Two Hands Wines

Two Hands Wines represents a micro-producer model within McLaren Vale, South Australia's premium wine region, established with the explicit mission of producing site-specific wines through minimal-intervention techniques. The winery's name encapsulates its philosophy: every decision—from canopy management to harvest timing to final blending—is made with hands-on expertise rather than delegated to external consultants. Founded during the early 2010s movement toward natural and low-intervention winemaking in Australia, Two Hands positioned itself as a counterpoint to larger, fruit-forward McLaren Vale producers.

• Located in McLaren Vale, South Australia's most prestigious Shiraz-producing subregion
• Operates as a 'garage winery' model with production focused on quality expression rather than volume
• Embraces biodynamic and organic vineyard principles across owned and contracted vineyard sites
• Founder Michael Twelftree trained under respected McLaren Vale mentors before launching independent label

Two Hands sources fruit from premium McLaren Vale vineyard sites, primarily focusing on low-yielding mature vines planted on the region's characteristic red and brown limestone soils with clay substructure. The winery privileges old-vine parcels (many 30-50+ years old) that naturally produce concentrated, complex fruit with elevated phenolic ripeness. McLaren Vale's Mediterranean climate—warm days, cool nights moderated by sea breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent—creates ideal conditions for Shiraz and Grenache phenolic development while maintaining acidity and aromatics.

• Primary focus on blocks from McLaren Vale's 'Red Loam' and 'Brown Earth' soil classification areas
• Selective use of single-vineyard designations (e.g., 'Old Block Shiraz') to highlight site-specific expression
• Vintage variation is embraced rather than masked, reflecting McLaren Vale's cool-vintage challenges and warm-vintage concentration
• Sustainable and organic practices minimize herbicide/pesticide influence on soil microbiome and wine chemistry

Two Hands employs natural fermentation using wild/ambient yeast populations, extended maceration periods (20-30 days for reds), and aging in large-format vessels (500L+ amphorae and neutral oak) to preserve primary fruit aromatics and secondary complexity without oak-driven flavor domination. Sulfite additions are kept to minimal levels (typically <50 ppm total SO₂) to allow phenolic polymerization and tertiary development in bottle. The winery rejects temperature-controlled fermentation chambers and fining agents, instead relying on gravity settling and time for clarification.

• Native yeast fermentation captures McLaren Vale's specific microbial expression, creating unique aromatic fingerprints
• Extended skin contact and minimal new oak (often 10-20% new, 80-90% neutral large format) define the house style
• Unfined, unfiltered approach means some cloudiness or sediment may appear; requires cellar awareness from collectors
• Bottling occurs unfined and often unfiltered, with natural cork closure supporting long-term evolution

Two Hands' primary releases include their flagship 'Shiraz' (typically 14.5-15% ABV), single-vineyard 'Old Block Shiraz' expressions, and 'Grenache' bottlings that showcase the winery's restraint and complexity. Recent vintages (2018-2022) have received consistent 93-96 point recognition from major critics including James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion and mentions in Decanter's McLaren Vale retrospectives. The wines have gained particular traction among Sydney and Melbourne sommeliers seeking authentic, age-worthy regional expressions that avoid the 'fruit bomb' stereotype.

• 2019 Two Hands Shiraz achieved 96 points (Halliday), praised for structural complexity and length
• 2020 Old Block Shiraz shows distinctive black pepper, leather, and dark cherry notes reflecting low-intervention approach
• Grenache releases (typically 13.5-14.5% ABV) offer texture-driven profiles with strawberry, herbs, and mineral salt
• Limited availability (100-200 cases per bottling) creates collector interest and secondary market presence

Two Hands Shiraz expresses McLaren Vale's signature dark cherry, plum, and licorice aromatics with pronounced black pepper spice, leather, and graphite minerality from the region's limestone influence. The wines display structured tannins (fine-grained, persistent but not aggressive) and bright acidity (typically 6.0-6.5 pH) that support 10-15 year evolution in bottle. Grenache offerings lean toward strawberry preserves, garrigue herbs, and saline/chalky mineral notes with silky mid-palate texture and subtle white pepper finish.

• Characteristic 'cool McLaren Vale' profile: riper fruit without jammy excess, balanced alcohol, food-friendly acidity
• Bottle variation increases with natural fermentation—expect complexity layers that reveal over 2-3 hours decanting
• Secondary notes (leather, dried herb, graphite) develop rapidly in first 3-5 years, tertiary complexity emerges 8+ years
• Alcohol-to-fruit ratio slightly lower than mainstream McLaren Vale (often 14.5-15% vs. 15-16%), emphasizing elegance

Two Hands' structured yet elegant Shiraz pairs exceptionally well with grilled lamb shoulder, dark mushroom risotto, and aged cheese (mature Comté, pecorino), while the Grenache complements lighter preparations including herb-crusted chicken, Mediterranean vegetables, and soft cheeses. The wines' natural sulfite minimalism and phenolic complexity improve markedly with 3-5 years of bottle age, making them ideal for patient collectors. Peak drinking windows typically span 8-15 years post-vintage, with well-stored examples developing tertiary leather and earth notes.

• Shiraz: Grilled lamb chops with rosemary, beef short ribs with dark mushroom jus, aged Gouda or aged cheddar
• Grenache: Herb-roasted chicken, eggplant caponata, Spanish chorizo, fresh goat cheese with herbs
• Decant 2+ hours before serving to reveal aromatic complexity masked by reduction or bottle closure
• Store at 12-15°C with minimal light exposure; expect 12-15 year evolution in well-conditioned cellars