to open and share the aroma of currants, cherries, vanilla and spice. During tasting, there were strong notes of dark fruit, cloves and leather. I enjoyed this wine but I still believe that cellaring for a couple of years will only help this wine.
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Nice smooth shiraz. High-alcohol was not felt, nice smooth finish, some sweetness but enjoyable. Very simple but good shiraz. Probably worth tying at $36 (in costco) but a real rip-off for $50-60 box in other stores. Easy going ready to drink.
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Decanted for full day by opening and putting cork back in. Always a crowd pleaser. I haven't met a person who isn't taken with this wine. Big, interesting, refined and just plain fun to swirl around and gulp. The color is fascinatingly unusual too. Very blueish purple.
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needed an hour in the glass for the alcohol to burn off, then dark berry and licroice aromas and flavors started to come through, but never really evolved into strength and complexity of past TH vintages; definitely at its awkward stage which I've concluded is common for TH at this point in life; like past vintages, probably 2 or 3 years in the bottle will do wonders
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Dark red and black fruits and eucalyptus with a touch of burnt rubber come through on the nose. There is a ton of black fruit and zesty vanilla cotton candy that shows on the palate. The finish is lengthy, yet a bit tannic and gripping with a rustic acidic tang. I feel like this wine is just beginning to enter a dumb phase and will really hit its stride in about 5 years. The 89 rating will increase to a 93/94 if I'm right about where it's going. If I'm incorrect, then in 5 years you'll have an 89 wine. Buy and sit on it for now and hope it goes to the next level.
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Excruciatingly young, this reportedly 'best' of Two Hands' Garden Series shiraz in 2007, was dark as night, giving up little on the nose and very primary on the palate. Nice berry fruit, and quite lean and structured. This is not the fat, lush and voluptuous shiraz that you might expect. After one glass I vacu-vined the rest and opened the next day, along with a nearly 3 hour decant. Even then, just barely starting to open up a little, broadening both nose and palate. Will sit on the rest of our 5 bottles for at least another year, then retry only after a lengthy decant.
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Nice color. Nose shows some bacon fat, leather and dark fruit. Nice tang on the initial attack, with an element of pomegranate, transitioning to some vanilla, oak and dark fruit. Nice finish.
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Not quite as good as I remembered, but still quite good. Amazing balance of fruit and tang on the front. Length wasn't quite as good as I remembered, it will probably be even better with additional bottle age.
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Very dark, almost purple-black color. Strong alcohol whiff, but once you get past that, there's a lot of cherry, lavender, chocolate and spice. The palate is dense and full-bodied with loads of ripe fruits of red cherry layered with raspberry, blackberry with hints of bay leaf, olives and sweet oak. The finish is long with chewy, but delightful tannins that make drinking it a very supple and delightful experience. Drink now until 2020.
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Great stuff! Foundation of leather with dark berries plus some raspberry on the top, black pepper, and menthol. Taste of tar and prunes/raisins. Long finish with spicy tannins.
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Deep purple velvet, but still some light passing through. Glass decanted for 30 min, with a lot of Oak on the nose. Not killing me, but heavy oak. This blew off over another hour, and took on some really vibrant red berry fruit and pomagranate overtones. Still had some bitter taste, but not distracting. Overall, a very balanced wine, that I would call special. We paired with beef brisket, and the fruit held it's own. Even more power once paired with Chocolate. It will be fun to see what the other bottles bring to the dance over time.
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Deep and dark, fruity nose. This is a big wine that easily held it's own with beef short ribs that were braised in a wine-based braise. This wine was served with dinner after warming up with a 1997 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages. The dinner guests were Shiraz lovers, which made this wine a huge hit.
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The color is a dark red, almost purple hue. The nose shows blueberry fruit, birch, cola and some vanilla. It's enticing and not overdone in any way. The palate is an assault of flavors with dark cherries, cinnamon, sour berries, dark chocolate and savory spices. Remains remarkably fresh yet so intense all the way to the long, fresh finish where you find dark chocolate covered cranberries. WOW!
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This is a big wine, showing all the characteristics of a Barossa Valley Shiraz. A deep darp purple colour displaying blueberry and sweet spice on the nose with just a hint of vanilla, on the palate this wine bursts with dark fruit and a smoothness which is suprising considering its youth, alcohol not too promonent considering its 15.5% content and nice tannic structure, all the elements there for cellaring. This wine is good now but I think it will be very good in 5 to 10 years.
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I enjoyed this vintage with medallions of beef. The wine absolutely needing aggressive swirling to open the aroma of blueberries and vanilla. During tasting, there were strong notes of dark fruit and leather. I enjoyed this wine but I believe that cellar time of three to five years is necessary for maximum potential to be realized!
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Gotta tell you, starting to wonder whether this one just won't work for me. Heavy alcohol on the nose, super-concentrated and almost syrupy on the palate. A guest asked if it was a fortified wine. Yikes. Everything I dread about overdone Aussie Shiraz. Disappointing given experience with prior vintages, Wine Spectator rating and the fact that I have 8 left. Do I wait and hope age balances it out, or do I donate half a case to the kids' school auction this year....
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Unfair for me to score this one as it is clearly not my style (or at least wasn't on New Years Eve). Plenty of fruit and spice jumping from the glass, but it is a bit over the top to my palate. I am thinking that perhaps with a little time, the flavors will be more integrated and perhaps some secondary flavors too. At this point, though, others may enjoy this more than me.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Deep rich smells of blueberries, vanilla, maybe some leather. Taste was delicious blueberries with a long finish and pleasant tannins. Some alcohol heat on first opening, but that faded after the decanting. Perfect wine for New Years Eve. Bought three more for future special occasions.
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The first night this was way hot, on night two it hit it's stride and on night three this was amazing. This is a big, thick, extracted monster that on night one was bordering over-the-top for my tastes. On night three this was happiness perfumed liquid silk. If you drink this now give it as much air time as possible and you will be rewarded.
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Drank over 2 hours. Dark magenta in the stem. Nose of blackberry and spice. Some heat up front, concentrated plum, blue/blackberry flavors with silky tannins. A caressing mouthfeel, and very long finish. One of the best aussie shiraz I've had in a while. Can't wait to try again in a few years.
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Keeps getting better with age! Third bottle we drank and it dominates! Really opened up on the second night. Viscous, chewy, leather with dark fruit and extra long, complex finish. Glad we stock piled this bottle. Ranks right up there with Grange, at a miniscule fraction of the cost (of course).
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Enjoyed with medium rare prime filet. Needed something quick for dinner, so did not decant. Inky purple out of the bottle. Very concentrated and just a bit hot on the first couple of sips. More old world than fruit bomb Shiraz to my palate. Velvety mouthfeel, dark fruits, fine tannins, lengthy finish. I found myself rolling it around in my mouth and not wanting to swallow. I'm saving half the bottle to try again tomorrow. This wine will age well. I love a great Shiraz and this is a great Shiraz. I'm a bit upset with myself for not ordering two cases at that incredible price.
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I'm going to hold off on rating this right now because I'm finding it to be a bit over the top. I've enjoyed many Bella's over the years, usually farther past the vintage. With 9 left (got 8 at a ridiculous price from JJ Buckley) I'll have plenty of chances when its more mature.
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A huge fruit and alcohol bomb. This is like using Thor's hammer to drive a nail. Mulberry and dense cherry, licorice, allspice, clove, pepper. I found having a mouthful was way too much heat for me. Rough edges may round out eventually.
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tail end of a cold spoiled my taste buds but very impressed nonetheless. Dark purple in colour with black fruit on the nose that gave way to some cherry tones over the next hour. Very rich & opulent, silky structure with long long finish.
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My first Shiraz from Two Hands - Wow!!! Popped and poured with an assist to my new Vinturi. Lots of dark fruit on the nose, outstanding finish. Lately I have had several Shiraz/Syrah and this bottle shines...highly recommend!
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Really really good. Great dark fruit, a smooth midsection, unbelievable balance and length. I kept expressing amazement at how good this was, it paired very well with pasta and red sauce. Very excited about having two more bottles.
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Tried one early adn was surprised and delighted. Much more Old World than expected. Suave, silky, deep black fruits and balanced for so young. Can't wait to see how it ages.
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Very yummy with a dense purple color and strong, dark fruits on the way in. Long finish that exploded with each sip. Opened and poured through a vinturri into the decanter, then gave it another hour. Paired with london broil and grilled veggies. A perfect way to end the week.
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gave to mahesh on the occasions of his birthday and being licensed to practice medicine in the state of new york. He reports having enjoyed the bottle with ellen.
