Monday, March 19, 2012

Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz

If a winery is reliably reported to not treat suppliers and customers very well, should it influence my wine reviews? Of course, it should not. I only assess what is in the glass. However, I am glad I mentioned it.

Bella's Garden is part of the Two Hands 'garden' series. Premium wines are produced from the major Shiraz areas in Australia, such as McLaren Vale, Heathcote etc. This one is from the Barossa. The different wines are a good basis for comparing key characteristics of each region, and the wines can be tasted at cellar door.

Last night I had the 2004 Two Hands Bella's Garden Barossa Shiraz. From a good  vintage, this wine shows impeccable fruit. The solid blackberry flavours fill the mouth nicely. The wine is a little sweet, but not too sweet for my palate (Pinot Noir drinkers be warned!). The wine is drinking well now, but the structure is a bit suspect. The tannins are soft, there is not much acidity. I would not recommend to cellar this wine much longer. This is no doubt a big Barossa Shiraz, but it can carry the 15% alcohol, and it is not overblown.

Score: 93/0

No comments: