This wine was purchased exactly 10 years ago and was the last of 3 bottles. The other 2 we consumed early in 2010 and 2011 and enjoyed their freshness but they were one-dimensional. I purposely buried this one in the cellar to see what aging would do and it worked out nicely. I had a couple of bourbons before and suddenly my wife asked for a "glass" of wine. Well I popped this and we headed down to the dock to watch the sunset on what was a stormy day in Maine that finally was clearing. Well you know how that goes the glasses kept getting refilled and we watched a fog bank roll across the lake until it enveloped us. So cool! Anyway the wine was dark, inky purple. The 15.7% ABV was well hidden and the oaky notes faded into a nice smoky backdrop. The nose was complex dark fruits and the wine had a silky mouth texture with a medium finish. Very enjoyable.
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Our last bottle of six and almost a decade since I wrote a TN on this wine. Time has been very very kind to this wine - now well balanced, much softer and completely mature / in a great drinking window with probably another at least 2-3 years+ left at this level with proper cellaring. Probably no further upside to further cellaring and definitely recommend starting to drink up any remaining holdings. We loved this last night, highly recommend it and at our original acquisition price of at around $40 / bottle this is now a great QPR wine - thought about bumping up the score another point. Good mouth feel, one of the softest Aussies we've had, smooth, much less jammy and intense then in it's youth, very well balanced with remaining tannins now well integrated and fading. This last bottle was popped & poured at a restaurant, would recommend a short 30-60 min decant. Dark purple to black color with some peripheral bricking. Nose aromatic and dark with balanced dark fruit, eucalyptus and more smoke then the tar I remember from previous bottles. Primary flavors include dark stone fruit, black currant and rasoberry up front with darker tones of licorice, tar, terroir and black pepper on the mid-late palate. Very long pleasant lingering aftertaste.
NJROSENUT has it put it nicely. A hint of that tangy Shiraz nose ( used to call is sweaty saddles), deep rich colour ( inky is right), amazing legs and it all comes together wonderfully on palate. Great fruit, balance, reasonable complexity and surprisingly light on given the alcohol ( too much which is a shame). Acidity is very good ie it is in balance without cutting through your enamel. Long.
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Garnet colored. Aromas of ink, black cherries, sandalwood on the nose. On the palette, cassis, black cherries, prune, some coffee/chocolate. Soft tannins. Smooth, silky mouth feel.
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Silky smooth dark cherry, red raspberry, and blueberry. Rich and intense flavors with softening acidity and moderate tannins. A bit of shaved cocoa and subtle earth on the finish. Drink now, seems to be peaking.
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Excellent balance. Everything working well and integrated. Thought it would be good, but better even than I anticipated. Smooth mouthfeel, fruit and acid with a touch of spice. Well done. From Magnum.
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Rounding into a more harmonious wine since previously tasted. The weight, black fruit, blue berry, blackberry, pepper, and glycerin are all there, but it has mellowed with the additional age.
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May be as good a sub-$75 shiraz can be. After two hour decant was not overdone yet had the brambly, spicy signature of a shiraz. Dark, expressive fruit with nice acid and structure. Velvety and lush with a long finish. Fragrant nose. At its peak.
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Wow, this is a big powerful Shiraz. Deep dark cherry, tar and licorice. A little bit of pepper on the finish. it's definitely drinking in its wheelhouse now. I have two more bottles and I'm really looking forward to them.
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Decanted for 2 hours and the taste was over the top jammy. Very drinkable, but no depth. second day revealed some more complexity but still not what I had hoped for. I prefer Bella's over this one.
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Lovely wine. A perfect Shiraz. Not too big. Hints of cherry and a little spicy. Finish was not that long but very pleasant. Wish I bought more than one bottle.
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Split rating - I did not enjoy but my wife and mother in law would agree with the notes below. Blackberry jam, black cherry, plum & black licorice on the nose (very nice nose). Similar flavors on the palate but the wine is flabby (not enough acidity & too much alchohol (with airtime it tasted more like port than a dry red wine). My last bottle fell apart on night 2 so I should not be shocked this has not aged well. Would not buy again (my wife would say otherwise but she does not write the tasting ntoes...)
