Wine Advisor
Glaetzer, Amon Ra Shiraz 2009
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Deep purple-black colored, the 2009 Amon-Ra has pronounced creme de cassis and blueberry tart aromas over notes of raw meat, fertile loam, yeast extract and cloves. More elegant in the mouth, it has a medium to firm level of very fine tannins, vibrant and fresh acid that lingers nicely through a long and fruity finish. It is approachable now and will cellar to 2025+. Importer: Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 923-1376
Reviewed by: Lisa Perrotti-Brown
The 2009 Amon-Ra Shiraz displays a very deep purple-black color and floral notes of violets and wilted rose petals over mulberries, blueberries, star anise, mocha, fenugreek, cumin seeds, cloves and tree bark plus some toasty oak. Full-bodied and rich yet not overly so, it has refreshingly crisp acid and firm grainy tannins texturing the long spicy finish. Give it at least 2 years more in bottle and consider drinking it 2013 to 2024+. All Glaetzer’s fruit comes from the Ebenezer sub-region in northern Barossa Valley. Importer: Epicurean Wines, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 923-1376
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.
