Two Hands Ares Shiraz

The Two Hands Ares Shiraz is the pinnacle of this specialist Shiraz producer. It consists of the best barrel from the Barossa. I had high hopes for this 2002 Two Hands Ares Shiraz. Usually, wines like this are very big and ripe, but coming from the cooler 2002 year, I was hoping for something balanced.

My expectations were partly met. This  full bodied wine is quite concentrated, but after nine years still has some freshness. The dominant fruit is blackberry with quite a sweet core - too sweet. As a result, it belongs to the category of wines where you drink one glass, but more is difficult (maybe this is a good thing). The fruit is not dead, but lacks some complexity, more like a big bowl of sweets. The label says 14.5% alcohol, but it felt like more. On the other hand, the wine was not hot, the fruit could take the alcohol. Once the wine arrives at the back palate, it has a pleasant finish with soft and polished tannins.

Score: 93/0