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Big, ripe black fruit, such as blackberry, bramble on the nose. Over 15% abv, but doesn't taste alcoholic at all. Quite balanced with good concentration and length. Soft tannins. Medium acidity. At peak, drink it up.
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High in fruit and alcohol +13% alcohol). Nothing subtle about this one. It can stand up to alot and is rather enjoyable if you like the fruit forward bombs from AUstralia.
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Made with lovely fruit from the McLaren Vale, this blockbuster Shiraz is then aged for 14 months in 20% new American oak hogsheads, the balance in seasoned 1, 2 and 3 year old American oak. The result is a full-on, brooding, dark-fruit driven mega-wine. Delicious!
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Ultra smooth and silky. A monster of a wine with an explosion of pure dark cherry and blackberry. Sweet and fine gripping tannins. Heat comes out a bit, but it is very well maintained. Drinking great now and for at least a few more years.
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An excellent fruit forward shiraz from Australia. A lot of solids in this wine (decant carefully). A win here, in that this is a huge fruit forward shiraz, typical of the two hands offering. Huge explosive fruit complemented with a good amount of oak aging that makes for a smooth aproach on the mouth.
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Brilliant. Great right out of the gate and got better. Fruit, smoke, redwood, balanced with great mouthfeel. We kept he temp low and it helped keep the affect of the high alcohol down.
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It has a lot of alcohol so getting the temp right and giving it some time to breathe were important. Once it hit its stride after about 2 hours it was great. Dark fruit, chocolate, great mouthfeel. I think it is in its sweet spot.
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After about an hour it is big bright cherry vanilla, red apple. Really good. Judi says there is astringecy and needs a year. Maybe, but I think I am going to drink the rest of mine.
So good...
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This wine is total Jam Town! It's so fruit forward I thought I was drinking a sunny California shiraz. Nevertheless, after about three hours of decanting, this wine had an extremely smooth feeling of chocolate that was wonderful. Very well balanced. It's a meal on its own!
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drank after being opened & decanted;very tasty;not too sweet typical shiraz; solid performer for dinner;; could use more time than one hour decant; tried first nite & was flat;hold for a bit longer or for a longer decant;
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I was in the mood for "big Aussie" Shiraz and sure enough Two Hands was there to meet the occasion. Of course this wine is very ripe and extracted but that is why I always have some of these on "hand' in my cellar to fill that need to drink a ripe, semi-sweet fruit filled bonanza called Two Hands. A very nice expression of this varietal, these guys can create a consistent you know what you are getting wine every time.
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Popped and poured, but this wine really needs time to open up. Tannic with an explosion of berries, but just nothing special. Certainly got better over the course of the evening, but a rather pedestrian effort given what I have been accustomed to from Two Hands.
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Decanted for 1-2 hours. Huge nose loaded with blueberry. A little disjointed on the palate with over the top fruit and alcohol. Maybe I should give it more air.
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This wine is like a cage match of professional wrestlers: there are so many strong elements competing it's hard to figure out which is the strongest. The first night it was tannins, dark fruit, menthol, tar, acidity, viscosity, and oak all competing with one another. After the first round, all that was left was acidity, ark fruit, and tar. After the third round, it was a draw between acidity and dark fruit. This is an extremely complex but somewhat fatiguing wine to drink. It needs significant airtime to become approachable. Don't mess with it!
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Huge, over the top. Very well made, just an explosion of fruit. Enjoyable but predictable. Something about Aussie Shiraz' lately, they just don't thrill me like they used to. Never thought I would say that about a Two Hands Shiraz.. Ok, revisited this after 48 hours (which doesnt happen too often). Totally different than day one. Was not nearly as over the top. Strong vanilla nose but not too much oak. Had a velvety texture as this went down and sublte sweet tannins. Lesson learned, decant, decant, decant or give plenty time in the bottle.
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Deep, inky, teeth staining, purple. No decant, but was drinkling nicely. In all ways, this is a huge wine! Big nose, big, extracted black fruit, and big rounded tannin finish. Very enjoyable bottle of wine.