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Decanted for 3 hours. Nose of dark, ripe plums rolled in candied spice. Dark, rich blueberry & blackberry compote upon initial taste. Silky smooth tannins, long lingering finish with hint of all-spice, that seemingly went on forever! For a recent release, it was the most refined shiraz I've ever drank. Just a perfect balance of fruit, spice and complexity. We're excited about having 2 more bottles in cellar but will be difficult to hold on to! High fives all around to M. Twelftree & R. Mintz.
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11/3/2023 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Evolving along nicely. Savory now, and really quite delicious. And will go longer.
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4/3/2021 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 3h and enjoyed with ribeye, consistent with my previous notes this has a beautiful nose, cedar and alcohol; on the palate red fruit, more wood and acid and pepper in the finish. For me this wine feels like it is fully mature and perhaps starting to decline. Won't ever know because this was my last bottle.
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3/15/2021 - Gemofwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Prominent Sandalwood scent, ripe cherries, fresh shower from the sky. The aroma is uniquely Bella’s garden.
The palate is so sharply intense to the point that one can sense numbness with liquorice finish.
Perfectly intensely balanced.
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9/12/2020 - skurtz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened to breathe for 3h on burger night. Mom loved this. Lots of alcohol and spices on the nose and palate, ample sweet red fruit, spices, tannins, and black pepper in this finish. Very easy to drink and enjoy for a family dinner. I would say this is definitely still in its drinking window, not sure how much longer it will last. 91/92
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5/30/2020 - MarshallLi Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium ruby,medium(+) red plum,black cherry,black pepper,ripe fruit,chocolate,mushroom,dry,medium(+) acidity,smooth medium(-) tannin,high alcohol,medium(+) body,medium(+) finish,very good wine,suitable for bottle ageing
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5/29/2020 - Costes76 Likes this wine: 91 Points
5. Deep purple color. Intense savory aroma with truffle and spices. Dry, lively acidity, grippy tannins, textured jammy taste of blackberry, blackcurrant, meat, mushroom, oak, spices. Full body and long (but slightly tart) finish. Guess Aus Barossa Shiraz 2012. 91 (2/6). Result Aus Barossa Two Hands Bella’s Garden Shiraz 2007.
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3/13/2020 - skurtz wrote: 92 Points
Tasted head to head with Amon-Ra 2005. This comes in second place, but it is still delicious and half the price! A perfumy nose of alcohol, spices, and oak. On the palate, ample red fruit, oak, and a soft finish. A great showing, paired with grilled steak tips and garden vegetables.
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3/10/2020 - chesco01 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wow. Fruit bomb. Still has life left
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1/27/2020 - morpheusrising Likes this wine: 92 Points
Better than expected.
Nose is still immensely motor shop with not a lot of anything else. A bit of cassis and that’s about it. However...
Palate was rock solid. Still fruit forward but a lot of elegance is starting to come through and a nice earthy floor is being built under all that bigness. Dark fruit, primarily blackberry with a bit of blue. Some dark cherry. Leather, tar, and sweet cedar and tobacco.
Very happy, and it appears that perhaps these are actually age worthy!
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1/22/2020 - apple1813 Likes this wine: 92 Points
2007 Two Hands Shiraz Tasting at Winetasters of Toronto Club (North York Memorial Hall): 2007 Two Hands Shiraz Bella's Garden was fully mature and filled with tart red fruit and tertiary aromas. The Barossa Valley Shiraz was clear medium ruby in colour with significant browning rim. On the nose, Worcestershire sauce jumped out up front, followed with tart red cherries, red plum, forest berries and earth. The mouthfeel was full-bodied, with medium-high level of acidity and medium level of mature melting tannin. The long finish was packed with flavours of forest berries, fallen leaves and ceder wood. Many tasters at the same table found the wine over the peak, and had trouble with the Worcestershire sauce aromas.
The individual ranking was the third, and the table rank was the eighth out of eight Two Hands Shiraz wines in the tasting.
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9/29/2019 - red.red.vino wrote: flawed
Cork taint
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8/30/2019 - SmithBerrey wrote:
From Kevan
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7/5/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 95 Points
Euphoria Wine Club BYOB Dinner (Bakalaki Greek Taverna): As with most Shiraz from Barossa, this is big, intense, and powerful. High tannins and moderate alcohol heat, which was perhaps well-balanced from the intensity. Mostly secondary with blackcurrant jam, cherries, sandalwood smoke, tar, and even quite inkish. It quickly evolves to cheese and meat towards the back, and the grass, herbs, and peppers present themselves in the finish. Great wine!
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4/4/2019 - barrkel Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good, but not great. Muted fruit from cork bottle, some blueberry on the nose, but not strong. Savoury flavours more than anything, garrigue, stems, and medium tannins, unobtrusive acidity. Alcohol levels noticeable. I think my previous bottle was better. I have one more to go.
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3/12/2019 - Bob's cellar wrote: 95 Points
Last bottle from the vintage and just delightfully perfect!
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2/11/2019 - barrkel wrote: 93 Points
Rich fruit, hint of menthol, balanced acid and tannins, and silky mouth feel, this is satisfying and decadent drinking on its own.
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2/7/2019 - rickfell-new wrote: 95 Points
I've always liked this wine, still drinking great
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1/6/2019 - chadrich wrote: 93 Points
Still a beautiful wine. Floral nose with some “twiggy” herbs (rosemary and thyme) and just a hint of camphor. Palate is rich and round with a velvety mouthfeel. Notes of pepper, black fruit, pomegranate. Very ready now but not at all showing its age. Easily hold another 3 to 5 years.
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11/27/2018 - Gemofwine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Bouquet is power house of fresh garden herbs, mint & flowers, warm spicy notes of pepper & nutmeg, cocoa & sandalwood.
Palate is lighter than the nose, good structure of fully Integrated acid and tannin;
Medium to full bodied.
Color is Ruby purple.
A very proud beautiful Barossa Shiraz.
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8/5/2018 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still has plenty of dark red fruit. Some herbal notes and tannins on the back end.
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10/28/2017 - AlfredDuMont Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby in colour. On nosing, medium plus aroma of red currant, red berries, dried rose followed by herbal and green notes then polished leather. Also earthy cloves and some dried fruits . Taste with similar flavours, medium acidity, high alcohol, medium and supple tannin, medium plus body and medium plus finish. Better with some decanting but no significant change in flavours. Felt like walking into a berry garden after rain with leather tools. Excellent wine.
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10/11/2017 - hllam wrote:
fruity need air
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9/4/2017 - Sonoffalstaff Likes this wine: 92 Points
Second bottle and drinking consistently well this year. Super inviting nose, lovely dark crimson hue. Attack is precise with a good end to end coating of flavours. Well integrated and long finish. Good level of complexity for a wine at this price point. Alcohol high but well hidden ( be careful!)
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8/9/2017 - Vinacull wrote: 89 Points
Aerate to decanter, color is dark red with purple and black hues, still no sign of age. Big beautiful aromas of ripe bing cherries, red plums, some blackberries, baking spice, and milk chocolate. Flavors of rich dark cherries, plums, baking spices, tar and leather. Refreshing level of acid and plush tannins not fully integrated still suggest this has years of life to go, but why wait. Finish was lengthy and redolent with concentrated cherries and spice but some alcohol showing gave it a medicinal quality. Overall excellent but not as good as my experience three years ago and also suffered in direct comparison to the '06 La Sirena Barrett Vineyard Syrah.
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7/29/2017 - bacchus wrote: 93 Points
shared with pat at selkirk manor to celebrate the end of the work week. for readers old enough to remember the lucky strike commercial, this wine is LSMFT/RF&FP. Vinacull describes it better than i can. all i can say is that this wine has everything going for it. wish i had read winemaker's notes more carefully, as this wine has a long life ahead of it. this experience renews my faith in wine from australia after being turned off by the scandal of using purchased grapes to increase the supply of a wine that received favorable reviews. of course, this wine is in a higher price bracket so it is fair to expect more from it. i am glad to have purchased it at discount but might even be willing to pay the full retail price which it now commands.
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7/26/2017 - Cikgoo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Awesome Blackberry and cherries with plums and cinnamon
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4/11/2017 - tadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well now but a great deal of life yet. Drank from the bottle for 2 hours and then stored over night and had the next day. Was consistent throughout - dark and forward fruit, beautifully integrated tannins, and black pepper. Gives faith in Australia
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3/11/2017 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for 1.5 hours. Nose of blackberry, black plum, spice and forest floor. Black fruit, spice and vanilla on the palate. Leads to a long finish. Dense and full bodied. Served with corned beef.
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3/10/2017 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Amazing complexity but such a big wine. The perfect evolution. This will not get better
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2/11/2017 - gajalaa Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very Nice
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2/5/2017 - kaizman wrote: 88 Points
I wish I had opened a little sooner. Had been sampling some 2013 Napa cabs and this one was somewhat disappointing. Really mellowed out and very little finish and definitely on the decline.
