Two Hands 'Brave Faces' Barossa Valley GSM 2023 (Australia)

Description

Oak, Plum, Spice

Deep red/garnet. The bouquet is very lifted and intense apricot stone fruit and floral notes, giving the wine an alluring vibrancy. The palate begins with a lean fruit profile, but it soon comes alive, evolving and opening up beautifully. The fruit is juicy and sweet, rolling deep into the finish, with notes of stone fruit alongside darker berry and earthy undertones. The tannins are very fine, their juicy nature making them caressing and very enjoyable. This wine, year after year, consistently performs well at the table. Its naturally lower acidity keeps the fruit bright and focused, while the soft tannins offer a lovely mouth-watering sensation that dries the late palate, preparing you perfectly for food.

The 2023 vintage was marked by challenges from the outset, with a wet, humid winter creating high disease pressure. A cold, wet November stalled vine growth for weeks, delaying ripening. Once warmer weather arrived, vine growth surged, requiring careful canopy management. A cooler, slower ripening season followed, with yields reduced to match the conditions. Harvest began in late March in McLaren Vale and early April in the Barossa Valley, with picking decisions critical due to uneven ripening. Despite frustrations, the vintage ended on May 2—Two Hands’ latest ever. The resulting wines are of high, consistent quality, reflecting expert management and winemaking.

The three separate fruit batches were de-stemmed and crushed to open top fermenters. The Shiraz was pumped over three times daily, where as the Grenache and Mourvèdre, after a few days cold soak, were lightly plunged. Average time ‘on skins’ was 6 days. Grenache parcels were fermented with 20% whole bunches. All pressings were added back to the free run. Some barrels had extended lees contact through maturation. 12 months in a mix of French oak hogsheads and puncheons with 10-15% new oak.