Yacca Block Shiraz Eden Valley

Name: Two Hands Yacca Block Shiraz Eden Valley
Brand: Two Hands
SKU: WRW6368FC
Price: 4200 THB
Availability: InStock

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SKU:WRW6368FCIn stock

WA96

From our sommelier team

Yacca Block is a single-vineyard Shiraz from Menglers Hill in the Eden Valley, South Australia, and sits in Two Hands' Single Vineyard Series rather than the regional Garden Series. The site is high for the Barossa zone at 483 metres, on shallow, skeletal grey sand loam with quartz gravel over weathered rock and yellow clay, a site the producer also describes as a mix of quartz and ironstone. Average vine age is 20 years, planted on three-metre rows with two-metre vine spacing, spur pruned, crop thinned to low yields and hand picked. Fruit is crushed and destemmed and fermented in five-tonne stainless steel fermenters for 10 days on skins with two to three pump-overs a day. The wine then spends 18 months in French oak puncheons of one to six years' age, with 20% new oak, and is bottled with minimal fining and unfiltered in the November following vintage. Alcohol is 14.6%. Two Hands note that the vineyard's high altitude allows for slow ripening that leads to a very soft and elegant Shiraz; the published note runs to deep crimson colour, blackberry and sage aromas with mocha, blackberry pastille and chinotto flavours, roasted chestnut and marzipan, and a graphite plume.

Producer history

Two Hands Wines was established in September 1999 by Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz, who decided at a friend's engagement party that it was time to make their own wine. The first vintage followed in 2000, built on a modest $30,000 investment and just 17 tonnes of fruit. The stated aim was to make the best possible Shiraz-based wines from prized growing regions throughout Australia, showcasing regional diversity rather than multi-region labels in a formulaic style. A run-down uninhabited cottage at 273 Neldner Road in Marananga, in the Barossa Valley, was restored as Kraehe House, and the cellar door opened there in December 2003, just in time for Christmas. The portfolio is tiered by barrel selection, with, in the producer's words, "the very best barrels for the Flagship range followed by the Single Vineyard Series, Garden Series and then our Picture Series". The Single Vineyard Series was launched in 2005, with the 2005 Zippy's Block Shiraz as its first release. In November 2012 Two Hands was named in Wine Spectator's annual Top 100 for the tenth consecutive year. The guiding line, in the producer's words, is that "great wines are made in the vineyard".

Signature pairings

Barbecued lamb shoulder with smoked salt — Charred lamb fat is a direct match for the dark fruit and savoury spice of an Eden Valley Shiraz, and the meat's richness settles the fine mineral tannin the quartz and ironstone site delivers.
Peking duck with pancakes and hoisin — Crisp duck skin and the sweet-savoury hoisin meet the wine's plum fruit and the mocha edge from 20% new French oak, while the acidity and tannin reset the palate between rolls.
Grilled pork neck with tamarind dipping sauce (คอหมูย่างน้ำจิ้มแจ่ว) — Kor moo yang is char-grilled and fatty rather than chilli-driven, and Shiraz handles smoke well. Nam jim jaew brings modest dried-chilli heat that 14.6% alcohol can carry provided the sauce is served on the side, not poured over.

Two Hands Yacca Block Shiraz from Eden Valley presents a classic Australian expression of the varietal. Dark plum and blackberry dominate the primary aromatics, supported by black pepper and licorice notes that signal the wine's spiced character. Medium-high tannins provide structure and grip, while subtle oak integration adds complexity without overwhelming the fruit. Tertiary earth and tobacco notes emerge on the finish, suggesting modest aging potential. This is a food-friendly, full-bodied red suited to grilled and braised red meats, lamb, and smoky preparations.