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1/23/2017 - lushlife wrote: 92 Points
berries, spice, and a hint of burnt orange
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12/26/2016 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
PIE! This one is like pie. A great pie full of berries and dark fruit, not a lot of sugar, but some baking spice, and a wonderful texture of thick fruit. Perfect for a Merry Christmas!
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12/17/2016 - TallMikeWine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Oh, this is good! Always happy to suck up some good juice from Barossa!
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11/11/2016 - 818wines Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinking well right now.
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9/18/2016 - red.red.vino wrote:
My previous review stands, needs solid decanter time, still a tad hot and heavy.
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9/4/2016 - oldwines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep dark purple garnet. Heavy nose with plenty of dark fruit and some spice along with noticeable alcohol. At 15.5% ABV this is a hugely extracted "bruiser". While reasonably balanced, this is very powerful and still young. My hope is it settles down over time as this overpowers even the strongest foods, like in this case smoked pulled pork with a tangy BBQ sauce and some added chili sauce.
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9/4/2016 - Zed57 wrote: 95 Points
It really has hit its sweet spot
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7/31/2016 - SLLDAL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Filtered, double decanted, and aerated with a Vinturi. Brutal when first opened (even after the Vinturi and double decant) -- almost seemed corked -- but after a 4-hour decant, it was beautiful.
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3/26/2016 - red.red.vino wrote: 91 Points
Most definitely needs time in the decanter, first 3 hours are not very pleasant. Finding this a tad hot and heavy, albeit not unpleasant. Talk on the town that 07 wasn't great in South Australia with entry level premium wines only a decade in them max. This is holding up alright, 12 year cellar life (2019) is my 2 pennies worth.
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3/13/2016 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Blackberry, black plum, anise, mocha and spice on the nose and palate. Ripe juicy tannins. Mouth coating. Leads to a fruit forward, long finish. Full bodied. Paired with smoked ham.
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3/5/2016 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 93 Points
consistent with notes of 10/18/2014 - more graceful than you might expect.
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2/26/2016 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
It is big but is so complex it feels easy going. Shiraz as lovers will love and aged cab ;lovers will be impressed. A really good all around wine.
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2/16/2016 - WI WineLover wrote: 88 Points
Might be past its prime
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2/9/2016 - roybivens Likes this wine: 96 Points
Still wonderful. Consistent notes from last tasting. Chewy. Some raisin. Prime drinking. Score [ 50 + 5 + 14 + 19 + 8] = 96.
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1/23/2016 - Chrisinroch Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice typicity. Pepper, dark red(almost) plummy fruit, vanilla. Smooth tannins. Enough acid on the finish. Great with steak. It is unabashedly modern Aussie Shiraz, but it's a very nice example
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1/11/2016 - Red Devils Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very good Shiraz. Smooth finish
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12/12/2015 - Zed57 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Amazingly complex for such a sweet fruity wine. A paradox. The tannins have softened and it is opening up brilliantly. Greta now and has 3-5 years
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10/17/2015 - snowstrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was worth the wait, though I think it will continue to get better and better as tannins soften. This is certainly a big fruity, alcoholic wine, but it has mellowed with age to make it much more drinkable for my palate. Very little on the nose with just a hint of blackberry along with alcohol. In the mouth it starts really well with lots of blueberry, blackberry, and other dark fruits along with a bit of spice. The tannins really hit in the back of the mouth and the high alcohol content becomes much more noticeable. Finishes strong as mouth adjusts to tannins. Dank this on its own, but think it would have shown even better paired with food.
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8/21/2015 - MattB72 wrote: 92 Points
Love it.
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7/31/2015 - red.red.vino wrote:
Still a little warm, give it a another year to settle.
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6/19/2015 - sonodoc Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has a sweet taste to the red fruit, with a touch of licorice. The tannins are very soft and smooth, and a nicely balanced wine. Very enjoyable!
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5/19/2015 - ecola Likes this wine: 91 Points
Takes an hour to open up. Fully developed at this time. Blackberry, blueberry, black tea, and a little cherry comes through. Medium to full body, very smooth palate and soft finish. May be past it's peak, drink now.
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4/24/2015 - MattJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Balanced, nice fruit, not too much vanilla/oak and a long elegant finish - an excellent shiraz
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4/7/2015 - jfolbe wrote: 90 Points
Candied cherry noted. No secondary fruit yet. Needed longer decant.
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3/22/2015 - Battersea James wrote: 88 Points
This packs a huge punch! Packed full of fruit and spice with a decent finish. Personally I found it a little too rich without a great deal of complexity but perhaps it just needs to age for longer?
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3/22/2015 - CWang wrote: 93 Points
Much improvement from the previous bottle tasted in 2013; allowed to breathe in the open bottle for around 30 minutes prior to serving; also highly perfumed nose full of dark berries and cherries, chocolate, graphite, and elegant spices, plus some summer flowers; much reduced acidity on the more textured palate, and still quite dense and packed with lots of dark fruits and wood spices; very long finish yet still with noticeable dry tannins; overall, 92-93 points at this stage; not sure if this wine would evolve any further but it was quite enjoyable and probably as good as it could get already.
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2/21/2015 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Bouquet of blackberry, blueberry, chocolate, white pepper and spice. Velvety blackberry jam, chocolate and spice on the palate. Leads to a long finish. Full bodied with a rich, dense texture. Paired with filet mignon and a red wine sauce.
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2/10/2015 - Bozekt wrote: 93 Points
Decanted about an hour. Deep violet color, amazing nose of jammy blackberry, cassis, plum, and spice. Fruit is prevalent on the initial palate, but the pepper and spice you'd expect from an Aussie Shiraz is what lingers. Not overly dry - could easily enjoy alone, but was an awesome accompaniment to the prime steaks we enjoyed with it. Medium tannin on the long finish. Can't wait to try the top 100 winning '12 vintage in a few more years!
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2/8/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep purple hues, lush ripe fruit. Crowd pleaser at a wine tasting.
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2/1/2015 - jrobs7777 wrote:
Big and bold. Better on first day. Dark purple red. Cola, nice big fruit core but surprisingly balanced for what it is. Rich dark fruits, with menthol and spice. Lush coating palate. On the second day, it lost the sweetness and felt flat. While the wine is not going anywhere, it certainly is not going to develop any further.
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1/30/2015 - ctjared Likes this wine:
solid
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1/24/2015 - joet626 Likes this wine: 94 Points
As good as it gets. Rich and opulent. Loads of plum and dark fruits. Silky smooth. Nothing to not love here
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1/17/2015 - MattB72 wrote: 93 Points
decanted and drink over 3 hours. Big fruit initially, but mellowed out after an hour. Great wine very smooth with lots of depth. Not a typical Shiraz to me (in a very good way). Maybe only another five years, but drinking very well right now
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12/31/2014 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double decanted and then poured through aerator. Delicious plum and raspberry aromas and flavors; blueberry and chocolate notes on long. Very consistent with previous bottles. Silky smooth on the palette.
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12/7/2014 - JAT wrote: 94 Points
Excellent wine. Well-balanced, good structure, silky mouthfeel, complex with dark fruit, red fruit, and olive aroma and flavor.
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12/2/2014 - MattJ Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent shiraz, fruity, balanced and complex. Despite 15.5% alcohol remained nicely structured.
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11/28/2014 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark red -purple. Layers upon layers of black raspberry and blueberry, with nice acidity to round it out. This is a big wine, but has lots of depth and character. I see why it gets lots of yearly praise from the Wine Spectator
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11/28/2014 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bright fruit, nice aussie Shiraz. Did like. Velvety and smooth.
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11/21/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Let it breathe for over 90 minutes and it needs it. Deep hues. Morphs into a lovely plush fruit bomb with subdued EtOH and tannins. Very long finish.
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11/1/2014 - Paul from the Oblong Table Likes this wine: 91 Points
Plenty of fruit, no tannins to go with our initial experience at Indeblue. Shared with Rob & Beth. The Greek after dinner bottle, brought from Santorini, ended a wonderful evening.
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10/18/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 93 Points
To call Two Hands Bella's Garden consistent is an understatement - every year it is an excellent mid level selection. Not overdone at all, this presents blackberry, cranberry, and lively acidity balanced with bay leaf and salinity. Nicely done.
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7/8/2014 - Hugene1 wrote: 88 Points
Good depth of flavor - deep dark fruit. Not pruney, but quite dense. Good acidity. Almost throws it off balance at times. A bit disjointed as it flows through to the finish. No secondary flavors as of yet - not sure if those will come through.
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5/9/2014 - fishracer wrote: 87 Points
Somewhat heavy and single noted. Not refined at all.
