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March 26, 2006
Bella's Garden
Though I have to limit my alchohol intake on the blood thinners, I am permitted a glass or two of wine every so often. On Friday night I tried the 2004 Two Hands "Bella's Garden" Barossa Valley Shiraz. I bought it for about $60 at the Chapel Hill Wine Company. Wow. At $60, this has to be one of the finest examples of an Aussie shiraz that I have ever had the pleasure of sampling. It delivers a lively burst of fruit in the great tradition of fruit-forward Aussie shirazs (in fact, Aussie wines in general). I agree with most of the reviews regarding the fruit: cherry, pomegranate, raspberry and red plum. I also picked up hints of blueberries. However, the fruit is bracketed by subtle and gentle but clear tannins, creating a much more sophisticated and sensual experience. My wife and I both enjoyed a long finish from this accomplished wine. This is a wine that combines the best of complexity (ie a typical quality French shiraz) and excitement (ie a typical quality Aussie shiraz) in a dazzling but smooth and assured fashion. I had it with a grilled striped bass, in retrospect a poor choice by way of a food match. And yet it was still a stunning drinking experience. (The salesman who sold me the wine recalled trying it with roast duck breast with a blueberry sauce, which must have been a heavenly menage a trois of meat, sauce and wine.) A really lovely wine, I returned to the store to buy two more bottles: one for now and one to lay down in the cellar for a few years. And I plan to learn a lot more about Two Hands various wines (they have a wide-ranging, Shiraz-centric, lineup).
Posted by dag at March 26, 2006 9:44 AM
Comments
awesome wine. available from our local mt view costco for around $40
Posted by: enoch choi at March 26, 2006 10:56 AM
This is an awesome wine, and their other ones are also amazing.
Posted by: anonymous at March 26, 2006 3:11 PM
Enoch,
You have mentioned the wines at this Mt. View Costco on your blog before. Why can't ours here in Durham, NC do as well?
I am beginning to feel the pangs of jealousy.
Posted by: dag at March 26, 2006 8:17 PM
You can't be 71067 serious?!?
Posted by: Max Ballstein at August 2, 2006 5:40 PM