This tasting came into being after we had a bottle of Ben Glaetzer’s Amon-Ra in another tasting and some people commented how they had a bottle or two of Amon-Ra in their cellar. Once it became obvious that we actually had enough bottles for a serious vertical, one was quickly set up.
We started with a blind GSM from Washington - a wine I actually had tasted a little while ago. Back then the wine tasted a bit better - now it seems it is falling apart already.
In this tasting it became obvious how Amon-Ra actually needs age. The youngest bottle seemed just clumsy, rough and aggressive, showing surprisingly little finesse, integration and resolution. Once the bottles got older, the wine became much more balanced and enjoyable - even if I’m not a fan of big blockbuster wines! However, some vintages seemed like they were already past their peak and gliding downhill, so I guess it might be hard to predict how much the wine is actually going to need age before it really starts to show well.
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2013 Gramercy Cellars Grenache The Third Man - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley (27.1.2022)
A blend of Grenache (76%), Syrah (19%) and Mourvèdre (5%). Aged for 18 months in oak. 14,7% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Evolved, rather tertiary pomegranate color with a brick-orange hue. Very developed, savory and somewhat dried-up nose with aromas of raisins, some pruney dark fruit, a little bit of meaty character, light smoky tones of tar, a boozy hint of alcohol, a touch of peppery spice and an oxidative whiff of soy sauce. The wine is ripe, full-bodied and quite evolved on the palate with rather tertiary flavors of raisins and wizened blackberries, gamey meat, some peppery spice, a little bit of smoke, light bittersweet notes of dark chocolate, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of extracted bitterness. The overall feel is balanced, but a bit on the soft side, thanks to the medium-to-moderately high acidity and ripe medium tannins that slowly and gently pile up on the gums. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is dry, meaty and gently grippy with quite aged flavors of prunes, gamey meat, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of smoke and tar, light raisiny tones, a bittersweet hint of dark chocolate and a touch of ripe blackberry. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a moderately warm note.
A surprisingly evolved and tertiary GSM that is starting to lose its fruit and turn a bit oxidative in character. Even though I've tasted the wine a year ago, I didn't recognize it - perhaps because it seems this wine was noticeably more evolved than the previous (also quite developed) bottle - but I nevertheless guessed Australian GSM. The country was quite wrong, but at least I managed to recognize the varietal base here. Enjoyable stuff, but nothing thrilling. Better to drink sooner rather than later, because the wine seems to be gliding downhill now.
(86 points) -
2015 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 16 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol.
The wine appears dense, quite concentrated and almost fully opaque blackish-red with a subtly blueish hue. The nose feels ripe and equally dense, but not as sweet as I expected. There are aromas of ripe dark plums and blackberries, some fresh bilberry, a little bit of eucalyptus, light licorice tones, an oaky hint of dark chocolate and a touch of asphalt. The wine feels extracted, dense and chewy on the palate with a full body and rather robust flavors of peppery spice and savory wood, some ripe blackberry, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light bittersweet notes of dark chocolate, a hint of eucalyptus and a touch of fresh bilberry. Although very concentrated, the wine doesn't really feel that massive or monolithic and the overall feel is relatively balanced, thanks to the surprisingly high acidity and firm yet friendly medium tannins. The high alcohol lends quite a bit warmth to the palate. The very long finish is warm, dry and robust with quite gentle tannic grip and concentrated, extracted flavors of savory wood and peppery spice, some fresh blackberry, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light plummy notes of concentrated old-vine fruit, a toasty hint of charred wood and a touch of licorice root.
A big, powerful and robust old-vine Shiraz that packs some serious punch, but comes across as pretty clumsy and unintegrated when comparing the wine to the older vintages. What surprised me here was that even though the wine came across as very ripe and concentrated, it didn't feel particularly sweet, fruity or mouth-fillingly big, but instead surprisingly dry, firm and savory. However, the components don't really seem to fit together, but instead all fight for attention and the wine doesn't really feel that harmonious - even though the flavor intensity, body and structure are all balanced quite well together. And, sure, the high alcohol really does show quite a bit. So while this is an impressive wine, it feels way too young for its own good, and although I expect it to pick up some finesse and sense of harmony with age, I suspect this will always be a rather big, burly and clumsy vintage of Amon-Ra. Feels rather pricey for the style at approx. 70€.