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4/20/2014 - Vinacull wrote: 92 Points
Respi-Aerate to decanter, let sit for perhaps 90 min. Color dark red with purple and black hues, opaque at center, transparent red at rim, full body, some extract left in bottle. Beautiful open bouquet of kirsch, lighter red cherries, baking spice, pepper, leather and hints of milk duds. Overall a telltale Aussie nose that promises big rich ripe fruit to flood the palate. However on taste I was pleasantly surprised that this was more refined and balanced in its presentation than the aromas suggest, with concentrated delicious dark cherries and red berries complicated with some tar, mint, spice, and leathery notes. Medium acid, medium-plus tannins seemed mildly grippy but did not detract from enjoyment, and a medium-plus finish. This is in the pocket now (92-93), and was of course a great pairing with a leg of lamb roasted with EVO, garlic and rosemary on Easter Sunday. In fact this was the best Two Hands Shiraz we've had in a number of years. One bottle to go, and will drink in 3-5.
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4/16/2014 - red.red.vino wrote: 93 Points
Strangely no heat upon opening as per my previous note. Nevertheless a 4hr decant. Agree a big wine, but being an Aussie I lap this stuff up. Plum, cherry and a little jammy that gives the mouth a little coating with a solid medium+ finish. Enjoyed now but a few years left, probably some integration to go.
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4/4/2014 - roybivens wrote: 96 Points
Wonderfully balanced. Chewy. Not a fruit bomb - but very rich with ample fruit. A little hot on first opening but smoothed out with about an hour of air post Venturi. Even better on day 2. This really seems to be coming into a good phase and is drinking nicely. I think it still has a little time to continue to develop and integrate even more. Glad I have a few left in the cellar. Will look forward to trying this again next year. What a pleasure. Score [50 + 5 + 14 + 19 + 8 ] = 96.
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3/22/2014 - Paul from the Oblong Table wrote: 92 Points
92 may not be high enough. I always loved this label, and this bottle was no different. Very special nose, depth, and color. A talented wine writer would go crazy on this one--it was that good.
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3/8/2014 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous notes.
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3/1/2014 - Domer99 wrote: 90 Points
Not the fruit bomb I feared, but not as special a bottle as I had hoped. Popped and let it breathe for 30-45 minutes. Strong fruit, but balanced. The alcohol, though high on the lable, didn't jump out at me. A bit jammy, but not too much. Great grip. A nice bottle and its style matches my palate more than most Australian bottles these days.
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2/22/2014 - hoservin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aerated with a Vinturi and decanted for two hours. Bouquet of blackberry, mocha, baking spice, bacon fat and vanilla. Blackberry jam, black plum, vanilla, spice and firm, gripping tannins lead to a very, long finish. Full bodied, fleshy and dense. This is pure Barossa Valley; big and powerful. Drinking very well with lots of runway left. Paired with steak and a mushroom cream sauce.
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1/15/2014 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 90 Points
This is a big wine with a lot of fruit and alcohol. It could still take more cellaring or drink now but either way open for awhile to let the residual alcohol burn off.
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1/12/2014 - theonlylittledog wrote: 92 Points
Does what it says on the tin. Big fruity Barossa Shiraz
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1/5/2014 - TannicBeast Likes this wine: 94 Points
Clear purple, nearly black, with some deep ruby on the rim. Thick dark legs reveal a lot of extraction. The nose is clean, intense, developing, and moderately complex, with aromas of ripe red fruit, white pepper, menthol (Vick's?), leather and milk chocolate. The palate is dry but quite fruit-driven. The acidity is medium (+). The tannins are medium (+) to pronounced and still quite grippy. The alcohol is pronounced and hot at 15.5%. I could not detect any minerality to speak of. The mouthfeel is smooth, almost velvety. The palate is consistent with the nose, with dry, tart red fruit and a long, savory finish. This is a full-bodied wine, without being ponderous. The flavor intensity is very pronounced. It is surprisingly balanced, despite its size and fleshyness. It needs lots of air and rich food to tame it, considering these notes were written after it had been open, with a Vacu-Vin closure for four days. It is ready, but seems like it would continue to improve if properly cellared at least until 2017.
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1/4/2014 - mgstull Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much more evolved than previous bottle. Dark purple red. Creamy blueberry and blackberry with spicy pepper. Long finish.
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1/3/2014 - red.red.vino wrote:
Opened, not decanted, started drinking immediately - mistake! Initial smell of alcohol and heat, not enjoyable. The wine started to open up by the last glass and was quite enjoyable, initial smell completely disappeared.
A casual night, cant be bothered rating properly, but lesson learnt, this wine needs decanting.
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12/31/2013 - jag323 wrote: 90 Points
Solid wine, but not incredible. Somewhat disappointed given price point / other reviews.
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11/20/2013 - Ecoenophile wrote: 92 Points
Pop & pour. Rich right out of the botttle - black berry and a subtle minerality. Long, smooth finish. Holding up well.
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11/19/2013 - tfharris wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic bottle
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11/16/2013 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good typical big fruit Aussie shiraz. Deep purple. Bold. Lets you know this is new world shiraz. Meets the standard for two hands.
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10/7/2013 - RobbieC wrote: 92 Points
Still young. Improved a lot after about 90 minutes.
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10/5/2013 - gmbdds wrote: 90 Points
Tasted single blind. Ripe fruit on the nose with a little citrus. The palate is better than the nose with blackberry prominent. Good balance between savory and fruit notes. Not my best score for a Bella's but I find some big swings within and between vintages.
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8/23/2013 - swade wrote: 93 Points
Decanted four hours. Deep garnet stone color. Aromas of tar and mesquite smoke. Soft entry keeps me coming back. Resplendent with dark cherries, mesquite and olive tapenade. There is a solid fruit core and a lengthy finish. Impressive balance, generosity and linear flavor delineation. Enjoy now or hold. This is a beauty. 93
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7/28/2013 - ddvo wrote: 89 Points
Soft but not as much to it as I expected
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7/17/2013 - Chriskrueger wrote: 86 Points
Mediocre and after a very long decant
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7/13/2013 - JLucas wrote: 92 Points
In great shape right now, but it was tough to compare it to the other wines of the night ('05 SQN Atlantis Grenache mag, '05 Saxum Bone Rock, '04 Saxum Bone Rock, '07 Charles Smith Heart Syrah, '04 Ornellaia and many others). Probably has a few years left in it, but very balanced right now.
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7/4/2013 - Amerique wrote: 92 Points
Soft, round, well-matured, not jammy
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6/16/2013 - Dongoro wrote: 93 Points
Frank with BBQ baby back ribs and bok choy. Great wine with berry aromas and smooth finish. Very well done.
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6/2/2013 - jeffal66 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big and intense but balanced by some grace. No notes. Paired with a Carolina pulled pork. Enjoyable but probably not worth the multiple ten spots.
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5/28/2013 - arthrovine wrote: 91 Points
Spontaneous Blind Tuesday night Rhone Varietals (Portland, Oregon): Wine had very aromatic grapey, blue fruit with hint of savory spice. Palate showed huge delicious dark fresh fruit, mouth coating soft tannin (One taster suggested a Rutherford quality tannin), sandalwood with hint of smoke. Finished long with alcohol in check.
Most guessed Barossa
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4/18/2013 - dstein12 wrote: 89 Points
Ho-hum, nothing special. Stored at a constant 55 degrees and there wasn't much there. Maybe it was a bad bottle, but the huge fruit described in prior notes was nowhere to be found. To be sure, it is well made, but it was nothing like the Two Hands Ares that I've had.
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4/12/2013 - joet626 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Was very nice and rich with a bit of spice. Tasted blind with two others and a $15 bottle of merlot was rated by our 5 person tasting as just as good!
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3/29/2013 - trawets01 wrote: 88 Points
Hot hot hot
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3/17/2013 - geneswine wrote: 92 Points
Big and viscous and very fruity. This bottle showed little acidity and couldnt really feel much tannin. A little out of balance with the fruit overwhelming other sensations. The flavors in the fruit are outstanding, just wish the structure was as good.
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3/16/2013 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 93 Points
Very nice and drinking well -- the tannins have mellowed and this wine was ready to drink with minimal decanting.
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2/10/2013 - RobbieC wrote: 93 Points
Really drinking well now. Huge wine with style, balance, and depth. Lots of dark fruit.
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1/26/2013 - CWang wrote: 91 Points
Wow, 15.5% alc/vol; decanted for about an hour first; very powerful nose full of cherries, plums, graphite, minerals, and freshly cut grass, with quite noticeable rose petals in the background; the palate was very dense and loaded with cassis, plums, dark berries, green peppers, and exotic spices, which lingered through the medium-long and slightly drying finish; drinkable now, however, the acidity was still moderately high, suggesting at least a few more years away from maturity; overall, a nicely made and powerful Australian shiraz; 90-91 for now; based on its aging potential, this wine may improve by 1-2 points in 3-5 years; will try the next bottle after 2016.