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No decant. Deep purple. Some stewed fruit on the nose, but a nice dose of iron and meat bring some savory notes in play. Full bodied, with just a stellar mouthfeel. Great acidity keeps the large quantity of red and black fruit in balance. It will not be mistaken for a wine from the Northern Rhone as it doesn't present a rustic side, but it doesn't fall into the new world clumsiness I taste far too often on modern Syrahs. Red plums, black cherry, a hint of blackberry with a dose of savory umami that really brings it all together. Tannins are present, but not intrusive or overwhleming. Long, classy finish.
Excellent wine!
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Had this following the 2006 Armagh. Hard to score this only four points less than the Armagh, as it is not close to being in the same class, but perhaps I scored the other too low. This wine is enjoyable, an explosion of fruit, with bracing tannins on the finish that need some time to integrate. An excellent wine at this price, which is worth a few points.
Agree with bmwcarl below - WOW; almost inky when opened - massive & almost port like; settled down after about 1 hour; this definitely needs to lay down for a bit to let the tannins subside. Great structure - should be mind-blowing in a few years.
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Hard to get past the massive structure at this point, even with a long decant. Jaw-clinching tannins and acidity which overshadowed the somewhat generic dark berry fruit and clumsy oak. Not bad, but certainly not unique or exceptional. This wine has legs for the long run but I'm not sure if it will evolve into something great. I've got enough for another glass tomorrow night and will revisit my impressions then.
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Dark, blue and black fruit, lots of vanilla though in no way oaky. Enough tannin and acid to hold the fruit in check. Needed 30-60 minutes of air to show best and would benifit from another couple of years in bottle, but quite ready to go now for a more fruit driven experience.
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So bummed that bottle was flawed. Bought from WTSO and was shipped in very high heat over the summer and over a weekend. We will see if they will help us out.
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Another solid offering from Two Hands. Not nearly as good as the Bella's Garden, but that's a pretty high bar to reach. I agree that it would definitely benefit from serious decanting.
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Decanted for 30 minutes. Drank with Tom at dinner at Table. Fruit forward nose of red and black berries. Alcohol needed time to blow off. A bit over the top on the palate with tons of ripe red fruit. Reasonability balanced, with a strong finish. Not quite the fan that others are.
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Another excellent wine from Two Hands. Would benefit from decanting, but we were at a restaurant and unable to do so. A dark and bold Aussie Shiraz, and at $29, an absolute steal.
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Another classic Two Hands wine. I have always enjoyed the wines from this producer and the nice thing about Cellar Tracker is I could go back and see that out of 11 various wines from Two Hands 10 have been 90+ for me. This bottle adds to that streak. Decanted for 1 hour, deep impenetrable purple as I poured into the glass, I could get a nice whiff of dark berries 2" away from the top of the glass. Silky mouth coating finish that lasts and lasts. Another winner from this producer.
Frankly I have not been able to find out how their wines age because they seem to drink so well when young. I looked back at some prior vintages on CT and folks are finding the 2001's still holding up. Usually I end up with 1 bottle of the Garden series at a time given the list prices but this time I snagged 3 from WTSO.com at 1/2 price so maybe, just maybe I will hide on in the back of my cellar to see what it tastes like in 7-8 years.
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Decanted for 1 hour (did not change that much with airtime). Dark red / purple color. Vanilla/ plum / touch alchohol on the nose (smelled like new world Syrah - nose was a let down). Full bodied - blackberry / plum (fruit dominant without many secondary flavors) / enough acidity to not feel disjointed with minimal tannins - medium finish. I enjoyed but the wife was not a huge fan. Would be great with ribs and comparable to a high end California Zinfandel - 90-92. Fell apart on night two.
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Very nice wine, slightly on the extracted side but balances sweetness well and not raisined at all. Don't reckon its a long termer but who cares as it drinks beautifully now.....
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NobleRottersSydney - Two Hands wines with Matt Wenk (Alio's, Surry Hills): [15.7%, cork, A$60] Twenty five blocks of fruit from 7 different growers the length of McLaren Vale go into this wine. It’s a full throttle effort from the coconut/vanilla aromas on the nose, to the supercharged chocolate/raspberry fruit on the palate. Massive body and extract, with medium powdery tannins, terrific intensity and full-bodied weight. Despite the alcohol, it’s not coarse or raisined, but rather voluptuous with a softly sweet mouthfeel. Very seductive if you like the style – a real crowdpleaser. Youthful, but I rather imagine it’ll be at its best in its youth.
