Harmonious, rich fruit that really delivers without feeling in any way overblown - quality shines through. Last bottle but certainly worth the wait - a treat! Drank alongside the 2012 - also fabulous
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Superb textbook Barossa shiraz, full bodied, but balanced with sweet fruit still dominant. Just showing secondary development. Mouth coating with an exceptionally long finish.
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Keller Horst. Gereift, süß, da viel Glycerien, marmeladig, dunkle Fruch meets rote Frucht. Der Wein ist nicht mehr so pointiert und fokussiert wie 2008. Damals hatte er Tannin, Länge, Tiefe und dunkle Frucht. Im Moment charmant aber weniger konzentriert. 93-94 Punkte. Am zweiten Tag ähnlich wie am zweiten Tag. Korken beim Öffnen zerbröselt. Bis 2026(+)?! Höhepunkt: Vermutlich 2010 bis 2017?!
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Lunch at Shane & Caroline's (Their Place, Hong Kong): Decanted for 3-4 hours. Deep impenetrable red-purple colour just lightening at the meniscus. Nose is big, welcoming open blast of caramel, dirt, espresso grounds, and blackcurrant/redcurrant jam. Palate has good immediate acidic freshness, but followed by sour red fruit. Surprisingly thin and rather vinegary. Has fallen off a cliff since last drank in 2016, when it was very jammy and rich and needed more cellar time, but obviously not this much.
Still a very big wine. No rush to drink as there were no signs of ageing. Colour almost black. Fruity nose. Very smooth with lots of fruit flavours. A bit sweet at first but the wine opened up and the sweetness faded as the bottle was consumed. This was a PNP. I would recommend a short decant.
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P&P from Coravin. Pitch dark color with minimal bricking. Nose of plums and blackberries with secondary notes of tobacco and tertiary of leather. The palate is oh-so-smooth with still great acidity to balance the very vivid black fruits; menthol, tobacco, more leathery notes, long finish with green pepper and oak to keep this together very nicely. Tannins are almost entirely integrated, and while mature this could further improve over the next 4-5 years. A stunning bottle - and another great example of aged Australian Shiraz.
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Not my typical style, but this had plum-flavored leather with surprisingly solid acidity that I grew to really like. Yes, it's concentrated, but it's a tasteful expression of aussie syrah when this style can go wrong fast.
I don't regret the 100 dollars I spent on it.
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I liked this over the top big bold style more 10-15 years ago when I bought this, but this was still a very enjoyable wine. Tannins very soft and I think will not get better, but still some time left on this (however this was from magnum).
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Intense dark color. Wonderful overwhelming boysenberry aroma and taste. A sin to drink now. Hard to find locally. Have a few bottles left, which I will do all I can to ignore, if I live that long. Otherwise… for my granddaughters, twenty years from now.. Tom Nichols, Houston
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This wine continues to drink very well and sadly, my last bottle. Decanted 2 hrs. Deep red, opaque with highly concentrated and dark complex fruit with notes of black raspberry, cherry, earth, and hint of spice. Incredibly smooth with long finish. Paired with grilled ribeye steaks.
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Purplish red in color but somewhat murky appearance with fine grain tannin particles suspended in the glass. The nose is dominated by mature spicy richness of unfiltered fruits, stewed beef, well integrated oak, dark chocolate (85%) and what I would associate with a distinctly complex rubbery earthy profile typical of older higher quality Southern Australian Shiraz (say over a decade of bottle age). The palate is still quite full-bodied, rich, big as in intense and concentrated, multi-layered, relatively balanced considering its 14.5% abv. with ample acidity to compliment the opulent fruit that is still present in this 17 year old wine. The flavor components in this old vine shiraz is in the order of matured black, blue and dark red fruits in a puree form, dark chocolate, fresh roast Arabica coffee, meat, wild game, a hint of old leather and old tobacco, peppery spice and of course the signature earthy rubber tire notes. The big, bold, concentrate, rich and lingering watery mineral-inflected finish is absolutely impressive. It’s been quite a while since I tasted this (8/18/2017). I used to drink this quite often when it was younger (as I revisited my earlier CT notes from 2014, 2012, 2010) and I’ve always enjoyed this better than the great 2006 vintage. But after tonight’s tasting I can confidently say with a big grin on my face, "I still do".
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A nose of some dark fruits and spice, black ink in color. A medium to full bodied red, with blackberry, black currants, toast, some cocoa and spices on still long finish. Still great despite it being 17 years old, drink now. www.winelx.com
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Been more than a decade since I’ve had this producer , and it’s more or less the same age of the prior bottles I had. So Aussie Shiraz with some age… Nose - boysenberry , mocha, a bit of nose singing heat Mouth - big fruit still, though somewhat stewed , mulberry , a veritable fruit bomb even at age 17, for fans of the big Napa style this might be worth looking into.
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Last tasted in October, 2017, the 2005 Amon-Ra was even better today and also better than the 2005 Greenock Creek Alices we had yesterday. Blackberries, black currants, black cherries, chocolate, spice, and a hint of licorice. A rich, concentrated wine which went down incredibly smooth without losing complexity and structure. Well balanced, complex, full bodied, and a long lingering finish. Impressive.
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At home over two nights. Still dark and mostly opaque. Mature soft and round aromas and flavors, style typical of Barossa syrahs. Still excellent but time to drink up. Ric
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Lovely, fruit-forward, classic Barossa Shiraz. Balanced right from opening, it got so much better after a 2 hour decant. Medium bodied, lots of glycerine, and juicy without being plummy or stewed, so often a characteristic of this regions top wines. Just gorgeous. Likely to hold a few more years but no need to wait. This is ready.
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Deep garnet in color, with hues of inky blackish-purple, full bodied , muscular with firm grainy tannins, a bit of alcohol heat, rich, dense yet balanced, blackberry and black currant fruits, bramble, spices, bitter dark chocolate, licorice, savory soy with hints of pepper and cedar, fresh crisp acids on a bright vibrant long finish. https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/02/amon-ra-big-aussie-red-for-tomahawk.html
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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. Tasted in a 2015-2002 Amon-Ra vertical.
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€.
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Milk chocolate, dark cherries, raisin. Very full aroma. Palate has similar flavor with grainy tannins and healthy acid. The acid should outlive the fruit. Another bottle, will try in a few years. Not that exciting but very good overall.
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An excellent wine. In memory of LCDR Larry “Mike” Jordan, a fellow U.S. Navy serviceman during the Vietnam War. Mike was returning to the USS Kitty Hawk from the Philippines when his aircraft, a KA3B aerial tanker, was purportedly shot down on April 12, 1966. His name is listed on The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, PANEL 6E LINE 106.
Parkerized wine 101. This was just an overkill. A Shiraz coming from the big 2005 vintage and coming in with warm, sweet, almost stewed black fruit, oak spice and sweet tobacco. Palate is broad with tannins quite soft at this stage. Acidity is still there, but acts more as a support and not a life-saver. I have a feeling I’m drowning in this wine while drinking it. Just over the top.
This bottle reminded me of the '07 Carnival of Love I recently had in that it had some of the same liquid Skittles elements, but it was different. The candied fruit element was not as overpowering as the Carnival's was and there were some more nuanced elements of underbrush, Oak and spice. But these extra elements did not come together as well as you'd hoped. Still a very well made wine with plenty going on in it, but nothing so special as to revisit at this point.
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From the bad old days of Shiraz (i.e. before 2010 or so), this was a ripe, almost sweet mouthful. If it doesn’t have a high RS I’d be surprised. The fruit is juicy and black, with heat, animal dung and pepper on the finish. Didn’t love it but it is if a time and totally makes sense giving Robert Parker’s astronomical rating.
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Loads of black cherry and blueberry compote on the nose. Very smooth, lush and overripe black cherry and blue berries. Some sweet Oak and hints of Eucalyptus in the background
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Opened to breathe for steak night! More dark and then milk chocolate on the palate, and very juicy and delicious paired with grilled ribeye, but otherwise consistent with my previous note.
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Opened to breathe for 3-4h. This is a gorgeous, opulent shiraz, lots of perfumy minerality and cedar, red fruit and spices on the nose, on the palate, a big round mouthfeel of juicy red and black fruit, more graphite and mineral, oak and black pepper in the long finish. Excellent! This really benefited from 2-3h of exposure to air, at first it was more restrained and not as well integrated. 92/93
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #146; Australian Shiraz (By JZ): Complex bouquet with red and dark berries, chocolate and some celery. On the palate leather, chocolate, black fruits, coffee, spiciness, good and fresh acidity, a pleasant touch of sweetness and harmonious, well integrated tannin. Enormous length. Beautiful wine. Fully mature now.
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Hooked the bottle to a Keeper nitrogen canister and we had 2 glasses with some of Rose’s wonderful beef bourguignon. From standard syrah stems. While the wine is translucent at the rim, it still has deep, dark coloring.
Nose of earth and meat, with tobacco, spice and tea. Tannins are definitely fading and it’s best to not leave a lot in the glass for an hour or more. Still lots of great fruit and shows elegance that I wouldn’t have imagined when I drank the first bottles out of this case. One bottle left, which I’ll drink in the coming year or three
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Gros rouge australien mais avec tout de même du raffinement. Le fruit était encore présent, mais le bois prend tout de même de la place. La bouteille est lourde et imposante et a plu au groupe de 6 qui la buvions. Un peu cher mais à essayer.
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Dark purple color with dark fruit and oak aromas. Medium body with ripe jammy fruit dominating the palate. Oak present but out of balance with the fruit. A little flabby with and medium finish. Retasted after open for 24 hours and was much more in balance and enjoyable. Not sure what will happen with more bottle age.
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This deep-to-opaque ruby Shiraz was sampled from a well-cellared magnum. Sourced from a single vineyard in the Ebenezer region of the Barossa Valley and aged for 14 months in a combination of French and American oak (100% new), this 14-year-old wine is fleshing out as a "fruit bomb." Effusive of black cherries, boysenberries and dark plums, it adds notes of incense, Asian spices and dark chocolate. Although the percentage of French oak is likely higher than that of its American counterpart, it is the latter that clearly has a foothold by virtue of the wine's strong eucalyptus component. Full-bodied, fresh and with well-woven alcohol (listed as 14.5%), it wraps its flavors with big sweet tannins and has good mid-palate density. The finish is lengthy but dominated by wood. While enjoyable, a lighter hand with the oak would have resulted in a better product. There is certainly enough fruit and structure for this wine (from magnum) to last for several more years. That said, do not expect the oak component to fully integrate anytime soon. Drink now-2025.
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Kleur: Fdiep ondoordringbaar donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: Na 14 jaar staat het fruitgedreven aroma van deze Shiraz nog recht overeind. Donker fruit, vooral zwarte bessen en bramen. Verder cassis-fruit en crême de cassis. Daarnaast tonen van potloodslijpsel en wat tabak. Smaak / Afdronk: Mondvullende, krachtige Shiraz. Prchte verleideljike wijn. Zachte zuren, boterzachte tannines, inmiddels is de wijn ook qua alcohol prachtig in balans. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie moderne Australische Shiraz! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 91/100
Google Translate:
Color: Fdiep impenetrable dark red. Aroma / bouquet: After 14 years, the fruit-driven aroma of this Shiraz is still standing. Dark fruit, especially black currants and blackberries. Furthermore, cassis fruit and crême de cassis. In addition, tones of pencil sharpening and some tobacco. Taste / Aftertaste: Mouth-filling, powerful Shiraz. Great tempting wine. Soft acids, butter-soft tannins, the wine is now also beautifully balanced in terms of alcohol. General / potential: Beautiful modern Australian Shiraz! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 91/100
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Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, drunk over 4 hours. Dark red/purple still. Intense forward nose of very ripe dark fruits, blackberry, plum, oak, and a bit of pruniness. Full body, ripe jammy fruit, decent balancing acidity, flavors follow the nose, medium-long finish. Some of the pruney over-ripe character fades over time. Fruit remains very ripe and sweet but maintains decent acid tension, never goes flabby. Excellent.
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Holy Toledo… this wine was a treat. I drank the 2005 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley for Thanksgiving dinner and a big glass after dinner. So, I’ve read and heard much about this wine. If anyone has a bottle of this drink it soon--it is very ready. I understand the Amon-Ra is a single vineyard Shiraz, and this is the flagship wine of Glaetzer wines. Overall, I admit that this wine has matured considerably in the bottle. It is now rust colored, and big wine for sure, with a syrupy, soy, and clove, and a whole lot of dried spices on the first big smell. I’m glad I didn’t decant it as this was ready after just a few minutes in the glass. And, I readily admit it wasn’t for everyone at the table. However, for me it was delicious and a treat to drink a wine with 14 years of age. It was dusty with port texture and super dry. There is some dark fruit left, and loads of sediment in the last glass. Again, this wine is on its last legs. Open it soon and enjoy a bottle--perhaps on a quiet night in front of the fire. Cheers.
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Powerful wine. Great nose of dark fruit, sweet berries and mild secondary notes. Moderate tannins. Rather monolithic, pure , powerful and enchanting. Long finish. May be past its best slightly. No development of nuances. All in all,very pleasing wine.
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Complex aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, anise seed, hints of basil, graphite, spice and toasty vanillin. Very similar to my last tasting 7 years ago, except it is now fullu mature.
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Did not decant. Opened 30 min prior. Tasted the evolution with lamb. Black fruit. Coffee notes. Hints of licorice and tobacco. Big and beautiful. Soft full mouth feel. Orgasmic wth dark chocolate. Loved it even though I thought I wouldn’t.
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The poster child for mid-ought Aussie score inflation by R. Parker, this is nevertheless an enjoyable and complex wine. Maybe slightly past peak, but still packs a wallop of flavor and density, though mercifully much of the heat from its youth has mellowed away, leaving nice tight beams of flowers and sweetness.
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I never understand the enormous scores Aussie syrahs sometimes get, and this is another one of those. A high quality wine no doubt, with wonderful smoothness, loads of fruit, and richness that are all very pleasing, but complexity, while not absent, is lacking.
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A very dark and heavy wine. Plum, bright cherry, fig notes a few minutes after opening. Need to hold off on this and let it open for a bit. Tasting later fig dominates but it has smoothed out. Very heavy with a long finish.
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Still fresh and youthful. Rich nose of coffee and blackberry, both of which come through in the mouth, which adds juicy black raspberry. Floral notes on the finish at first and the fruit persists a long time. Really no sign of slowing down and it’s delicious and complex, structured, but fully integrated tannins.
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Waited a long time to open this. Did not disappoint whatsoever. Still plenty of soft rich fruit. Developing tons of auxiliary flavors like dried apricot, metal and macerated cherry. Sad to see it go
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Still dark and mostly opaque. Mature soft and round aromas and flavors, style could be either cabernet or shiraz. Doesn't really declare itself strongly to its varietal. Excellent and very drinkable, but not showing signs of being beyond its peak. Ric
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Decanted. First glass was closed. opened up with a bit of time in the decanter. Fruit has faded but still present with a very long finish. You can tell it is a Shiraz but not a lot of pepper notes. Still some alcohol but tannins have smoothed out. Very enjoyable. Not sure if this will improve given that the fruit has faded but still very dark in the glass glass with no visible signs of age. Overall good to go but my experience was that some time in the decanter will allow the wine to open up. Enjoy.
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Dark color. Looks young for a 14 year old wine. Double decanted, corked and the served a few hours later. WOW! This is really excellent. B lack cherry and plums. Maybe slightly monolithic. A big wine, but the structure just seems to be just right. There are some subtle, but fine tannins that come in late and the acid gives it a lift. Very balanced for such a big wine. This is in a really good spot.
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Appearance: Bright and clear, the wine is of deep ruby colour, with garnet rims and legs. Nose: Clean, with pronounced intensity aromas of black fruit of blackcurrant and dark plum, kernel notes of coffee, oak notes of vanilla and toast, pungent spice of liquorice, maturity notes of savoury, animal notes of leather. The wine is developing. Palate: Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and velvety texture, high alcohol and full body, and medium (+) intensity flavours of black fruit of blackcurrant and blackberry, red fruit of raspberry, dried fruit of prune, oak notes of vanilla, maturity notes of savoury. The wine has a medium (+) finish. Conclusion: Very good quality Barossa Valley Shiraz with a very intense nose showing great complexity, the wine is well-balanced, with power but also a finesse, demonstrating good structure and a palate of elegance, with good concentration and a fairly long finish as well. It is ready to drink now and can maintain for another 5-7 years.
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Purchased in 2007 and stored at 13C. Popped and poured. Kirsch nose, blackberry palate with spiciness typical of shiraz; smooth full bodied. Tannins have fully integrated. It's a big shiraz as you'd expect from Amon Ra but not has powerful as previous vintage. In drinking window now.
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Outstanding bottle. Had with a Prince of Hearts and 20 yo cdp. Clearly the best of the bunch. Very dark. Pleasant nose. Smooth, deep, subtle dark purple and deep blue fruit. Excellent finish. A very good wine in probably the optimal drinking window.
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Black raspberry and a somewhat surprisingly tart red current predominate, with black pepper and spice from the oak and a touch of vanilla early (which faded with air). Still quite tannic and firm; lithe, not at all fleshy despite the abundance of material. Sneakily tasty and easy to drink. Finished over three days without much variance.
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Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor dominated by vanilla oak with some plum notes and a bit of barbecue. Still quite tannic with some smoothing out after airing, but never enough to produce a very interesting wine. Limited depth and nuance with a fairly long but not elevating finish.
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Short decant. Bing cherry creamsicle with some blackberry and maybe some barbecue grill on the nose. Huge in the mouth with concentrated red plum jam with an extra-long finish. Wanted a few more rough edges or perhaps more rugged earth but this style just doesn't go there. Has more life left but will not improve. Add a few points if these big Aussie bruisers are your thing.
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UWS; A mixed set of wines (@ JB): Expressive and concentrated bouquet with leather. On the palate juicy acidity and full bodied. Very tasty. Good acidity and round tannin.
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted blind, 2nd bottle today of this exact same wine, this 2nd bottle being much bigger, brighter and better. Also more harmonious. Unlikely to have any upside from here.
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Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted blind. Slightly reductive and very ripe at the same time. Also a bit of new oak still protruding. But overall good+ weight with powerful fruit and good+ length. More air would probably have helped.
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Blind Syrahs at Chevalier (Chicago, IL): Served blind to a large group, and ironically after another bottle of the same wine had been opened at the tasting. This second bottle was better and holding up nicely. Rich and decadent, but with good structure and closer to what this was like on release. I don't think aging helps these wines ... so drink up.
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Blind Syrahs at Chevalier (Chicago, IL): Tasted blind. One of two bottles of the same wine at today's tasting. The first bottle was much less interesting. The nose has ripe, simpler black fruit. On the palate this is bordering prune-like albeit with some good fresh acids. Seems to have declined quite a bit since some thrilling bottles tasted a few years after release.
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Ich mag Amon Ra, aber nach dem GB wirkt er mir zu maskulin und plump. Der Alkohol (15,5%) ist spürbar und schafft es auch mit der Zeit nicht, sich vollständig zu integrieren. Die Frucht ist konzentriert, aber die ausgezerrten Tannine lassen den Wein etwas eindimensional erscheinen. Ich glaube, auch in ein paar Jahren kommt nicht mehr viel. Andere Erfahrungen jemand? 92
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Immediately upon opening this had some wonderful aromas but fell flat on the palate, fairly one dimensional. Was tempted to consider the bottle a lost cause and open something else but waited; this put on considerable weight within just 15 minutes, and became quite enjoyable after 45.
Dark mature fruit (blackberry) cardamom, smoke and leather on the nose. Flavor profile continues to add layers of depth and complexity with time; this is a wonderful example of a well aged Shiraz. Polished and elegant, this has evolved gracefully from its fruit forward, tight and brash youth. Still has a few solid years ahead of it.