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1/25/2013 - Chrisinroch wrote:
No formal notes. Very approachable. Smooth tannins, nice fruit. Not hot, jammy, or grotesque. Nice wine.
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1/20/2013 - mgstull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Young and stern. Blueberry, blackberry, black pepper, and a hint of orange peel. Smooth tannins and a long finish.
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1/3/2013 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 2 hours. Good nose, very nice integrated berry style fruit with lingering finish. Excellent wine and drinking well.
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12/31/2012 - tfharris Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding. This is a gem. I wish I had more.
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12/25/2012 - hoservin wrote: 94 Points
Aerated with Vinturi and decanted for one hour. Beautiful nose of blackberry, mulberry, spice, pepper, and vanilla. Blackberry jam, vanilla and fine tannins lead to a velvety, mouth coating finish. Full bodied. Paired with prime rib. A memorable bottle.
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11/10/2012 - Tom_B wrote: 92 Points
Deep ruby-purple in color, showing lots of luscious blackberry and blueberry aromas with just a slight hint of mint. Medium bodied, with blackberry pie notes, fresh on the palate and clean. Very impressive.
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10/22/2012 - Schiffy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark, plum like rich fruit dominates this layered fruit forward, no fruit bomb Shiraz. This wine is so concentrated it is almost chewy, but in a delicious way. There is nothing subtle about this, just expect your mouth to be engulfed with dark berry goodness.
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10/5/2012 - sterin wrote: 92 Points
Delicious fruit bomb consistent with what you'd expect from Bella's Garden.
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9/30/2012 - Jmartin wrote:
Fantastic. Sure, it's a bit of a fruit bomb, but there's more there. BElla's Garden has never disappointed.
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9/28/2012 - syrahz wrote: 90 Points
Opened and decanted two of these for two hours to go with dinner. These were disappointing compared to previous bottles. The fruit was gone, although after sitting for a couple more hours the wine opened up a bit more.
At this point I don't know whether to finish them off or wait a bit longer. There's plenty to drink so we'll probably wait.
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9/23/2012 - cbbrown3 wrote: 94 Points
The wine is a deep, dark purple color. There are crushed berries, minerals, fresh ground espresso, dark chocolate, smoked meat, black pepper, vanilla, black cherries, Asian spices, and violets on the very inviting nose. This is fairly full bodied with nice, ripe tannins and good acidity. The wine is big, bold, and ripe on the palate with no raisin or syrupy notes. The palate features nice juicy, spicy berries with some oak in the background with minerals, meat, and dark chocolate. There is a long, lingering finish with the spicy berries lingering seemingly forever. This may not be for everyone, but if you want an in your face Shiraz, look no further.
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9/20/2012 - sonodoc wrote: 94 Points
Wow....! Understated, with red fruit but not a lot, and some rhubarb. Looks so dark, but almost has a lightness to the taste, yet a long finish. Tannins nicely mellowed. My favorite Two Hands except for Ares.
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9/16/2012 - mpricher wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark brooding purple. Luscious and scrum-dilisious. Really an incredible Auzzie Shiraz. It has impressed me year oafter year, going back to the 2004 vintage. Have more bottles, but this was my last 2007. Loved the gaminess and burst of vibrant LIVE Red Berry fruit. Just loved it, and couldn't help polishing the whole bottle off in one night!!
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9/11/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Good but not great wine at this point. Nice nose. Good front of the mouth taste but not much at the back of the tongue. Hopefully will improve with age.
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8/31/2012 - Hawk94 wrote: 93 Points
Fabulous nose, layers after layers, a little hollow in the middle, expected to be more complex.
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8/19/2012 - nogohawk wrote: 93 Points
Popped & poured - drank over several nights - dark purple color with loads of fruit, smoke & spice - nice finish; drink now or hold
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8/11/2012 - CCestaro wrote:
- Garnet color.
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8/6/2012 - Jayarr wrote: 87 Points
Great dark ruby, fabulous nose, nice finish. Flavors of plum, rhubarb and low tannins. Thought the acidity was a bit high and we were disappointed with the fruit. I've always trusted Costco but this may of had some mishandling along the way. Too good be called a flawed bottle but this didn't rate the scores like everyone is giving it. Very little fruit, even on the second night.
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7/14/2012 - ledwards wrote: 89 Points
Concentration is there, color is great but a bit too fruit forward for me. Decent but not distinguished.
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6/15/2012 - ogres3 wrote:
Great wine. Deep red, lush fruit, nice nose, lingering finish.
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6/14/2012 - mrmedoes wrote: 93 Points
Just a great wine, never losing or lacking its Aussie roots but showing everything that a good Syrah/Shiraz can be. It may not be the biggest that you'll ever have, but it is balanced exceedingly well with some air in it, and when you factor in the price, you recognize you've got a winner through and through.
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5/9/2012 - bobpsi wrote: 90 Points
expressive nose of plums, black raspberry compote, baking spice and oak. Medium plus body of blackberry pie, espresso and spice. Medium plus finish.
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5/7/2012 - johnbhamrick wrote: 93 Points
I thought this was a fantastic bottle of wine for the money. It was deep, dark, and had a great taste and nose immediately after beeing decantered. Lots of rich fruits, no tannins, and easy to drink. What more could you want in a good Shiraz.
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5/6/2012 - lano wrote: 90 Points
dark ruby in color. nice red fruits on the nose. palate is medium bodied and fairly sweet. tannins seem well integrated at this point. it's just pretty one dimensional for what i was expecting. on the surface it's nice, but there's just no real depth there. perhaps i expected too much, but at this price point, i can find better. i really wanted to love this wine, but i just couldn't get there.
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4/17/2012 - santosh wrote: 91 Points
Brilliant shiraz; juicy and long...
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3/18/2012 - mpricher wrote: 93 Points
Continues to impress! Dark ruby red, and crimson shine to the edge. This fruit is note longer leaping from the glass by rolling out in successive waves of ripe red berry, rhubarb, and sassafras. Just lovely. Any contention earlier in it's life that this was just bother Auzzie fruit bomb must be past now. The matured 2 Hands Bella's is a joy to behold and well worth the dive into it's luscious fruit berry pond.....
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3/13/2012 - bboomer wrote: flawed
Lost its fruit. The store I purchased from probably did not store properly (EDITOR'S NOTE: Changing to FLAWED instead of 70 points)
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1/25/2012 - pphailing Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Blackberry, and Black Pepper. The body is Full. The wine has Juicy texture. The wine finishes Long.咖啡味道
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12/21/2011 - raydawgone wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Sugar-coated black cherry dipped in vanilla extract. Powdered milk chocolate layered in silk. Tart, tight tannins with glycerin. Fruit is rediscent & closed down at this stage. Based on several passed bottles consumed & the top scores assigned, this vintage is in an odd phase. Suggest cellaring for a minimum of 2 years.
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11/25/2011 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
No significant change from last year for me. Funny how it became tired and lackluster before...obviously due to a palate fatigue at the time.. This time it improved dramatically with air.
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11/24/2011 - absolutvodka wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding, as always
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11/19/2011 - gmbdds wrote: 91 Points
Decanted. Really nice fruit with that familiar tart blackberry. Also hints of anise, oak and coffee. This tasted best at one hour after decanting. Not the best Bella's I've tasted but great.
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11/3/2011 - wineduggery wrote: 92 Points
Still my favorite Shiraz. Has real depth of flavor, and it's not so jammy. Red fruits, and a nice spice note.
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9/25/2011 - lumpkins wrote: 91 Points
drank non-blind with the 2008. both wines dark purple in colour,with nose of dark berries and spice. fruit was a little brighter on the 07, with more red fruit tones .Both the 07 and 08 mediium acidity but 07 grittier in tannins than the 08
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9/20/2011 - d2 wrote: 89 Points
This is a big wine. Decanted for about 1/2 an hour. Bold fruit, firm structure, more rustic than elegant but delicious.
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8/21/2011 - 11mcraig wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color with fast forming legs and aromas of blackberry and raspberry. It's balanced and has flavours of raspberry and black currant with a medium/full body. Juicy texture with a long finish - Excellent Shiraz...could smell the fruit from across the room!
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8/15/2011 - The Vinsider wrote: 93 Points
Lorne's b-day. De-lish.
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8/6/2011 - brigcampbell wrote:
Suntacular 2011 (FMIII Home): bummer, last bottle! I wish I had bought a case when it was on sale for $29... ugh. Big and powerful, tons of fruit and alcohol showing on the back end, which blew off later. Excellent long finish. This is the kind of wine that grabs your attention.
