New Releases: 2023 Garden Series

Garden Day & the 2023 Garden Series Release

Celebrating the vineyards that inspired the series. October brings springtime to Australia and a chance to celebrate the gardens that bring us joy during Annual Garden Day. At Two Hands, our ‘Garden’ has a special meaning. It’s the name behind our iconic Garden Series, a collection of regional Shiraz wines that has been at the heart of our story since 2000.

The Garden Series name wasn't inspired by roses or manicured lawns. It came from a simple conversation many years ago with one of our McLaren Vale growers who casually said to MT, "Come and have a coffee and look at the garden." he was talking about his vineyard.

That simple phrase perfectly captured our philosophy. A great vineyard should be cared for with the same attention, pride and love as the garden around your home. It's something that is tended every day, season after season, with countless small decisions ultimately reflected in the final result.

Since our very first vintage in 2000, Two Hands has pursued one goal: to showcase the incredible regional diversity of Australian Shiraz.

Rather than producing a single regional expression, we sought out exceptional vineyards across Australia's great wine regions, allowing each wine to tell the story of where it was grown.

The original 2000's Garden Series featured Shiraz from:

• Bella's Garden – Barossa Valley
• Lily's Garden – McLaren Vale
• Sophie Garden – Padthaway

In 2003 Harry & Edward's Garden from Langhorne Creek, Samatha's Garden from Clare Valley & Max's Garden from Heathcote in Victoria joined the collection.

As our estate and growers' vineyards evolved, so too did the series. In 2015, Charlie's Garden from Eden Valley and Harriet's Garden from the Adelaide Hills replaced the Padthaway and Langhorne Creek wines to add some cool climate regions into the mix, and created the collection as you know it today.

Each wine is named after a member of the Two Hands family, but the true heart of the series has always been the Garden vineyards themselves.

2023 Release

One of our guiding principles at Two Hands has always been Quality Without Compromise. Sometimes that means making difficult decisions. For the 2023 vintage, we were unable to source fruit from the Adelaide Hills vineyard that had produced Harriet's Garden in previous years. We couldn't find another vineyard that met the standards we expect from this collection. Rather than releasing a wine that didn't live up to the Garden Series reputation, we made the difficult decision not to produce 2023 Harriet's Garden.

While disappointing, it's exactly the type of decision our philosophy demands. Every wine carrying a Two Hands label must earn its place.

The 2023 growing season tested every member of our vineyard and winery teams. Following another La Niña influenced winter, vineyards experienced cooler temperatures and significantly higher rainfall throughout the growing season. While the replenished soil moisture was welcome after several dry years, it demanded constant attention in the vineyard. Spray timing became critical, and canopy management required exceptional precision.

When warmer weather finally arrived in late November and early December, vine growth accelerated dramatically. Shoots developed with some of the longest internode spacing MT had seen in his 24 vintages. Flowering occurred over just a few days, setting the vines up for a relatively mild summer. As the fruit entered veraison, however, it became clear that 2023 would be unlike most Australian vintages.

Lower heat accumulation and fewer sunlight hours created an unusually slow ripening season, demanding patience and careful decision-making. Harvest began in late March with McLaren Vale, where fruit quality quickly showed tremendous promise.

Barossa Valley followed in early April, but picking decisions became increasingly challenging as ripening slowed. Some vineyards reached outstanding maturity, while others simply never achieved the balance required to meet our standards.

Harvest finally concluded on 2 May, making it the latest vintage in Two Hands' 24-year history.

"I am thrilled with what Chief Winemaker Richard Langford and his team have achieved. Through careful vineyard decisions and thoughtful winemaking, the wines show remarkable consistency and quality. We put the vintage on every bottle for a reason – to celebrate what can be achieved in one independent growing season, from pruning through to wine in barrel. I couldn't be prouder of what the Two Hands team accomplished during such a unique and fascinating vintage." -MT

The 2023 Garden Series is a reminder that every vintage tells its own story. Some years demand patience. Others require difficult decisions. But when quality remains the priority, those challenges become part of what makes each release unique. This Garden Day, we're raising a glass not just to beautiful gardens, but to the vineyards that inspired one of Two Hands' most recognisable collections. Because sometimes, the most beautiful garden grows grapes.

The 2023 Garden Series are now available online and in our Cellar Door.