The Whimsical Labels of Two Hands

Two Hands Wines celebrated their 20th year of winemaking last year. I am a little late to the party and I love their whimsical labels on the picture series. Are you like me and sometimes purchase a wine because you like the label and name? These three wines are definitely one’s I’d reach for on the shelf, especially if I was going to a party. They will be a great conversational piece.

The pictures on the labels have their own individual inspiration and take on pop-culture as the wines have their own regional varietal distinctiveness. The focus on these wines are purity of fruit and sensory pleasure. With small batch handling, you get better quality control and the wine really shines with the regional and varietal characteristics.

I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the wildfires that swept through Australia the past few months that left many areas devastated. More than 42,000 square miles (27 million acres) of land were burned from these fires. It has claimed thousands of homes and wildlife. Although the fires are pretty much now out, the cleanup begins. If you are would like to donate to the relief efforts, here is where you can donate to.

Australian Red Cross: Since July, the Australian Red Cross has assisted more than 18,600 people affected by the fires, according to its website. The organization says that it is currently supporting thousands of people in evacuation centers and recovery hubs. Learn more about where your money goes and donate at redcross.org.au.

WIRES: The New South Wales-based Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service Inc., Australia's largest wildlife rescue organization, is accepting donations to fund the rescue and care of animals affected by the fires. In December, WIRES received more than 20,000 calls and volunteers attended more than 3,300 rescues, according to the organization's website. All animal rescuers are volunteers. Learn more at wires.org.au.

Lets give two hands for Two Hands

2018 Angel Share Shiraz (SRP $33)

In the winemaking world, angels’ share refers to the small amount of wine that evaporates from the barrels during aging. Legend has it that the angels watched over the wines and they took their share for the protection.

The grapes for this wine were selected from parcels in the McLaren Vale appellation. It is 100% Shiraz that was aged in oak for 14 months. Only 12% was aged in new American oak while the balance was aged in 1 to 8-year-old barrels of American and French oak.

Tasting notes: Very strong aromas of blueberry with hints of violets and oak. The palate is a bit fruit-forward, medium-plus in body. The strong blueberry carries through with savory tannins

2018 Gnarly Dudes Shiraz (SRP $33)

The “Dude” from the movie “The Big Lebowski” inspired the label and name for this wine. The “Gnarly” comes from the old Shiraz vines the grapes grow on that are gnarly.

The grapes for this wine come from the Barossa Valley and are aged in French oak for 12 months. Only 13% was aged in new oak and the rest was aged in one to six-year-old puncheons and hogsheads.

Tasting notes: Soft blue and black fruit aromas lead to a soft palate. Notes of boysenberry, blackberry, a small hint of black pepper gives way to firm tannins and dry herb notes.

2018 Sexy Beast Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $33)

The Sexy Beast highlights how well the McLaren Vale grows Cabernet Sauvignon. It doesn’t go without a movie background. This one is named after the British crime film Sexy Beast that was out in 2000. Ben Kingsley received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a real “badass.” Think of Sexy Beast as a badass of Cabernet!

Tasting notes: Notes of red fruit and dried herbs on the nose give way to a Cabernet that is medium-bodied full of jolly rancher red cherry, clove with earthy notes on the mid-palate and finishes with dark spice.

The Gardens of Two Hands Wine

The "Garden" Series from Two Hands Wine is from six of the Shiraz producing regions of Australia.  In Australia, especially in the areas where there are German settlements they called their vineyards "gardens." The "Garden Series" translated means vineyards, each bottle from a distinct vineyard. The names of the vineyards all come from Michael's family members.

If you notice on the above bottle one is red and one is blue.  They actually have a meaning too. The red label on Bella's Garden signifies Barossa Valley soil and the Blue on Lily's Garden signifies the cooler climate of McLaren Vale.

I paired both of these wines with Chili. I felt the 2014  Bella's Garden went better with it.  It was a little lighter in the tannins and the spices didn't clash.  2014 Lily's Garden brought out the spice in the chili where it was overpowering.

