Winemaker Notes
Brooding, vibrant black with bright purple hues. On the nose, absolute purity with black fruit aromas complemented by notes of fragrant spice.Seamless, rich and full-bodied with black plum flavors intermingling with dried spice and finely balanced supple tannin. Impressive yet restrained.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Still looking fresh and complete, Glaetzer's 2004 Amon Ra Shiraz is full-bodied, rich and dark-fruited, with black cherry and plum fruit forming the base, while grace notes of baking spices, mocha and cedar play about the edges. Creamy and velvety in texture, with a long finish, it remains at its peak and should continue to drink well for another decade or more.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Again, very similar to the other Amon-Ra wines but in a softer, fatter profile with less acidity. Very dark and rich with black currant, plum, licorice and vanilla notes on the nose. Very full bodied with a smooth, soft feel and a long finish.
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.