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8/2/2011 - Kleins wrote: 92 Points
It is not an anonymous acquaintance to take a sip of this concentration bomb. Enjoyed from a large glass you smell the alcohol as well as freshly churned butter a little eucalyptus black pepper and strawberries. The taste confirms those scents that are accompanied by noticeable tannins and generally a little grapefruit-bitterness to complement the sweet elements that are also present. This is seasoned with vanilla from the cask and a hint of chocolate. The fruit tastes like it smelled expanded with cherries. It is a pleasure to shake hands with Two Hands Bella's Garden. It pulls effortlessly 92 points.
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7/24/2011 - lizeneca wrote: 90 Points
Drank over the course of about four hours, but didn't decant. At the start, just felt sort of weightless: it was showing fruit, tannin, etc, on the outside, but just felt empty in the mouth. By the last glass, all of those external characteristics - particularly the intense, dark fruit - were deeply amplified - but that helium-like weightlessness was still there. I guess it's just the mouth feel - similar to other Aussie shirazes I've had - that kills it for me. The velvety softness of it seems incongruous with the blast of fruit and tannin. Not my style. Although I liked this better than the 2002 Elderton Command I had last night, that wine seemed to have a better sense of self - the Command was languid, soft, and lazily volutuous to its core - while the Bellas Garden seems intense and vibrant on its face, with no core or heart to back that up.
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7/24/2011 - cpsmith33 wrote: 92 Points
Dark fruits, smooth...Big, but smooth and pretty easy to drink. Nice bottle. Chocolate, dark spices, plum. Doesn't show the 15.5% alcohol but almost there.
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7/16/2011 - DCSteve wrote: 92 Points
Loved it. Deep purple color, nice fruit on the nose, smooth as can be.
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7/3/2011 - jamieirving wrote: 90 Points
Almost black in the glass, this wine shows amazing concentration. Beautiful berry fruit and a hint of white pepper on the nose. The palate shows elegant, slightly sweet plum and lovely use of oak.
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7/2/2011 - jcbrand wrote: 93 Points
So sad, last bottle...
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6/4/2011 - jwolf99 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Seems to have opened up since tasted a year ago; lots of plums, strawberries aromas and flavors; blueberry and chocolate notes on long, smooth finish; a bit more silky and not as hot compared to what I remember from last time
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5/30/2011 - Hawk94 wrote: 94 Points
Fabulous bouquet with crashed berries, purple dark ruby red, plenty of legs, bold, integrated tannins, very fine and creamy, black berry, cassis, currant, vanilla, tobacco, a bit of white peppy, concentrated, complex, refined, long velvet finish. I will buy more for sure.
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5/21/2011 - Tarrant wrote: 93 Points
Drank alongside a bottle of 'Lily's Garden', and it was just a touch better from an acidic structure POV, but this was stunning nonetheless - Black, full bodied with a nose of extreme plum, blueberry, pepper, spice and vanilla, well made, very intense, yet balanced, sweet, silky smooth on the palate with terrific length, awesome! (93 Points).
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4/24/2011 - t_moderne wrote: 88 Points
Pop and decanted; let breathe about 20minutes. Dark color; nice nose of cherries and some oak. In the mouth, this shows sweet fruit - mostly back cherries and chocolate. The alcohol level is a stated 15.5%. This doesn't sow much heat but is a heat. This is a powerful and concentrated wine.
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4/22/2011 - The Vinsider wrote: 93 Points
Loved it. Big and generous, with loads of lush fruit, but also some real backbone. The weight and density of this wine hangs on a well-structured framework. And though the fruit is pretty massive is clean and pure, not cooked.
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4/19/2011 - Badgerwino wrote:
drank along with the 06. Preferred the 06.
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4/10/2011 - syrahz wrote: 95 Points
Consistent with my previous notes. Served with grilled beef tenderloin, roasted sweet potatoes and grilled asparagus.
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3/28/2011 - MindMuse wrote: 88 Points
Rated blind w seven Syrahs, this was middle of the pack, and I brought it.
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3/27/2011 - Cacophony82 wrote: 95 Points
Big mouth watering fruit -
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3/26/2011 - 97 Point Red wrote: 94 Points
Stunning example of a great Shiraz. Full body, excellent complexity.
The wine looks Violet colored.
The legs are Slow.
It smells like Blackberry, Raspberry, Black currant (cassis), Mineral, Smokey Bacon, and Lead Pencil.
It tastes like and Black Pepper.
The body is Full.
The wine is textured Round.
The wine finishes Long.
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3/19/2011 - markopf wrote: 92 Points
Doesn't disappoint.
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2/25/2011 - Stephan O wrote: 93 Points
Truly compelling in the full-bore style. I complain an awful lot about Aussie Shirazes in this genre, but Two Hands usually does it right. This is forward but not overpowering. Ripe fig, blackberry, blueberry, and just about every other kind of berry mix it up with some nuts and general inkiness. Lots of depth and an easygoing velvety feel. Though it's ripe, the alcohol doesn't scream 15%+!!! to me, which is the problem I usually encounter with Aussies of this ilk. Tremendous.
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2/12/2011 - hoservin wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2 hours. Deep purple color. Amazing nose with dark fruit predominant. Blackberry, currants, vanilla, and minerals on the palate. Full bodied with no noticeable heat. Fruit and minerals are well integrated for a long finish. Overall an outstanding Aussie Shiraz that is drinking very well at this time.
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2/5/2011 - ecola Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aromas of blackberries and blueberries. Potent aromas but not over the top or fake. Very big on the palate. Pure blackberry and cherry flavors. Viscous mouthfeel but doesn't get too syrupy. Sweet tannins grip on the end of the long finish.
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1/23/2011 - Tarokun wrote: 93 Points
Awesome.. Got better with a little air - decant for 1 hr and it will be perfect . Jammy without being to fruity ..
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1/8/2011 - jcsf420 wrote: 93 Points
I didn't think I would top the previous wine of the night but this one did. I forgot how good my first bottle was. Popped, Vinturi'd, decant for about an hour. Big, bad Aussie Shiraz. Not hot on my palate at all, great fruit, minerals, vanilla, cranberry, long balanced finish. Sadly my last bottle.
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1/1/2011 - cbbrown3 wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Deep purple color. Mineral laden crushed berries, vanilla, smoked meat, and a nice floral note on the nose. Medium to full body with solid, ripe tannins and good acidity. Fantastic on the palate with loads of ripe fruit riding over nice mineral notes. Ripe but not over the top and syrupy. Tannins and acidity hold everything in check. Fairly long finish with a nice pepper not kicking in and lingering. Really nice stuff. This may improve, but it is delicious right now.
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11/7/2010 - MindMuse wrote: 91 Points
Had this one year ago. Seems to have mellowed a bit, though using the word mellow with this wine is probably a mistake. Big and lush, with raspberry liqueur, spice, cranberry, hard candy, and actually an undercurrent of rocky minerality. Definitely not as hot feeling as previous bottle. 91+
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11/6/2010 - Wino from Michigan wrote: 94 Points
Amazing Shiraz! Everything you hope for -- big fruit, well balanced with oak and great finish --- loved it!
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10/17/2010 - frank hertz wrote: 94 Points
my first impression was that it wasn't nearly as over the top as i'd expected. actually very pretty in its deep swirling perfume of mixed berries, licorice, hints of fresh gingerbread, cardamom — and this balanced beautifully against the flavor profile, which was plenty big, but not in a McBain kinda way... just... lots and lots of prettiness to admire. supple, with a freshness of acidity that almost shimmers, and with maybe a bit less tannin than i'd like, but whatever, i really appreciate how it all fits together. i don't pick up on the high alcohol but for the wee tiniest bit, and i think i'm usually pretty sensitive to it... so that's nice. excellent composition, all around.
p.s. for a fun comparison, i opened a bottle of cheap vin de pays syrah that i'd left sitting upstairs all summer as an experiment to see how much damage this crazy hot summer could dole out. this led to the second pleasant surprise of the night: it was just fine. and you'd think, given the heat wave we had in the northeast this summer that it would've been a total trainwreck of a bottle. i mean, it was never a good bottle anyway, but goddamn it if it didn't keep its integrity! guess there may be something to UC Davis enology professor Andrew Waterhouse's relaxed attitude toward wine storage after all.
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9/26/2010 - arthrovine wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 90 minutes. Great mouth feel. Very well made wine. Excellent. After 4.5 hours of air, became tired and lackluster
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9/12/2010 - sterin wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with past Bella's Garden quality. "Delicious" factor.
