Bella's Garden Barossa Valley Shiraz

Very dark in colour - almost black. Lots of everything - ripeness, oak, blackberry, dark chocolate. The sort of wine I would have loved in my 20’s, not so much in my 70’s. Not for lovers of delicate wine - this is full throttle. This Australian producer is probably better known in the USA than Australia - like Mollydooker. A full bodied palate with M plus intensity and grainy tannins. Ranked No. 3 in Wine Spectators Top 100 wines of 2012. Not sure that extended cellaring will make a huge difference but will try to have the last one in early 2027.

2003 | Shiraz

So much fruit still, for my palate this is a 30Y wine.

Catching up on old notes. Drank this magnum with extended family on Christmas Eve. A rich ripe full bodied style showing plum and chocolate. Two Hands seems like one of those labels like Mollydooker which are better known in the USA than in Australia.

Needed a few years to sing!

Deep Ruby, aged for 18 months in French oak, about 25% new, aromas of red and blue fruits with spice and earthy scents. On the palate flavors of plum, cherry and blueberry with some spice and cacao. This full-body wine had velvety smooth tannins, well balanced, long finish ending with fruit, spice and earthy character.

Deep Ruby, aged for 18 months in French oak, about 25% new, aromas of red and blue fruits with spice and earthy scents. On the palate flavors of plum, cherry and blueberry with some spice and cacao. This full-body wine had velvety smooth tannins, well balanced, long finish ending with fruit, spice and hgearthy character.

Just concluded the annual Fall seclusion at our cabin in the Rangeley lakes region of Maine, mobile service up there is mostly non-existent, after several days I am posting again.
(Notes this year were avoided, but scores are honest.)

Still years to go on this one...

A Southern 🌍🌏🌎 Hemisphere wine theme for a small dinner with a dear friend. Some older bottles from our cellar and some younger bottles from another cellar. Paired this evening with Asian-style braised beef short ribs (Kinderhook Farm; Valatie, NY) and grilled polenta.

Notes possibly...Scores honestly.

All in at $50.

The nose shows; ruby, floral & candied fruits of; mulberries, gooseberries, ollallieberries, boysenberries blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, black cherries with raspberries hovering across the top. Grilled, savory meats, black pepper, dark spice, dark cola, dark chocolate, anise to black licorice, dark expresso grounds, sweet tarriness, older tobacco, very used leather, limestone minerals, crushed rocks, incense, ambers, dry tree sap, dry herbs-sage, bat leaf, eucalyptus notes, moist, forest floor, moist, grey clay with withering, fresh & candied florals that are; purple, dark, blue and red set in pronounced lavender & violets woven in.

The body is; full, lush, rich, round, juicy & velvety. It glides across the palate in total gorgeous elegance. The structure, tension, balance & length are at their high point with another 5-8 years of solid drinking with a few years beyond if you enjoy that later stage. I am one who doesn’t protest that part of the life cycle. The tannins are round, pulpy and are still meaty. Fruits are; ruby, touch jammy, floral & candied fruits of; mulberries, gooseberries, boysenberries, ollallieberries, blackberries, black raspberries, both plums, black cherries, blueberries with raspberries hovering across the top. Grilled, savory meats, black pepper, notes of Worcestershire sauce, dark combo of Indian & some Asian spices that bring heat, dark cola, dark chocolate, caramel, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, anise to black licorice, dark expresso grounds, sweet tarriness, older tobacco, oak barrel shaving dust, somewhat card toast, very used leather, limestone minerals, crushed rocks, incense, ambers, dry tree sap, dry herbs-sage, bay leaf, eucalyptus notes, moist, forest floor, moist, muddy, grey clay with withering, fresh & candied florals that are; purple, dark, blue and red set in pronounced lavender & violets woven in. The acidity is round & excellent. The finish is stunningly well knitted, balanced fruit & earth, elegant, gorgeous, that loads lush & juicy and falls on to deep spices persisting for days.

Photos of our April 2017 visit; the walk up to Two Hands, waterfall in their courtyard in the back, utility building & their stand up tasting bar right as you walk in.

Stunning example of what Australian Shiraz can be with the right patience.

1/9/21

Our friends also brought Tri-tip to cook on the Green Egg. Not just any Tri-tip. This is the Cardiff. On the packaging, it refers to a website called CardiffCrack.com and can be ordered from https://order.seasidemarket.com/ @Paul T- Huntington Beach you are going to want to try this without question or hesitation and have some older Shiraz with it.

This is the most tender & flavorful Tri-tip I’ve had...all of us. For me, most are too seasoned/salty and not all that tender. You could almost cut it with a fork. I’ll be making this again & again. This is Goldilocks third porridge...just right.

I find Two Hands to be in the conversation of upper echelon Barossa producers.

I thought this would be a good classic pairing for Tri-tip. This slid into the perfect pairing for the style of the Cardiff. They hugged each other nicely. Really good.

For me as it is with may other big red wine regions, this wine needs 10 years plus to start showing how incredible they can be and has another 7 plus years of good drinking ahead of it.

This was smooth, elegant with round supple tannins. Broad spectrum of ripe, black, purple & blue fruits. It’s core dark with sweet tarriness, expresso roast, pepper, fresh tobacco, dark spices & limestone minerals. Dark; red, purple, blue florals framed in a field of violets & lavender. The acidity is excellent and the wine wire to wire is supple, has great balance, elegance with long staying power & persistence.

Photos of our 2017 visit toTwo Hands. Tasting room approach, fountain on the back grounds and view from their tasting patio.