Ben Glaetzer • Amon Ra 2018

Über das Weingut Glaetzer

The first Glaetzers settled in the Barossa Valley in 1888 after emigrating from Brandenburg, Germany. The family left Germany on board the Nord-Deutscher Lloyd steamer “Habsburg” and took seven weeks to reach their final destination of Port Adelaide. From here they settled in a country town called Nuriootpa in the Barossa Valley where they started their new life in Australia. The family were some of the earliest recorded viticulturalists in the Barossa Valley and Clare Valley.

Over a century later, winemaking patriarch Colin Glaetzer established Glaetzer Wines, a boutique family owned winery producing premium Barossa Valley wines. Today Colin’s son Ben carries on the wine making traditions at Glaetzer Wines. Indeed it was the birth of Glaetzer Wines that signalled a new era for Colin’s family which boasts more than its fair share of winemakers.

All fruit for Glaetzer Wines is taken from the small sub-region of the northern Barossa Valley, called Ebenezer.

The ancient dry-grown vineyards in the renowned Ebenezer district are an important part of Australia’s winemaking heritage and a living link to traditional Barossa viticulture. Exceptional fruit from a loyal group of third and fourth generation Barossa grape growers is the backbone of Glaetzer wines. The viticulture used is standard single wine, with permanent arm, rod and spur. The most exceptional fruit is sourced from 80-110 year old, non-grafted bush vines which are extremely low yielding. The oldest vines bear only 0.5 to 1 tonne per acre. Younger vines produce 2.5 to 3 tonnes per acre. Most of the vineyards are non-irrigated but some of the newer vines (propagated from original plantings) have supplementary drip irrigation to combat stress in drought years. The very old vines require minimal attention. Their deep root structure means they are self-sufficient and can adapt to climatic extremes.

Über den Wein Amon Ra 2018

Amon-Ra Shiraz is an iconic wine that epitomises Ben Glaetzer’s passion to create wines that are full flavoured, multi layered and intense but still elegant, stylish and finely balanced.

In Egyptian mythology, Amon-Ra is considered to be the king of all gods. The temple of Amon-Ra was believed to be the first temple to ever plant a monoculture vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple.

The eye on front of the label is the all-seeing eye of Horus or wedjat ("whole one") - a powerful Egyptian symbol of protection. It is represented as a figure with six parts, corresponding to what Egyptians regarded as the six senses; touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell and thought.

Ben created Amon-Ra Shiraz to appeal to all these six senses.

Herausragende 98 Parker-Punkte im Wine Advocate 7/2020 sind der Lohn von Joe Czerwinski:

98/100 Punkte

Der Wein wurde wie folgt im Wortlaut bewertet:

Certainly one of the best vintages of young Amon Ra I've ever tasted, the 2018 Amon Ra Shiraz is a stupendous effort. From old vines in the Ebenezer section of the northern Barossa, it starts off with a whirlwind of mocha, blackberry and dried spices, then actually gets more red-fruited as it sits in the glass. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated without being jammy or overdone, the wine finishes long and savory, framed by dusty tannins and mouthwatering black olives. Winemaker Ben Glaetzer compares 2018 to 2004 (which continues to drink well). Expect the 2018 to drink well young, but easily age through 2035, perhaps longer.

Ben Glaetzer sources all of his fruit from the Ebenzer district of the Barossa Valley, which doesn't mean it's in any way monochromatic. "We've got 14 soil types in eight different vineyards," he explained via Zoom this June. He's especially keen on the 2018 releases, from a vintage he compares to 2004 in terms of its quality. "Pure is the way I'd describe the 2018s. It's an absolute cracking year—you're going to see some great wines." Certainly, Glaetzer's 2018s don't disappoint, combining ripe fruit with enough structure to suggest a long, positive evolution for his top efforts.

Drink Date: 2021 - 2035