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Very very good, big, dark, bold and still very young high end Australian shiraz enjoyed earlier tonight with Kim with a dinner of grilled lamb. We love this, highly recommend it but needs time at this point, at around $40 / bottle this is a reasonable QPR wine. Fruit reasonably controlled, overall reasonably balanced but at this point still huge, dark and fruit forward. This wine was opened for four+ hours prior to consumption, will plan on decanting the next bottles. Nose dark with dark fruit, licorice, eucalyptus and tar with primary flavors of dark stone fruit, black currant, licorice, tar, terroir and development of black pepper and smoke on the late palate. Long aftertaste, years of cellaring potential left, look forward to enjoying the remaining 5 bottles at approximately 6 month intervals.
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Ripe, rich and sexy with an inky purple color. Showing blackberry, blueberries, kirsch, white pepper, and sweet exotic spice flavors that linger effortlessly through this big, racy wine. Finishing up with a long but peppery finish. At around the $30-$35 range this is a value. (Best from 2010-2019) - JD94 +
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7/18/2023 - lourod50 wrote: 94 Points
I liked it
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7/1/2020 - Arch57 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine was purchased exactly 10 years ago and was the last of 3 bottles. The other 2 we consumed early in 2010 and 2011 and enjoyed their freshness but they were one-dimensional.
I purposely buried this one in the cellar to see what aging would do and it worked out nicely. I had a couple of bourbons before and suddenly my wife asked for a "glass" of wine. Well I popped this and we headed down to the dock to watch the sunset on what was a stormy day in Maine that finally was clearing. Well you know how that goes the glasses kept getting refilled and we watched a fog bank roll across the lake until it enveloped us. So cool!
Anyway the wine was dark, inky purple. The 15.7% ABV was well hidden and the oaky notes faded into a nice smoky backdrop. The nose was complex dark fruits and the wine had a silky mouth texture with a medium finish. Very enjoyable.
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11/10/2019 - redz wrote: 93 Points
Luscius full-bodied shiraz, I think I'll drink my last bottle soon.
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11/3/2018 - ikkaariainen wrote: 93 Points
Our last bottle of six and almost a decade since I wrote a TN on this wine. Time has been very very kind to this wine - now well balanced, much softer and completely mature / in a great drinking window with probably another at least 2-3 years+ left at this level with proper cellaring. Probably no further upside to further cellaring and definitely recommend starting to drink up any remaining holdings. We loved this last night, highly recommend it and at our original acquisition price of at around $40 / bottle this is now a great QPR wine - thought about bumping up the score another point. Good mouth feel, one of the softest Aussies we've had, smooth, much less jammy and intense then in it's youth, very well balanced with remaining tannins now well integrated and fading. This last bottle was popped & poured at a restaurant, would recommend a short 30-60 min decant. Dark purple to black color with some peripheral bricking. Nose aromatic and dark with balanced dark fruit, eucalyptus and more smoke then the tar I remember from previous bottles. Primary flavors include dark stone fruit, black currant and rasoberry up front with darker tones of licorice, tar, terroir and black pepper on the mid-late palate. Very long pleasant lingering aftertaste.
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6/18/2018 - carlsport Does not like this wine: 83 Points
Passed its prime. Stewed fruit and harsh. Enjoyed previously, but hung on this bottle too long.
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5/27/2018 - Bobc7had wrote: 89 Points
lacking vibrancy. starting to fade
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8/13/2017 - ctjared Likes this wine:
lot of fruit left
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6/24/2017 - Sonoffalstaff Likes this wine: 92 Points
NJROSENUT has it put it nicely. A hint of that tangy Shiraz nose ( used to call is sweaty saddles), deep rich colour ( inky is right), amazing legs and it all comes together wonderfully on palate. Great fruit, balance, reasonable complexity and surprisingly light on given the alcohol ( too much which is a shame). Acidity is very good ie it is in balance without cutting through your enamel. Long.
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1/21/2017 - TGOT Likes this wine: 93 Points
Inky, with dark fruit and tobacco flavors. Really well-crafted. Probably could go another five years. Decant for 2+ hours if opening now.
