Wine Advisor
Glaetzer, Amon Ra Shiraz 2006
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep garnet, the 2006 Amon-Ra opens with a really earthy, meaty and gamey nose scented of slightly burnt toast, tar, licorice and after a few minutes a little menthol. Full and rich, the palate has dried mulberries and spice flavors alongside very crisp acid, medium levels of chewy tannins before finishing long. Drink it now until 2020+. Importer: Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 923-1376
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Barely budging in hue, the 2006 Amon-Ra Shiraz gives a very deep purple-black color and earthy, gamey aromas of forest floor, moss covered bark, Peking duck skin, mulberries, dried plums, blackberry preserves, incense, cinnamon stick and cloves. Very crisp, concentrated and full with medium-firm velvety tannins, it presents a slightly warm yet long and engaging finish. It’s approachable now and should continue to develop, drinking to 2022+. All Glaetzer’s fruit comes from the Ebenezer sub-region in northern Barossa Valley. Importer: Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 923-1376
Reviewed by: Jay S Miller
Amon-Ra has become one of Australia’s icon wines. Made from 100% Shiraz sourced from vineyards ranging in age from 80-120 years and with microscopic yields of 0.5 tons per acre, the 2006 Amon-Ra was aged for 15 months in new French and American oak. The wine is a thick, glass-coating, purple/black in color. The aromas cover a wide range of scents including smoke, vanilla, pepper, Asian spices, coconut, espresso, blueberry, and chocolate. Thick, rich, layered, and complete, this monumental wine offers extraordinary intensity and length. It requires 10-15 years to fully evolve and should easily last through 2040. Hats off to Ben Glaetzer for producing an extraordinary portfolio! The renowned winemaker, Ben Glaetzer, sources all of his fruit for this label from the Ebenezer district in the northern Barossa. Many knowledgeable experts cite this sub-region as the finest in the Valley. Importer: Ben Hammerschlag, Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; www.glaetzer.com
About the Producer
The Glaezter family emigrated from Germany in 1888 and became some of the first recorded winegrowers to settle in the Barossa Valley, Colin Glaetzer established the Glaezter Wine Company about a century later, focusing on producing fine wines, and his son Ben runs the winery today. The philosophy is to use the best quality grapes to produce wines that best reflect the character of the Barossa Valley appellation. Barossa is famous for its ancient vines, from which the fruit is harvested without irrigation, and whose roots reach dozens (sometimes hundreds!) of metres deep to find underground water far below the surface. The yields from these vines are naturally very low and the fruit produced is very concentrated. Château Glazeau received a super five star rating from the James Halliday-hosted Australia Wine Companion in 2012. Glazeau's focus on making only four wines from old vine grapes in the Barossa Valley has resulted in excellent quality wines each year and very small yields.