The 2014 Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz is from the Barossa Valley.  Alcohol content clocked in at 15%. The color was a beautiful dark garnet. Complex aromas coming from the glass were light floral, lavender, black cherry, blackberry, chocolate, There was a bit of anise in the distant back.  Dark fruits showed on the palate with black cherry, blackberry, currant and clove.

The 2014 Two Hands Lily's Garden Shiraz was very dark when poured in the glass. Reminded us of Coca Cola, but not in taste.  Aromas were blueberry, plum and a hint of oak.  This wine also clocked in at 15% alcohol.  The palate brought blueberry jam, black berry a bit of spice on the finish.

Both the wines above retail for about $69.

In all, it was a great month exploring and being introduced to the wines of Two Hands. I am going to leave you with some quotes by Michael Twelftree and a video recapping the wines and foods we paired with it.

"The sad thing about the Australian wine industry is that 80% of it is controlled by three major companies." -Michael Twelftree

"The trouble we've done in the new world is we've made the winemaker the hero not the vineyard." -Michael Twelftree

"The aging curve of my wines is a lot slower than I ever anticipated." -Michael Twelftree

"You just can't get away with a dud vintage anymore..." -Michael Twelftree

"You can't turn up to market with a whole lot of leafy green, thin, hard and herbal wines." -Michael Twelftree

Twelftree Model: "Acid is like the train tracks, Fruit is like the train coming into the station & Tannins are like the brakes."

Rating the Barrel with Two Hands

In our continued discussion with Ben from Two Hands Wine we learn not all grapes are grown equally. There can be many reasons. Weather has an important role in the growing season as does the terroir of where the grapes are planted. All this changes year after year. Not just Australia, but everywhere.

At Two Hands they have a very distinct way of selecting the wine for each of their labels. You have their Picture Series (that I posted about here ) The Flagship Series that I will talk about below and the Garden Series next week.

The selection process is long but no Shiraz is left behind. Think of it as an entrance exam into college. Some get accepted some don't. It's all about how you perform on that exam.

During the selection process winemaker Ben Perkins and owner Michael Twelftree sit down and blind taste through all the barrels and rate them. There can be anywhere from 1,800 to 2,200 barrels, however they only taste 100 barrels a day and they have to be the same variety and from the same region. They give every barrel a score from A+ to a D-.  This not only determines where the barrels are used, the score determines how much the growers get paid.

The scoring is as follows:

• A+ goes to the Ares which is the Flagship Series and priced at $199 bottle
• A and A- make up the Garden Series which are constantly outstanding. These are priced from $65 to $80 a bottle
• B and B- make up the Picture Series which sells for $36

What are they looking for when scoring.  They look for the length, depth of flavor, balance, and the depth of the tannins in the wine,  This process takes place six months after the vintage.

With the Ares, it is only from grapes sourced from the Barossa Valley.  So if there is an A+ score on a Shiraz from the McLaren Vale region it will be put in Lily's Garden in the Garden Series.

What makes up a $199 bottle of Shiraz? Complex flavors, long tannins and a wine where thing is getting along.

The Two Hands 2012 Ares Shiraz is just that. Very complex and very dark red in color this wine was aged in 100% new French oak. When I first opened the bottle and took a quick sniff I got chocolate notes. Once I poured it in my glass, there was notes of chocolate, blackberry, chili and clove.  On the palate there was a little chocolate, dark berry, blackberry with a hint of ash on the finish and a burst of pepper accompanied with soft sexy tannins.

I served this with a Flank Steak marinated in wine and herbs, Sage Potatoes Au Gratin and for dessert I made Lydia's Crown Maple Chocolate Pots de Creme. While the steak really soften the tannins of the wine and highlights the flavor of both the steak and the wine, the Pot de Creme was my favorite. The wine made the chocolate creamer and the chocolate mellowed out the fruit in the wine but still leaving the berry presence.

Lydia Higginson's Crown Maple Pots de Creme

5 egg yolks
1/4 cup Crown Maple sugar
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup Crown Maple dark syrup
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz bittersweet chocolate 1/2 tsp vanilla
Crown Maple pearls for sprinkle on top (I used sea salt because I didn't have the pearls)

In a bowl, mix/whisk yolks and sugar.  In saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, milk, Crown Maple syrup and salt; pour in yolk-sugar mixture. Stir constantly until mixture reaches 180 degrees F.

