Welcome to the June edition of Instinctively Curious, the Two Hands Wines monthly newsletter.
In this month’s edition we do a deep dive in to one of the most significant wines produced along our journey over the past 25 years, Invenienda Sur Echalas Barossa Shiraz. Our aim is to create a new benchmark for Australian wine that easily sits amongst the great wines of the world.
A LABOUR OF LOVE
“In September 2008, I acquired what I believed to be the best unplanted land in the Barossa Valley. For the next 9 years, I carefully planned every detail, to ensure I got the most of this special land when planted. I walked the land, month after month, year after year, and felt a small slice of the vineyard, with a lovely undulating slope to the South East was the best piece. Multiple soil reports and analysis confirmed my hunch, so I chose to keep it aside, to plant a truly exceptional vineyard, we now call ‘The Clos’, and to produce a new benchmark wine for Barossa Valley and in turn Australia. I am thrilled to present our ‘Invenienda’, it has been a total labour of love for the past 14 years.” – Michael Twelftree, Proprietor
IN THE VINEYARD
‘The Clos’ block was planted at Holy Grail Vineyard in 2017 with two specific Shiraz clones, and was the last block to be planted on the property. First, the ‘Prouse’ clone from Eden Valley and the second was the famous ‘Kalimna 3C’ clone from the Barossa floor. Situated on a relatively steep slope, the vines are planted across the hill, to help with erosion control, allow for ease of spraying and vine management.
The échalas trellis style must be managed by hand (pictured below). From bud-burst, the vines are tied to the 1.8-metre stake, three times throughout the growing season. Until finally, the vines are joined together to form the shape of a love heart. The shoots are then thinned and the crop is thinned to one bunch per shoot. Once the vine architecture is developed we have one bunch on a 1.5m to 1.8m shoot, allowing a large solar panel of leaves for the bunch to achieve perfect maturity slowly and effortlessly.
IN THE WINERY
First being picked in 2020 ‘The Clos’ since has usually been the last block to be picked at the Holy Grail vineyard. The bunches are handpicked into small 20kg crates and placed in our refrigerated container for one day, to allow the fruit to cool down and allow the team to control the start of fermentation.
Our Head Winemaker Richard Langford had a number small timber fermenters (pictured above) custom-crafted for Invenienda, to ensure a slow fermentation over 10 to 14 days. Once ferment is nearing completion, the skins are submerged with barrel heads and then sealed for a further 10 weeks, so the must can macerate and intensify the flavour. After this long process, Richard and his team drains the free-run juice from the fermenters and the skins are pressed. The wine is then aged in fine-grained French oak sur lees for 16 months before bottling. The quality of fruit in the vineyard and care and attention to detail throughout the winemaking process means that the finished wine does not require fining and or filtering.
It offers an incredibly focused and modern style… this is a benchmark Barossa Shiraz to enjoy over the next two decades.
ANGUS HUGHSON, VINOUS
WINE OF THE MONTH
INVENIENDA – Latin “To be discovered”
900 bottles produced
2021 is the second release of our Invenienda Shiraz. The 2021 vintage was a truly magical one, the vines set up perfectly to ripen very slowly as an Indian summer set in and the weather could be best described as ground hog day. It was moderately warm, with lovely cool nights and we were never in much of a rush, flavours developed slowly and the vines worked their magic.
COLOUR: Deep rich purple in colour with a slight red hue.
AROMA: An explosive bouquet of strawberry, rhubarb, clove, blood plum, mint, herb, cut flower, rosemary and leather. There is a lot going on here and every time you lift the wine to your nose, new aromas slowly emerge.
PALATE: The palate starts out dense and flavour filled, with blackcurrant, soy, tapenade, liquorice and mocha. Every element here works in perfect harmony which makes the fruit disappear across the palate effortlessly and seamlessly, the bright acidity drives the dense fruit profile.
Released in small quantities this wine presents in a beautiful timber 3-bottle presentation case, featuring hand-drawn images of our beautiful Hairy Coos, and is available on allocation for $1,000/ 3 pack. To secure yours please contact Luke or Morgan and they can arrange to send you this true piece of Two Hands heritage.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Sydney Good Food & Wine Show | 21-23 June ICC – Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre
Barossa in Boardshorts | 5-7 July 27 Broadbeach Boulevard Broadbeach, QLD 4218
Taste Brisbane | 12-14 July John Reid Pavilion Bowen Hills, QLD 4006
Perth Good Food & Wine Show | 19-21 July Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre
Luke is originally from Tassie and began his journey in the wine industry with Moorilla Estate in 1997. He lived and worked in Japan for about 3 years before coming back to Aus and moving to Barossa in 2005 with Rockford Wines after completing Bachelor Wine Marketing. He is father of two teenage daughters who he claims are much smarter than him and husband to a patient wife. He spend his weekends playing guitar and listening to loud, heavy music. With his best memory, hanging out with Metallica and giving them some great Barossa wine, of course.
What brought you to the wine industry?
Growing up in Tasmania I started my wine journey with Moorilla Estate just outside of Hobart. I fell in love with their cool climate Pinot’s and Gewürztraminer and knew it is what I wanted to do.
Favourite Two Hands Wine and why?
It’s so hard to pick one, but if I had to it would be Charlie’s Garden. I also had the 2009 Aerope at a Wine Club dinner in Canberra recently and it was fantastic, a true expression of an aged Grenache.
Any future favourite wines you’ve tasted in barrel?
2022 Invenienda is phenomenal, one to look out for
