2006 Glaetzer “Amon-Ra” Dry-grown Shiraz

Recently we enjoyed a wonderful Sunday brunch at The Tasting Room in Houston, TX with some friends and family to celebrate my wife’s birthday. The Tasting Room offers brunch on Sunday’s made by their creative and gifted Chef, Steve Super, and while you are enjoying the wonderful brunch you can linger and listen to the live jazz/classical music. The memorable wine of the day was the 2006 Amon-Ra Shiraz made by winemaker Ben Glaetzer. Ben Glaetzer has a minimalist mindset to making wine doing much of the work by hand, always aiming to preserve the characteristics of the vineyard fruit making elegant wines which are regarded as classics and unmistakably Barossa Valley.

Winery: Glaetzer

Vintage: 2006

Region: Barossa Valley  – Northern Ebenezer region

Varietal: 100% Dry-grown Shiraz vines 30-120 years old.

Note: fermented in 1 and 2 ton open top fermenters, hand-plunged 3 times daily. Completed primary and MLF in oak and then matured for 15 months in new oak of which 20% is American, and 80% French (70% hogsheads and 30% barriques. Bottled unfiltered.

Beautiful purple/black color in the stem. The bouquet shows beautiful opulent expressions of blackberry, blueberry, black plum, black pepper, chocolate, dark spices, vanilla, and toasty oak with a nice minerality. The wine is mouth-filling and wonderfully coats the mouth and palate with great intensity and a velvety texture. The finish is very long and pleasant. This wine is drinking well now, but will improve with rest, and drink well for many years to come, just as most quality Barossa Valley Shiraz.

Rating: 97 JH, 97 PC