Pour hot contents over chocolate in bowl and cover and let stand for 3 minutes.  Uncover, add vanilla and whisk completely.  Pour into 4 oz ramekins and cool (I got 6 out of it).  When they reach room temp, cover and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight. Before serving sprinkle with Crown Maple pearls or sea salt.  You can add whip cream on top.

Heading Down-Under with Two Hands

I have to confess, I am not a big Australian wine fan. In fact I rarely drink wine from that region. One of the great opportunities I have is to participate in a program called #winestudio which is on twitter Tuesday evenings at 9pm EST. Thanks to Tina Morey who does a dynamite job organizing the programming for this wine education class I get to participate, learn about wines and wine regions and as a result share it with you. I have to admit, I am changing my tune and really enjoying these wines.

This month my education takes us to Austrialia and Two Hands Wines. In the upcoming weeks I will be sharing with you the Picture Series (today) the Garden Series and I am fortunate enough to have a bottle of Ares from their Flagship Series.

Two Hands Wines was founded in 1999 by Michael Twelftree who began the brand as a negotiant. He sought out quality Shiraz in the different regions in Australia. As time past it has allowed him to build his brand and purchase vineyards of his own.  What stands out to me is that they determine what wine goes into each series by blind tasting.

Eric Guy from Protocol Wine interviewed Michael. Instead of me re-capping the interview, listen to Michael Twelftree himself talk about building his brand from an idea and passion for wine to what it is today. This will lead us into the tasting of his wines.

We began the tasting with the Picture Series which was two Shiraz and a Cabbernet Sauvignon.  The Picture Series is their entry level wines priced at $36. What defines the Picture Series?  This series is inspired by Michael's take on pop-culture. The labels are polaroid pictures (remember them)  by photographer Don Brice and a little photoshop  to have the outcome that puts a smile on your face.

Both the Sexy Beast (Cabernet Sauvignon) and the Angels' Share (Shiraz) come from the McLaren Vale region of South Australia.  The Gnarly Dudes (Shiraz) comes from the Barossa Valley. The difference between the two regions is the Barossa Valley is home to more old vines with the McLaren Vale region being greener.

I split up the pairings and paired the 2014 Gnarly Dudes Shiraz with a rib-eye steak.  This wine aged for 12 months in French oak which 15% was new and the rest was between one and six years old.  The color was very dark with almost purplish. Aromas of blackberry filled my glass with some earthy and meaty notes.  On my palate I felt the wine was a bit light. Perhaps I was expecting something a bit more complex. It was smooth and a bit fruit forward.  Nice blackberry and brambling fruit with hints of cedar.  There is some black pepper that sneaks up on your on the finish and quickly disappears.

The 2014 Angels' Share and 2015 Sexy Beast I served with pulled pork, roasted potatoes and a really good cranberry bean and bacon ragout. I found the Angels' Share to be a bit more complex than the Gnarly Dudes. Aged in oak for 12 months seeing 6% new French oak and the rest aged in oak one to six years old. With a very purple color, Angels' Share had notes of dark berry, mocha and clove. Black cherry and blueberry on the palate with nicely integrated tannins.  Mid palate shows hints of soft licorice and black pepper.  As the wine opens it becomes smoother with chocolate and black pepper on the finish.  The pepper just dances on the tip of your tongue.  Paired with the pork it creates its own flavor and brings out the spice in the wine without it being overly powerful.

The Sexy Beast was pretty sexy and playing hard to get. After spending 14 days soaking on the skins it was aged in 15% new Taransaud French oak and the rest in oak one to five years old.  This wine bold, but sexy. Green notes coming from the glass with a touch of bay leaf, plum, hints of earth and mocha. The palate was full of dark fruit, black currant, hints of clay, tannins that told you they were there.  Paired with the pork it was a battle. However with the beans it was a hot sexy match.  The fat from the bacon in the beans mellowed out the tannins producing a wine that was smooth and showcasing the fruit.

These three wines do have aging potential of  between 5-10 years.