(89 points) -
2011 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 14 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol.
Dense, quite concentrated and almost fully opaque blackish-red color. Ripe, sweet-toned and rather powerful nose with bold aromas of boysenberries and some ripe bilberries, a little bit of anise, light evolved notes of wizened dark plums, a hint of pine tar and a touch of licorice root. The oak seems to have integrated remarkably well with the fruit. The wine feels silky smooth yet surprisingly robust and concentrated on the palate with a chewy full body and intense flavors of very ripe blackberries, peppery spice, some pine tar, a little bit of savory wood spice, light sweet notes of wizened black cherries and a hint of soot. Despite its noticeable ripeness, the wine is surprisingly dry and savory for the style. The moderately high acidity and ripe medium-plus tannins keep the wine in balance, but with this much body I'd prefer a bit more structure. The lengthy finish is dense, powerful and spicy with concentrated, savory flavors of ripe blackberries, some peppery spice, a little bit of wizened black cherry, light sooty notes of charred wood, a hint of coffee grounds and a touch of juicy blueberry. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a rather warm note.
A bold, concentrated and powerful vintage of Amon-Ra that is starting to show some developed characteristics in the sweeter, wizened fruit notes, but still the overall flavor profile is surprisingly dry, robust and savory for a wine that is obviously so very ripe and aged only in new oak. The wine has taken the wood characteristics really well, showing great integration of oak with only subtly woody nuances that complement the savory fruit really well. I'd hope the wine would show less alcohol, more acidity and firmer tannic backbone, but this is a terrific and pretty enjoyable effort all the same. However, at 70€ the wine still feels a bit expensive for the quality.
(90 points) -
2010 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 16 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 15,1% alcohol.
Very dense, concentrated and fully opaque reddish-black color with a slightly evolved maroon hue. At first the nose feels a bit restrained for an Amon-Ra, but opens up to reveal a bit light yet wonderfully layered aromas of ripe blackberries and black cherries, some minty tones, a little bit of wizened red fruit, light evolved meaty tones, a hint of bouillon and a touch of savory wood spice. On the palate the wine feels remarkably concentrated, extracted and chewy - even for an Amon-Ra! - with a very full body and intense flavors of peppery spice and licorice root, ripe blackberries, some extracted woody bitterness, light gamey tones, a little bit of smoke, a hint of ripe yet not sweet plummy fruit and lifting touch of eucalyptus. Although the acidity feels high, for the most part it gets quite overwhelmed by the substantial body, so a lot of the structure relies on the ample yet very ripe and powdery tannins the bring a lot of ripeness but limited grip to the palate. The powerful finish is long, chewy and slightly warm with intense flavors of peppery spice, ripe black cherries, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of gamey meat, light notes of tar, a hint of sour cherry and a touch of licorice root.
A concentrated, powerful and very impressive vintage of Amon-Ra that feels more youthful than its similarly aged peers. Furthermore, the wine has integrated its oak character remarkably well, so the emphasis is almost fully on the ripe yet surprisingly dry and savory old-vine fruit. Although the wine is quite structure-driven, it isn't too tightly-knit but instead very approachable already - although, based on its youthful nature, I'd say this wine will reward greatly if left in a cellar to age further. In our vertical tasting one person found the wine disagreeably "rubbery", but for all other attendees this was the WotN (along with the superb 2002 vintage). All in all, an outstanding vintage of Amon-Ra that most likely will outlive many other surrounding Amon-Ra vintages. Not particularly affordable at approx. 70€, but delivers for the price.