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1/1/2017 - impresario51 wrote: 92 Points
Delicious, smooth and more settled down than other TH's I've had. 15.7% alcohol.
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1/29/2016 - dbay Likes this wine: 91 Points
Garnet colored. Aromas of ink, black cherries, sandalwood on the nose. On the palette, cassis, black cherries, prune, some coffee/chocolate. Soft tannins. Smooth, silky mouth feel.
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9/8/2015 - ecola Likes this wine: 94 Points
Silky smooth dark cherry, red raspberry, and blueberry. Rich and intense flavors with softening acidity and moderate tannins. A bit of shaved cocoa and subtle earth on the finish. Drink now, seems to be peaking.
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7/11/2015 - NJRosenut Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent balance. Everything working well and integrated. Thought it would be good, but better even than I anticipated. Smooth mouthfeel, fruit and acid with a touch of spice. Well done. From Magnum.
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1/15/2015 - mgstull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rounding into a more harmonious wine since previously tasted. The weight, black fruit, blue berry, blackberry, pepper, and glycerin are all there, but it has mellowed with the additional age.
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1/9/2015 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 91 Points
Big, dark, and intense. Maybe just a touch hot.
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11/24/2014 - Wineson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Defoe a nice wine smooth and fruity. Well done.
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1/1/2014 - iamandyc wrote: 93 Points
May be as good a sub-$75 shiraz can be. After two hour decant was not overdone yet had the brambly, spicy signature of a shiraz. Dark, expressive fruit with nice acid and structure. Velvety and lush with a long finish. Fragrant nose. At its peak.
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11/24/2013 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar notes to previous bottle. Good fruit, but not overdone. Well integrated oak and no apparent heat.
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10/4/2013 - Dont_panik Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wow, this is a big powerful Shiraz. Deep dark cherry, tar and licorice. A little bit of pepper on the finish. it's definitely drinking in its wheelhouse now. I have two more bottles and I'm really looking forward to them.
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7/18/2013 - jazanol07 wrote: 87 Points
I agree with previous review comparing this wine to a port.
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7/8/2013 - Bobc7had wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and the taste was over the top jammy.
Very drinkable, but no depth.
second day revealed some more complexity but still not what I had hoped for. I prefer Bella's over this one.
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7/5/2013 - mgstull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black fruit, menthol, and black pepper. Opaque purple black and massive.
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7/5/2013 - PSUSteve Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour. This is a huge Aussie Shiraz. Dark fruit with an emphasis on blueberry. Strong tannins with a deep and rich finish.
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6/22/2013 - quanmeister wrote: 92 Points
Lovely wine. A perfect Shiraz. Not too big. Hints of cherry and a little spicy. Finish was not that long but very pleasant. Wish I bought more than one bottle.
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6/16/2013 - AIB Likes this wine: 90 Points
I am sorry it is my last bottle.
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3/9/2013 - CWilliam wrote: 84 Points
Split rating - I did not enjoy but my wife and mother in law would agree with the notes below. Blackberry jam, black cherry, plum & black licorice on the nose (very nice nose). Similar flavors on the palate but the wine is flabby (not enough acidity & too much alchohol (with airtime it tasted more like port than a dry red wine). My last bottle fell apart on night 2 so I should not be shocked this has not aged well. Would not buy again (my wife would say otherwise but she does not write the tasting ntoes...)
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2/16/2013 - stevenjstein Likes this wine: 92 Points
A dark, powerful, Shiraz, but has an elegance and balance to it.
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2/9/2013 - AIB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wonderful wine. I thought it would be another heavy handed Australian shiraz but was pleasantly surprised. Great fruit and balance!
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1/11/2013 - slywka7 wrote: 89 Points
Drank this at the end of a long night. I don't remember much from this bottle although I could remember tasting the alcohol.
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1/2/2013 - Libiamo! wrote: 89 Points
Big, ripe black fruit, such as blackberry, bramble on the nose. Over 15% abv, but doesn't taste alcoholic at all. Quite balanced with good concentration and length. Soft tannins. Medium acidity. At peak, drink it up.
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12/29/2012 - mgstull Likes this wine: 90 Points
Monster wine. Copious blackberries and blueberries in a glycerin loaded fruit bomb.
