Aroma
The aromatics are intense red berry fruits and liquorice on the nose. A tight bouquet slowly emerges with notes of cedar, cola, blackberry, mint and blood plum.
Appearance
The 2023 Gnarly Dudes is a deep strong black in colour.
Palate
A generous volume of rich fruit envelops your palate, offering
a deep, layered, and lingering experience. These flavors carry
through onto the palate, where balanced ripe tannins contribute
to a rich, rounded, and supple texture. The evolving fruit notes
lead to a finish with persistent fruit, delivering immediate
enjoyment. This is quintessential Barossa, with tannins that
possess a plushness, nerve, and energy, making it a richly
rewarding experience.
Vinification
The parcels of fruit were crushed into and fermented in 3, 5,
7 and 10 tonne open top vessels. Regular pump overs three
times daily were performed during the peak of fermentation. At
pressing, the free run and pressings were combined to tank, then
racked to barrel for oak maturation. The wine was matured for
12 months in French oak, 13% new, and the remainder in one to
six year old puncheons and hogsheads. All batches were kept
separate and blended just prior to bottling.
Vintage Notes
The 2023 season was challenging, we experienced a very
wet winter with a number of very humid days to match. Heat
summation over summer and sun daylight hours were going to
be much lower than we were normally used to, presenting us
with a much slower ripening curve. With wine we put the vintage
year on the label for a reason, to show what we can achieve in an
independent 12-month period, from pruning to wine in barrels. I
am thrilled with what our Two Hands team has achieved in such
a perplexing, challenging and interesting season.