(94 points) -
2009 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 16 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Somewhat evolved, blackish rusty-red color that permits some light through. The appearance is somewhat more evolved compared to the surrounding vintages. The nose is robust, rather smoky and quite savory with aromas of gamey meat, some toasted wood spice, light sweet notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of tar, a subtly green hint of peppermint or eucalyptus and a touch of liquid smoke. The wine is ripe, juicy and full-bodied with rich, complex and somewhat evolved flavors of smoke and charred game, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of peppery spice, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of extracted woody bitterness and a touch of sweet dark plum. Although quite substantial, the rather high acidity and ample tannins that slowly grip your gums lend good sense of firmness and balance to the wine. The high alcohol shows a little, bringing some warmth to the palate. The lengthy finish is rich and juicy with ripe, slightly sweet-toned flavors of blackberries, extracted woody bitterness, some raisiny tones, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light peppery notes, a little bit of charred game and toasty oak spice, a hint of wizened black cherry and an evolved touch of savory earthiness.
A rich, substantial and moderately evolved vintage of Amon-Ra that is starting to show some age with its savory tertiary notes and dried-fruit aromatics. Structurally the wine hasn't softened up much, so in that sense it drinks more like a young wine with its relatively high acidity and ample tannins that coat your mouth, yet are ripe enough not to make the wine feel tough or aggressively grippy. Flavor-wise, however, the wine has lost the aggressive angularity of younger Amon-Ra wines, coming across as much more integrated and harmonious - up to the point that it feels like the wine doesn't really feel as long-lived as many surrounding vintages. Although the wine isn't on its peak yet, I suspect its apogee is getting close. Drink within the next 7-10 years or so. Feels a tad pricey at approx. 90€.
(91 points) -
2006 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 15 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Dense, almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a moderately evolved pomegranate hue. Powerful, concentrated and very ripe nose of juicy blackberry-driven dark fruits, some peppery spice, a little bit of earth, light anise and licorice tones, a hint of inky character, a toasty touch of mocha oak and a whiff of wizened dark berries. The wine is dense, chewy and concentrated on the palate with a markedly full body and intense flavors of wizened black cherries and very ripe blackberries, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of mocha oak and a touch of licorice root. The acidity feels surprisingly high - even for a massive wine like Amon-Ra - and while ripe and relatively soft, the tannins are ample enough to lend good frame and firmness to the substantial body. The high alcohol lends some noticeable warmth to the palate. The finish is long, complex and quite powerful with gentle tannic grip and intense flavors of licorice, some ripe blackberry, a little bit of meaty umami, light oaky notes of savory wood spice, a hint of licorice and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine ends on a dry, concentrated and slightly warm note.
A noticeably ripe and concentrated vintage of Amon-Ra that seems to pack even a bit more power than is usual for this already rather opulent wine. Even though very big and surprisingly balanced - thanks to its fresh acidity - the wine doesn't manage to reach the impressive sense of harmony and complexity of the best vintages, even though this is nevertheless a terrific wine in its own right. Considering how the wine is 16 years old and some younger wines have felt already quite developed, this vintage is still going strong and most likely will continue to improve for another 10 years or even more. It's always possible that with enough age the wine might lose its most opulent, super-ripe fruit and replace it with finesse and additional complexity, but at the moment this wine feels a bit monolithic. A remarkably well-made and enjoyable for such, mind you. Priced somewhat according to its quality at approx. 75€.
(92 points) -
2005 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 14 months in new oak hogsheads (70%) and barriques (30%), which 80% were French, 20% American. Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Very dense, almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a tertiary maroon hue. Very tertiary and slightly oxidative nose with aromas of soy sauce and hoi sin, some raisiny tones, a little bit of sweet plummy fruit, light oaky notes of savory wood spice, a hint of overripe dark forest fruits, a touch of meat stew and a boozy whiff of alcohol. The wine is ripe, silky and very open-knit on the palate with a full body and intense, evolved flavors of raisiny dark fruit and wizened blackcurrants, some beef jerky, a little bit of hoi sin, light chocolatey notes of toasty oak, a sweet hint of prunes and a touch of blueberry juice. The wine is medium-to-moderately high in acidity with ample but also very ripe and mellow tannins. The finish is rich, sweet-toned and gently grippy with intense flavors of dried dark fruits, some savory wood spice, a little bit of peppery spice, light toasty notes of mocha oak and a hint of beef jerky.