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12/17/2012 - Michael Gould Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still has a way to go, but shaping up to be something special.
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11/24/2012 - Wineson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted about 30' prior to consumption. Very smooth.
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11/15/2012 - gesusser wrote: 91 Points
very nice mid week drink
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10/25/2012 - AIB wrote: 90 Points
High in fruit and alcohol +13% alcohol). Nothing subtle about this one. It can stand up to alot and is rather enjoyable if you like the fruit forward bombs from AUstralia.
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10/22/2012 - jamieirving wrote: 90 Points
Made with lovely fruit from the McLaren Vale, this blockbuster Shiraz is then aged for 14 months in 20% new American oak hogsheads, the balance in seasoned 1, 2 and 3 year old American oak. The result is a full-on, brooding, dark-fruit driven mega-wine. Delicious!
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9/18/2012 - ecola Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ultra smooth and silky. A monster of a wine with an explosion of pure dark cherry and blackberry. Sweet and fine gripping tannins. Heat comes out a bit, but it is very well maintained. Drinking great now and for at least a few more years.
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8/31/2012 - RandyC wrote: 92 Points
An excellent fruit forward shiraz from Australia. A lot of solids in this wine (decant carefully). A win here, in that this is a huge fruit forward shiraz, typical of the two hands offering. Huge explosive fruit complemented with a good amount of oak aging that makes for a smooth aproach on the mouth.
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7/13/2012 - gjv115 wrote: 93 Points
Brilliant. Great right out of the gate and got better. Fruit, smoke, redwood, balanced with great mouthfeel.
We kept he temp low and it helped keep the affect of the high alcohol down.
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5/11/2012 - Wineson Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red. Full-bodied, fruit forward. Not particular complex or out weighed by fruit. Nice wine.
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4/21/2012 - gjv115 wrote: 93 Points
It has a lot of alcohol so getting the temp right and giving it some time to breathe were important. Once it hit its stride after about 2 hours it was great. Dark fruit, chocolate, great mouthfeel. I think it is in its sweet spot.
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4/5/2012 - Brian Jensen wrote: 89 Points
Perfect compared to the price. Still Young.
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2/5/2012 - gjv115 wrote: 92 Points
After about an hour it is big bright cherry vanilla, red apple. Really good. Judi says there is astringecy and needs a year. Maybe, but I think I am going to drink the rest of mine.
So good...
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1/27/2012 - Gunzee wrote: 90 Points
Drank new year's eve, didn't decant but was still very good, but compared to Bellas Garden, not so much.
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1/16/2012 - scarce10 wrote: 90 Points
This wine is total Jam Town! It's so fruit forward I thought I was drinking a sunny California shiraz. Nevertheless, after about three hours of decanting, this wine had an extremely smooth feeling of chocolate that was wonderful. Very well balanced. It's a meal on its own!
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12/24/2011 - gesusser wrote: 91 Points
drank after being opened & decanted;very tasty;not too sweet typical shiraz; solid performer for dinner;; could use more time than one hour decant; tried first nite & was flat;hold for a bit longer or for a longer decant;
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12/11/2011 - Oskiwawa wrote: flawed
corked
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12/10/2011 - ctjared wrote:
Unquestionably at the top end of the ranges described here.
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10/12/2011 - Arch57 wrote: 91 Points
I was in the mood for "big Aussie" Shiraz and sure enough Two Hands was there to meet the occasion. Of course this wine is very ripe and extracted but that is why I always have some of these on "hand' in my cellar to fill that need to drink a ripe, semi-sweet fruit filled bonanza called Two Hands. A very nice expression of this varietal, these guys can create a consistent you know what you are getting wine every time.
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9/30/2011 - grubmanda wrote: 88 Points
Popped and poured, but this wine really needs time to open up. Tannic with an explosion of berries, but just nothing special. Certainly got better over the course of the evening, but a rather pedestrian effort given what I have been accustomed to from Two Hands.
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7/4/2011 - PSUSteve wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for 1-2 hours. Huge nose loaded with blueberry. A little disjointed on the palate with over the top fruit and alcohol. Maybe I should give it more air.
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6/20/2011 - bmwcarl wrote:
This wine is like a cage match of professional wrestlers: there are so many strong elements competing it's hard to figure out which is the strongest. The first night it was tannins, dark fruit, menthol, tar, acidity, viscosity, and oak all competing with one another. After the first round, all that was left was acidity, ark fruit, and tar. After the third round, it was a draw between acidity and dark fruit. This is an extremely complex but somewhat fatiguing wine to drink. It needs significant airtime to become approachable. Don't mess with it!
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5/4/2011 - gjv115 wrote: 88 Points
Big ripe shiraz. Mellowed and improved the longer it was open. Good but nothing special at this time. Maybe with more decanting.
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4/18/2011 - bablues wrote: 92 Points
Huge, over the top. Very well made, just an explosion of fruit. Enjoyable but predictable. Something about Aussie Shiraz' lately, they just don't thrill me like they used to. Never thought I would say that about a Two Hands Shiraz.. Ok, revisited this after 48 hours (which doesnt happen too often). Totally different than day one. Was not nearly as over the top. Strong vanilla nose but not too much oak. Had a velvety texture as this went down and sublte sweet tannins. Lesson learned, decant, decant, decant or give plenty time in the bottle.
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1/23/2011 - schuey wrote: 91 Points
Deep, inky, teeth staining, purple.
No decant, but was drinkling nicely.
In all ways, this is a huge wine! Big nose, big, extracted black fruit, and big rounded tannin finish.
Very enjoyable bottle of wine.
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1/12/2011 - Anthony Lombardi wrote: 92 Points
No decant. Deep purple. Some stewed fruit on the nose, but a nice dose of iron and meat bring some savory notes in play. Full bodied, with just a stellar mouthfeel. Great acidity keeps the large quantity of red and black fruit in balance. It will not be mistaken for a wine from the Northern Rhone as it doesn't present a rustic side, but it doesn't fall into the new world clumsiness I taste far too often on modern Syrahs. Red plums, black cherry, a hint of blackberry with a dose of savory umami that really brings it all together. Tannins are present, but not intrusive or overwhleming. Long, classy finish.
Excellent wine!
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11/26/2010 - VegasWine wrote: 93 Points
Complex shiraz with some very non-harsh spice.
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11/26/2010 - JimN wrote: 90 Points
Had this following the 2006 Armagh. Hard to score this only four points less than the Armagh, as it is not close to being in the same class, but perhaps I scored the other too low. This wine is enjoyable, an explosion of fruit, with bracing tannins on the finish that need some time to integrate. An excellent wine at this price, which is worth a few points.
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11/11/2010 - nogohawk wrote: 91 Points
Agree with bmwcarl below - WOW; almost inky when opened - massive & almost port like; settled down after about 1 hour; this definitely needs to lay down for a bit to let the tannins subside. Great structure - should be mind-blowing in a few years.
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11/6/2010 - bmwcarl wrote:
Hard to get past the massive structure at this point, even with a long decant. Jaw-clinching tannins and acidity which overshadowed the somewhat generic dark berry fruit and clumsy oak. Not bad, but certainly not unique or exceptional. This wine has legs for the long run but I'm not sure if it will evolve into something great. I've got enough for another glass tomorrow night and will revisit my impressions then.
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10/1/2010 - nogohawk wrote: 94 Points
Very good
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9/20/2010 - Rob_Sutherland wrote: 92 Points
Dark, blue and black fruit, lots of vanilla though in no way oaky. Enough tannin and acid to hold the fruit in check. Needed 30-60 minutes of air to show best and would benifit from another couple of years in bottle, but quite ready to go now for a more fruit driven experience.
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9/1/2010 - gopherhockey wrote: flawed
So bummed that bottle was flawed. Bought from WTSO and was shipped in very high heat over the summer and over a weekend. We will see if they will help us out.
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8/26/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 90 Points
Bright acidity, almost too much so...
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8/18/2010 - Bella27 wrote: 90 Points
Another solid offering from Two Hands. Not nearly as good as the Bella's Garden, but that's a pretty high bar to reach. I agree that it would definitely benefit from serious decanting.
