WTN: Two Hands "Gnarly Dudes" Shiraz 2004

Barossa.

The name Gnarly Dudes is supposed to refer to the old vines from which this wine is made.

Incredibly dark purple-black in the glass.

Sweet and jammy fruit on the nose, vanilla and cedar.

Thick and soft in the mouth, very rich and jammy black cherry and raspberry fruit, spicy, pencil lead, silky, showing some alcohol heat and roughness toward the end.

With time it revealed some veggy notes, perhaps beets.

A hot finish (no doubt from the 15 per cent alcohol).

Screwcap closure.

Those two hands dudes are making some impressive wines. I didn't get that heat on the finish you mention but I only had a tasting sample, that said I'm not sure if I could drink more than a glass of some of these high alcohol monsters.
How much in Canada, Bruce? It's about $29 in NZ.

I received a bottle of the 2003 Two Hands Gnarly Dudes Shiraz as a gift last year. We enjoyed it thoroughly with grilled ribs right off the barbeque. -- Clark

How much in Canada, Bruce? It's about $29 in NZ.

It was $27.95 Sue. According to my currency calculator, $29 NZ dollars works out to about $24 Cdn dollars, so you got the bargain.

We had about a 2-3 oz. pour of the 2005 vintage at a tasting of Old World Wines vs. New World Wines. It was dark and dense and had a long finish but I didn't really enjoy it. (I wasn't crazy about the Crozes-Hermitage sample up against it either.) I prefer the more subtle Shiraz from Australia--in the past I have liked Kay Brothers and L Jones and Tin Shed and for a good QPR (quality/price ration) Paringa.