A surprisingly evolved vintage of Amon-Ra, especially compared to the still rather youthful 2006 vintage that was tasted alongside. The first signs of oxidative qualities have started to creep in and the structure has resolved considerably - although I'm not sure if this has been a softer vintage from the beginning - so I'd say the wine is on its plateau of maturity and probably has been there for some time. Enjoyable now and probably for some years more, but I wouldn't keep this much longer, as I'm afraid this wine will start gliding downhill sooner rather than later. Enjoyable, but feels a bit too rich, soft and even slightly tired compared to the best vintages. A bit on the pricey side at 60€.
(88 points) -
2003 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 15 months in new oak barrels (80% French, 20% American). Bottled unfiltered. 15,5% alcohol.
Noticeably developed and rather old rusty russet-orange color that permits some light through. Very aged and moderately oxidative nose with aromas of soy sauce, some gamey meat, a little bit of beef jerky, light malty notes of barley wine, a hint of swee raisiny fruit, a touch of smoke and a boozy hint of alcohol. There was some stinky bottle funk as well, but that disappeared with air. The wine is full-bodied, complex and rather fat on the palate with aged, moderately oxidative flavors of raisins and prunes, some beef jerky, a little bit of peppery spice, light smoky tones, a hint of syrupy sweetness and a touch of jammy dark fruit. The overall feel is quite round and mellow, thanks to the medium acidity and fully resolved tannins. The high alcohol lends some obvious heat to the palate. The lengthy finish is savory, rich and pruney with a little bit of tannic grip along with oxidative flavors of beef jerky, some raisiny dark fruit, a little bit of soy sauce, light meaty notes of umami and a hint of earth. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a noticeably hot note.
This is getting past its peak, badly. In our vertical, this was the only wine that was getting downhill, and while not completely shot in pieces, this wine was merely a shadow of what the best vintages offered. Especially the contrast between this and the magnificent 2002 vintage was huge. If this bottle was representative of the vintage's state now, 19 years after the vintage, I'd be wary of getting any bottles - especially when the surrounding vintages 2004 and 2002 are so much better in comparison. Leaving the wine unrated, because the wine definitely isn't anymore what it is supposed to be, even if it isn't fully oxidized yet. At 70€ this was waste of money. -
2002 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley (27.1.2022)
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 15 months in new American oak barrels. Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol.
Quite dense, rather opaque blackish-red color with an evolved brick-red hue. Quite powerful but also wonderfully fragrant and pretty classically styled nose of wizened cherries, some perfumed floral tones, a little bit of blackberry marmalade, light evolved notes of savory meaty character, a hint of mint jelly and a touch of petrol. The wine is dense, extracted and chewy on the palate with a full body and complex flavors of wizened dark berries and pruney dark fruit, some dried red cherry tones, light minty notes, a little bit of ferrous blood, a hint of meaty umami, a touch of gravelly minerality and subtly oaky nuances of caramel and toasted wood. The overall impression is very firm, structured and still a moderately tightly-knit, thanks to the high acidity and assertive, grippy tannins. The finish is concentrated, quite grippy and moderately evolved with very long and intense flavors of ripe blackcurrants and wizened blackberries, some evolved beef jerky tones, a little bit of minty greenness, light oaky notes of bittersweet dark chocolate, a hint of gravelly minerality and a touch of caramel.
A stunning, powerful and muscular vintage of Amon-Ra that isn't as much about power, fruit and concentration as it is about structure and depth of flavor. Although the wine is undeniably a big bruiser of a wine, it didn't feel as huge and monolithic as the other vintages did, but instead came across as slightly lighter and less extracted in character with more emphasis on acidity, structure and finesse. Although the wine is showing some age and has already developed some tertiary characteristics, it is still relatively youthful for its age and at 20 years of age it still feels like the wine could improve easily for another 5-10 years. Most likely this wine will drink just fine for much, much longer. Easily the best vintage in our vertical, although I must admit that the 2010 vintage wasn't that far behind. Priced according to its quality at 75€.
(95 points)
Posted from CellarTracker