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9/11/2010 - mpricher wrote: 93 Points
93+. I am in Love! This may have not gotten "better" than the bottle opened 8 months ago, but the fruit seems more vibrant plush and rich. Beautiful Ruby Red, and shiny, semi-clear some light passing. Nose has lots of Red berry fruit with some olive. The mouthfeel is so ripe, with Cherry, Cranberry, or maybe pomegranate. Long wonderful finish that sings, and becomes deeper the longer this bottle is open.
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7/22/2010 - pmilne wrote: 94 Points
Looked forward to popping this and it was everything I read: Big, bold, dripping syrah fruity with enough others aromas of leather, smoke, and some unidentified spice. Medium finish, leaving you wanting more.
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7/18/2010 - WineScoundrel wrote: 91 Points
Nose, 95. Palate, HOTTTTT, 87.
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7/15/2010 - 2Travel wrote: 92 Points
no notes, but very nice
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7/10/2010 - 2Travel wrote: 93 Points
Not quite up to the WS score, but very nice.
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6/26/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 93 Points
I like this better than the 2004
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6/20/2010 - agbailey wrote: 90 Points
Improved since first attempt. On first night was over the top to my tastes, though the last half glass (3 hours after opening) began to come together very well. Night two was very enjoyable in a big wine kind of way. Much better showing than last time.
Very fruit driven. Missing beam of pepper I have tested in other vintages ( which I liked). Long persistent finish.
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6/19/2010 - brigcampbell wrote:
Chris and Brig's 2010 Wine Party; 6/19/2010-6/21/2010 (Our House): This is a monster. A very dark wine with heat on the nose wrapped around lots of dark fruit. The palate has great structure with fruit and tannis. The finish is very long.
I'm holding the last one.
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6/8/2010 - jcsf420 wrote: 93 Points
This is one great bottle of wine. Big, bold Aussi Shiraz. Worth every penny.
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6/7/2010 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Two Hands wines with Matt Wenk (Alio's, Surry Hills): [15.8%, cork, A$60] Purple. Essence of blackberry and inky iodine aromas. Intense, full-bodied wine. Masses of powdery tannins. Lavish sweet fruit-cake /christmas pudding flavours, shot through with stewed red berries. Ripe fruit saturates the mid-palate, alcoholic warmth dominates (for me) the finish, which is medium length. It’s clearly a more pleasant drink at seven years than three; and there is a kind of brethren qaulity across the two Bella’s wines. Even with the heat here, there’s not the raisiny aspect to the flavours I find in the Padthaway wine. Impressive, if a bit intimidating…
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6/2/2010 - markopf wrote: 91 Points
Great wine, easy to drink. Dark berries. Let it air out at least an hour before drinking. Not quite at it's peak, but was very good with smoked salmon. Wait a year to drink the next.
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5/20/2010 - curtiy wrote: 93 Points
No change from previous note, but seemed to have more leather/ smokiness on palate...Still a huge amount of fruit
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5/16/2010 - michigan dogs wrote: 92 Points
dark purple, nose is strong, leather and dark fruits, taste is very smooth, fruity, drinking well right now
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5/9/2010 - grubmanda wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding.
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5/4/2010 - Dhenig wrote: 89 Points
Nice easy drinking
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5/2/2010 - SUN-J wrote: 90 Points
Didn't take notes. . . nose showed dark fruit but was pretty closed. Palate was a touch rustic with firm tannins and acidity. Needs time
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4/20/2010 - Primordialsoup wrote: 94 Points
Plenty of acidity. Ready now. Should improve slightly over next few years. Likey likey.
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4/13/2010 - jaxpaj wrote: 90 Points
Agree with some of the other tasting notes, at $35 worth the adventure but a rip off in the $60 range. Not a traditional Aussie Shiraz. Lighter, both in body and color, and sweeter than I expected. Fruit and cotton candy jump out at you. It was a bit of a surprise to me that there were no oak, leather, or spice tones. Smooth with a nice finish.
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4/12/2010 - dawgdaze Likes this wine: 92 Points
I used an aerator and decanted for 1 hour. It’s been four months since I’ve tried this wine I enjoyed this vintage! Wow… the aerator and decanting time really helped the wine to open and share the aroma of currants, cherries, vanilla and spice. During tasting, there were strong notes of dark fruit, cloves and leather. I enjoyed this wine but I still believe that cellaring for a couple of years will only help this wine.
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4/4/2010 - Black Mikan wrote: 90 Points
Huge, tight and simply not ready. Will sit on other bottles for 2yr+ before opening again. Expect it to score higher then.
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4/3/2010 - Gunzee wrote: 93 Points
Wow, 2nd bottle better a few months later. Pretty awesome, lots going on, lots of body, a longer finish was expected but still wonderful
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4/2/2010 - dke wrote: 90 Points
Nice smooth shiraz. High-alcohol was not felt, nice smooth finish, some sweetness but enjoyable. Very simple but good shiraz. Probably worth tying at $36 (in costco) but a real rip-off for $50-60 box in other stores. Easy going ready to drink.
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3/20/2010 - grubmanda wrote: 94 Points
Excellent Shiraz. Everyone who I've shared this wine with has thoroughly enjoyed it. Will continue to get better with age.
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3/1/2010 - jesran wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for full day by opening and putting cork back in. Always a crowd pleaser. I haven't met a person who isn't taken with this wine. Big, interesting, refined and just plain fun to swirl around and gulp. The color is fascinatingly unusual too. Very blueish purple.
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2/28/2010 - Bella27 wrote: 93 Points
Excellent Shiraz - second time I had it and loved it each time.
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2/27/2010 - nogohawk wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding shriaz - Dark purple color; loads of fruit , berry and spice and a nice pepper finish - excellent tannins
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2/27/2010 - jwolf99 Likes this wine:
needed an hour in the glass for the alcohol to burn off, then dark berry and licroice aromas and flavors started to come through, but never really evolved into strength and complexity of past TH vintages; definitely at its awkward stage which I've concluded is common for TH at this point in life; like past vintages, probably 2 or 3 years in the bottle will do wonders
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2/27/2010 - jonradus wrote: 89 Points
Dark red and black fruits and eucalyptus with a touch of burnt rubber come through on the nose. There is a ton of black fruit and zesty vanilla cotton candy that shows on the palate. The finish is lengthy, yet a bit tannic and gripping with a rustic acidic tang. I feel like this wine is just beginning to enter a dumb phase and will really hit its stride in about 5 years. The 89 rating will increase to a 93/94 if I'm right about where it's going. If I'm incorrect, then in 5 years you'll have an 89 wine. Buy and sit on it for now and hope it goes to the next level.
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2/26/2010 - wicozani wrote: 90 Points
Excruciatingly young, this reportedly 'best' of Two Hands' Garden Series shiraz in 2007, was dark as night, giving up little on the nose and very primary on the palate. Nice berry fruit, and quite lean and structured. This is not the fat, lush and voluptuous shiraz that you might expect. After one glass I vacu-vined the rest and opened the next day, along with a nearly 3 hour decant. Even then, just barely starting to open up a little, broadening both nose and palate. Will sit on the rest of our 5 bottles for at least another year, then retry only after a lengthy decant.
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2/23/2010 - JohnBlueLabel wrote: 91 Points
Nice color. Nose shows some bacon fat, leather and dark fruit. Nice tang on the initial attack, with an element of pomegranate, transitioning to some vanilla, oak and dark fruit. Nice finish.
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2/21/2010 - markopf wrote: 93 Points
Needs age, but outstanding nonetheless.
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2/21/2010 - bistro wrote: 92 Points
Not quite as good as I remembered, but still quite good. Amazing balance of fruit and tang on the front. Length wasn't quite as good as I remembered, it will probably be even better with additional bottle age.
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2/18/2010 - grubmanda wrote: 95 Points
Wine was outstanding.
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2/14/2010 - Wine4Rip wrote: 95 Points
Wow! Drank late at night by itself. Buy again.
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2/12/2010 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 94 Points
Very dark, almost purple-black color. Strong alcohol whiff, but once you get past that, there's a lot of cherry, lavender, chocolate and spice. The palate is dense and full-bodied with loads of ripe fruits of red cherry layered with raspberry, blackberry with hints of bay leaf, olives and sweet oak. The finish is long with chewy, but delightful tannins that make drinking it a very supple and delightful experience. Drink now until 2020.
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2/7/2010 - Bella27 wrote: 93 Points
Excellent!
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2/6/2010 - swittersMN wrote: 92 Points
A great bottle of wine but was tainted by the Vikings treacherous loss to the hated Saints. I should no better. Stupid Vikings
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2/2/2010 - thayosh wrote: 92 Points
Great stuff! Foundation of leather with dark berries plus some raspberry on the top, black pepper, and menthol. Taste of tar and prunes/raisins. Long finish with spicy tannins.