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8/17/2010 - dontime wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes. Drank with Tom at dinner at Table. Fruit forward nose of red and black berries. Alcohol needed time to blow off. A bit over the top on the palate with tons of ripe red fruit. Reasonability balanced, with a strong finish. Not quite the fan that others are.
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8/14/2010 - grubmanda wrote: 92 Points
Another excellent wine from Two Hands. Would benefit from decanting, but we were at a restaurant and unable to do so. A dark and bold Aussie Shiraz, and at $29, an absolute steal.
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7/30/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 91 Points
Much better than the first bottle
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7/25/2010 - jcbrand wrote: 90 Points
Jess and I both agreed on the score for this bottle. I was hoping it would have been as good as the Bella's Garden.
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7/14/2010 - Arch57 wrote: 90 Points
Another classic Two Hands wine. I have always enjoyed the wines from this producer and the nice thing about Cellar Tracker is I could go back and see that out of 11 various wines from Two Hands 10 have been 90+ for me. This bottle adds to that streak. Decanted for 1 hour, deep impenetrable purple as I poured into the glass, I could get a nice whiff of dark berries 2" away from the top of the glass. Silky mouth coating finish that lasts and lasts. Another winner from this producer.
Frankly I have not been able to find out how their wines age because they seem to drink so well when young. I looked back at some prior vintages on CT and folks are finding the 2001's still holding up. Usually I end up with 1 bottle of the Garden series at a time given the list prices but this time I snagged 3 from WTSO.com at 1/2 price so maybe, just maybe I will hide on in the back of my cellar to see what it tastes like in 7-8 years.
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7/10/2010 - CWilliam wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour (did not change that much with airtime). Dark red / purple color. Vanilla/ plum / touch alchohol on the nose (smelled like new world Syrah - nose was a let down). Full bodied - blackberry / plum (fruit dominant without many secondary flavors) / enough acidity to not feel disjointed with minimal tannins - medium finish. I enjoyed but the wife was not a huge fan. Would be great with ribs and comparable to a high end California Zinfandel - 90-92. Fell apart on night two.
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6/29/2010 - tonsta wrote: 92 Points
Very nice wine, slightly on the extracted side but balances sweetness well and not raisined at all. Don't reckon its a long termer but who cares as it drinks beautifully now.....
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6/7/2010 - graemeg wrote:
NobleRottersSydney - Two Hands wines with Matt Wenk (Alio's, Surry Hills): [15.7%, cork, A$60] Twenty five blocks of fruit from 7 different growers the length of McLaren Vale go into this wine. It’s a full throttle effort from the coconut/vanilla aromas on the nose, to the supercharged chocolate/raspberry fruit on the palate. Massive body and extract, with medium powdery tannins, terrific intensity and full-bodied weight. Despite the alcohol, it’s not coarse or raisined, but rather voluptuous with a softly sweet mouthfeel. Very seductive if you like the style – a real crowdpleaser. Youthful, but I rather imagine it’ll be at its best in its youth.
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4/30/2010 - ews3 wrote: 92 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour 2010 (Ronald Reagan International Trade Center, Washington DC): This was very refreshing after the Mollydooker! More subtle with dominant blueberry notes.
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2/12/2010 - ikkaariainen wrote: 92 Points
Very very good, big, dark, bold and still very young high end Australian shiraz enjoyed earlier tonight with Kim with a dinner of grilled lamb. We love this, highly recommend it but needs time at this point, at around $40 / bottle this is a reasonable QPR wine. Fruit reasonably controlled, overall reasonably balanced but at this point still huge, dark and fruit forward. This wine was opened for four+ hours prior to consumption, will plan on decanting the next bottles. Nose dark with dark fruit, licorice, eucalyptus and tar with primary flavors of dark stone fruit, black currant, licorice, tar, terroir and development of black pepper and smoke on the late palate. Long aftertaste, years of cellaring potential left, look forward to enjoying the remaining 5 bottles at approximately 6 month intervals.
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10/17/2009 - InternationalWineReport wrote: 94 Points
Ripe, rich and sexy with an inky purple color. Showing blackberry, blueberries, kirsch, white pepper, and sweet exotic spice flavors that linger effortlessly through this big, racy wine. Finishing up with a long but peppery finish. At around the $30-$35 range this is a value. (Best from 2010-2019) - JD94 +
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