Two Hands Brave Faces Shiraz Grenache

Two Hands Brave Faces Shiraz Grenache is a Barossa Valley red blend of Shiraz and Grenache, bottled at approximately 14–14.6% ABV in a standard 750ml format. The 2005 vintage earned 94 points from Robert Parker, who praised its rich texture, glycerin, and full-throttle yet velvety finish — a benchmark that established Brave Faces as one of the more compelling Barossa blends in the Two Hands portfolio.

Quick Facts: ABV: ~14–14.6% (varies by vintage)  |  Origin: Barossa Valley, South Australia  |  Style: Red Blend  |  Producer: Two Hands Wines

Production & Heritage

Two Hands Wines was founded in 1999 by Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz with a singular focus on Shiraz-driven wines from Australia's finest regions. Brave Faces pays direct tribute to the growers who loyally tended their old vines through the 1980s vine-pull scheme, preserving irreplaceable Barossa material that might otherwise have been destroyed. Fruit is de-stemmed and crushed into open-top fermenters — Shiraz sees three pump-overs daily while the Grenache parcels undergo a cold soak before gentle plunging, with 20% whole-bunch inclusion for the Grenache component. The finished wine matures for 12 months in a combination of French oak hogsheads and puncheons, with just 10–15% new oak to preserve fruit purity over cooperage influence.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: The nose opens with lifted floral notes — lavender, rose petal — before deeper layers of dark cherry, raspberry, and apricot stone fruit emerge. Hints of cedar, spice box, and a subtle smoky undercurrent add complexity without heaviness.

Taste: The entry is generous and fruit-forward, with juicy red and dark berry flavors rolling across the mid-palate. As it develops, earthy undertones, warm spice, and a gentle herbaceous quality provide structure and dimension. The Grenache contributes a bright, sweet-fruited generosity while the Shiraz anchors the blend with darker fruit concentration and peppery grip.

Finish: Medium to long, with velvety tannins and lingering notes of stone fruit, dark berry, and a trace of wet bark. The finish stays focused and beautifully framed, avoiding heaviness despite the wine's full body.

How to Drink Brave Faces

Serve at 16–18°C (60–65°F); thirty minutes of decanting rewards with greater aromatic complexity. This is a wine built for the table, though it drinks confidently on its own. A Barossa Shiraz-Grenache blend at this weight works exceptionally in place of heavier single-varietal Shiraz alongside grilled lamb — the Grenache brightness keeps it from overwhelming the dish. Try it with slow-braised short ribs where the peppery, spice-box character complements rich, savory sauces. It also pairs naturally with charcuterie boards built around cured meats and aged hard cheeses, where its lifted aromatics and juicy fruit cut through fat and salt.

Best For

• Introducing Australian red blends to someone who only drinks single-varietal Shiraz
• Pairing with a weekend roast lamb or slow-cooked barbecue
• Gifting to a wine lover who appreciates old-vine Barossa heritage
• Building a cellar collection of benchmark Barossa Valley reds

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Brave Faces taste like? Brave Faces delivers layered dark cherry, raspberry, and stone fruit flavors supported by spice, cedar, and earthy undertones, with a velvety, medium-long finish. The Grenache component adds a lifted, juicy brightness that distinguishes it from heavier, single-varietal Barossa Shiraz.

How does Brave Faces compare to Penfolds Bin 138? Both are Barossa Valley blends built on Grenache, Shiraz, and Mourvèdre, but Brave Faces typically leads with Shiraz and emphasizes floral lift and fruit purity through restrained oak usage (10–15% new French oak). Penfolds Bin 138, by contrast, is a Grenache-dominant GSM that tends toward a more structured, oak-influenced profile with greater emphasis on savory, earthy tones.

Is Brave Faces good for cellaring? Yes — the combination of concentrated old-vine fruit, balanced tannin, and measured oak aging gives Brave Faces a drinking window that often extends five to ten years from vintage, depending on storage conditions. Wine Spectator recommended the 2010 vintage for drinking through 2019, suggesting meaningful mid-term cellaring potential.

Where is Brave Faces made? Brave Faces is produced by Two Hands Wines using fruit sourced from the Barossa Valley in South Australia, one of Australia's most celebrated wine regions. Two Hands was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in the Barossa.

What foods pair well with Brave Faces? Grilled or roasted lamb is a natural match, as the peppery Shiraz character complements charred meat. Slow-braised short ribs or beef cheeks work well with the wine's generous body and spice. Charcuterie boards with cured salami and aged Manchego highlight the Grenache-driven fruit lift. Moroccan-spiced tagine echoes the wine's spice-box aromatics, and hard aged cheeses like Parmigiano-Reggiano provide a savory counterpoint to the wine's fruit richness.

What sizes does Brave Faces come in? Brave Faces is available in the standard 750ml bottle format.

Is Brave Faces worth the price? Brave Faces positions as a mid-to-upper tier expression within the Two Hands range, sitting above their entry-level wines but below limited single-vineyard releases. For a Barossa blend made from old-vine material with 94 Parker points on its record, it represents strong value in the context of premium Australian reds.

Why Brave Faces?

What sets Brave Faces apart is its direct connection to the old Barossa vines that survived the vine-pull scheme of the 1980s — fruit from growers who resisted short-term economics to preserve irreplaceable vineyard heritage. The winemaking is deliberately restrained: whole-bunch fermentation for the Grenache, open-top fermenters, and minimal new oak allow that heritage material to speak without heavy-handed extraction or cooperage. Robert Parker's 94-point score on the 2005 vintage validated what the blend delivers at its best — rich texture and full body married to floral lift and velvety tannin. In a region where massive, oak-driven reds dominate the conversation, Brave Faces earns its place by trading power for finesse and letting old vines tell the story.