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1/30/2010 - Gunzee wrote: 90 Points
Very good, nice body, very impressive
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1/29/2010 - mpricher wrote: 93 Points
Deep purple velvet, but still some light passing through. Glass decanted for 30 min, with a lot of Oak on the nose. Not killing me, but heavy oak. This blew off over another hour, and took on some really vibrant red berry fruit and pomagranate overtones. Still had some bitter taste, but not distracting. Overall, a very balanced wine, that I would call special. We paired with beef brisket, and the fruit held it's own. Even more power once paired with Chocolate. It will be fun to see what the other bottles bring to the dance over time.
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1/23/2010 - syrahz wrote: 95 Points
Deep and dark, fruity nose. This is a big wine that easily held it's own with beef short ribs that were braised in a wine-based braise. This wine was served with dinner after warming up with a 1997 Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages. The dinner guests were Shiraz lovers, which made this wine a huge hit.
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1/19/2010 - Eric Guido wrote: 94 Points
The color is a dark red, almost purple hue. The nose shows blueberry fruit, birch, cola and some vanilla. It's enticing and not overdone in any way. The palate is an assault of flavors with dark cherries, cinnamon, sour berries, dark chocolate and savory spices. Remains remarkably fresh yet so intense all the way to the long, fresh finish where you find dark chocolate covered cranberries. WOW!
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1/19/2010 - gin wrote: 93 Points
This is a big wine, showing all the characteristics of a Barossa Valley Shiraz. A deep darp purple colour displaying blueberry and sweet spice on the nose with just a hint of vanilla, on the palate this wine bursts with dark fruit and a smoothness which is suprising considering its youth, alcohol not too promonent considering its 15.5% content and nice tannic structure, all the elements there for cellaring. This wine is good now but I think it will be very good in 5 to 10 years.
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1/13/2010 - dawgdaze wrote: 91 Points
I enjoyed this vintage with medallions of beef. The wine absolutely needing aggressive swirling to open the aroma of blueberries and vanilla. During tasting, there were strong notes of dark fruit and leather. I enjoyed this wine but I believe that cellar time of three to five years is necessary for maximum potential to be realized!
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1/9/2010 - 97edwardc wrote: 85 Points
Gotta tell you, starting to wonder whether this one just won't work for me. Heavy alcohol on the nose, super-concentrated and almost syrupy on the palate. A guest asked if it was a fortified wine. Yikes. Everything I dread about overdone Aussie Shiraz. Disappointing given experience with prior vintages, Wine Spectator rating and the fact that I have 8 left. Do I wait and hope age balances it out, or do I donate half a case to the kids' school auction this year....
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1/1/2010 - agbailey wrote:
Unfair for me to score this one as it is clearly not my style (or at least wasn't on New Years Eve). Plenty of fruit and spice jumping from the glass, but it is a bit over the top to my palate. I am thinking that perhaps with a little time, the flavors will be more integrated and perhaps some secondary flavors too. At this point, though, others may enjoy this more than me.
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12/31/2009 - thayosh wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Deep rich smells of blueberries, vanilla, maybe some leather. Taste was delicious blueberries with a long finish and pleasant tannins. Some alcohol heat on first opening, but that faded after the decanting. Perfect wine for New Years Eve. Bought three more for future special occasions.
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12/29/2009 - jcbrand wrote: 93 Points
The first night this was way hot, on night two it hit it's stride and on night three this was amazing. This is a big, thick, extracted monster that on night one was bordering over-the-top for my tastes. On night three this was happiness perfumed liquid silk. If you drink this now give it as much air time as possible and you will be rewarded.
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12/25/2009 - stevenjstein wrote: 88 Points
Tried the wine before and liked it much better. For some reason, this bottle tasted particularly hot.
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12/21/2009 - curtiy wrote: 94 Points
Drank over 2 hours. Dark magenta in the stem. Nose of blackberry and spice. Some heat up front, concentrated plum, blue/blackberry flavors with silky tannins. A caressing mouthfeel, and very long finish. One of the best aussie shiraz I've had in a while. Can't wait to try again in a few years.
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12/14/2009 - raydawgone wrote: 96 Points
Keeps getting better with age! Third bottle we drank and it dominates! Really opened up on the second night. Viscous, chewy, leather with dark fruit and extra long, complex finish. Glad we stock piled this bottle. Ranks right up there with Grange, at a miniscule fraction of the cost (of course).
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12/14/2009 - Muchacho wrote: 92 Points
Excellent. Silky mouth feel, dark fruit, some cherry. Went great with a grilled steak
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11/21/2009 - syrahz wrote: 95 Points
Enjoyed with medium rare prime filet. Needed something quick for dinner, so did not decant. Inky purple out of the bottle. Very concentrated and just a bit hot on the first couple of sips. More old world than fruit bomb Shiraz to my palate. Velvety mouthfeel, dark fruits, fine tannins, lengthy finish. I found myself rolling it around in my mouth and not wanting to swallow. I'm saving half the bottle to try again tomorrow. This wine will age well. I love a great Shiraz and this is a great Shiraz. I'm a bit upset with myself for not ordering two cases at that incredible price.
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11/20/2009 - 97edwardc wrote:
I'm going to hold off on rating this right now because I'm finding it to be a bit over the top. I've enjoyed many Bella's over the years, usually farther past the vintage. With 9 left (got 8 at a ridiculous price from JJ Buckley) I'll have plenty of chances when its more mature.
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11/16/2009 - MindMuse wrote: 91 Points
A huge fruit and alcohol bomb. This is like using Thor's hammer to drive a nail. Mulberry and dense cherry, licorice, allspice, clove, pepper. I found having a mouthful was way too much heat for me. Rough edges may round out eventually.
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10/25/2009 - lumpkins wrote: 92 Points
tail end of a cold spoiled my taste buds but very impressed nonetheless. Dark purple in colour with black fruit on the nose that gave way to some cherry tones over the next hour. Very rich & opulent, silky structure with long long finish.
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10/18/2009 - 11mcraig wrote: 94 Points
My first Shiraz from Two Hands - Wow!!! Popped and poured with an assist to my new Vinturi. Lots of dark fruit on the nose, outstanding finish. Lately I have had several Shiraz/Syrah and this bottle shines...highly recommend!
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10/14/2009 - MemWine123 wrote: 93 Points
Very good Shiraz. Big alcohol with a balanced level of fruit flavors. Paired very well with roasted chicken and carrots. Worth the $50 I paid.
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10/12/2009 - bistro wrote: 94 Points
Really really good. Great dark fruit, a smooth midsection, unbelievable balance and length. I kept expressing amazement at how good this was, it paired very well with pasta and red sauce. Very excited about having two more bottles.
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10/5/2009 - iamandyc wrote: 92 Points
Tried one early adn was surprised and delighted. Much more Old World than expected. Suave, silky, deep black fruits and balanced for so young. Can't wait to see how it ages.
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9/29/2009 - Double-A Likes this wine: 90 Points
Plum, chocolate, and blackberry jam nose. Big and rich with smoky flavours; Long, spicy, toasty finish.
4/5
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9/25/2009 - elefkowitz wrote: 93 Points
Very yummy with a dense purple color and strong, dark fruits on the way in. Long finish that exploded with each sip. Opened and poured through a vinturri into the decanter, then gave it another hour. Paired with london broil and grilled veggies. A perfect way to end the week.
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9/5/2009 - bacchus wrote:
gave to mahesh on the occasions of his birthday and being licensed to practice medicine in the state of new york. He reports having enjoyed the bottle with ellen.
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8/30/2009 - Drankthewholebottle wrote: flawed
Damn! Corked! Busted out that Mazzocco Lytton zin to save the night, and it did!
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8/1/2009 - raydawgone wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 3 hours. Nose of dark, ripe plums rolled in candied spice. Dark, rich blueberry & blackberry compote upon initial taste. Silky smooth tannins, long lingering finish with hint of all-spice, that seemingly went on forever! For a recent release, it was the most refined shiraz I've ever drank. Just a perfect balance of fruit, spice and complexity. We're excited about having 2 more bottles in cellar but will be difficult to hold on to! High fives all around to M. Twelftree & R. Mintz.
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5/9/2009 - jamieirving wrote: 90 Points
Decanter New World Fine Wine Encounter (The Royal Lancaster Hotel, London W2): Almost black in the glass, this wine shows amazing concentration. Beautiful berry fruit and a hint of white pepper on the nose. The palate shows elegant, slightly sweet plum and lovely use of oak.
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5/9/2009 - ews3 wrote: 95 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2009 (Borgata -- Atlantic City, NJ): subtle old world style. meaty, red raspberry. med(+) finish
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