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Dark blackish and somewhere between deep purple and orangey red. Wonderful nose of concentrated dark fruits, peppery spice and a hint of wood and meat. The palate is quite full, rich and well integrated black and dark blue fruits, rich vanilla cream, meat, leather, tobacco, and black pepper that literally coats the mouth with intense flavors that that just won’t let up but remains consistent throughout and ends a long mineral finish. Haven’t had this shiraz in a while but its still drinking great at age 12. The fruity core is very much still intact and much more integration and balance. Some sedimentation on the bottom of the bottle but the wine is definitely smooth and still drinking very, very well right now and with some years to go. It's been a wonderful experience trying this great wine on multiple occasions to taste the various stages of this great wine's development since 2010. Will try the next bottle in 2020.
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Very good wine,balanced and smooth ,no sharp edges,really pleasant.Still tastes pretty young,could certainly last another 10 years very complex in primary notes,it lost some of the complexity towards the end of the bottle.Opened one hour and a half prior to drinking,finished it two hours later.
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Awesome bottle of wine. I drank this a few weeks ago so my memory is somewhat clouded, but I remember this was a very good drink. While you can notice a little Barossa on this, this is really nice individual wine. Round, but still should have plenty of life left.
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Kleur: Diep opaak donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Wow, wat een heerlijke explosie van aroma's. Stuivend donker bosfruit, boordevol bramen en zwarte bessen / creme de cassis. Tabak, leer, gedroogde pruimen. Een vleug potloodslijpsel. Smaak / Afdronk: Een mond vol, maar prachtig in balans. Frisse zuurgraad, krachtige maar boterig zachte tannines, royale hoeveelheidl alcohol. Indrukwekkend lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige Aussie-Shiraz. Powerhouse. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 93/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep opaque dark red Aroma / bouquet: Wow, what a delicious explosion of aromas. Smelly dark forest fruit, full of blackberries and black currants / Creme de Cassis. Tobacco, leather, dried plums. A slick pencil shredder. Taste / Drink: A mouth full but beautifully balanced. Crisp acidity, strong but butter soft tannins, generous alcohol content. Impressively long finish. General / Potential: Beautiful Aussie-Shiraz. Powerhouse. 50+ Color: 5+ Aroma / Bouquet: 12 + Taste / Drink: 18 + General / Potential: 8 = 93/100
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Super enjoyable. Dark color, not a hint of maturity but tannins are completely in the background. Beautiful crime de cassia flavors. Medium length. Slight hint of white pepper on the finish.
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Bday celebration at our house. Simon would only drink wine if we opened an Aussie...so grabbed this guy from the cellar.
Consistent with prior notes. A big hit across the board with our group. Fully mature (IMO) at this point, I think this will be at its best over next 3-5 years
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I will have to brush my tongue to get the purple off. Fortunately I have had a cold for a few days, so the taste of cough syrup works for me right now. This wine is basically dessert. It is inky purple and taste of blueberry syrup mixed with cherry juice and saddle leather. Is it delicious? I am embarrassed to say that I do enjoy it, even though it is a froot loops/hawaiian punch punch in the nose by an evil troll who laughs as you lustily slurp it up. Finished drinking maybe 20 minutes ago and can still taste the lingering finish! I honestly think an ice cube or two would make this (even) more enjoyable. Now I need a glass of some very elegant burgundy or barolo to cleanse my taste buds...
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Purchased in 2007, could not wait any longer. On opening nose of leather and liquorice, and Crimson/Dark Purple in colour. Decantered for 3hrs, a lush feel on palette with blackberry, prune and black currant. Beautiful layers and a nice complexity for a Aussie Shiraz but with soft notes and rounds of with a 30 sec finish. Delicious.
Have 2 bottles left, and will open over next 5-7 years, to see its evolution. In a great spot right now.
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Young, fresh, vibrant but not as huge as many Aussies from this era. Still a big boy with light tannins that may signify a little less life due to balance. Drink any time.
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With Ted D in OCNJ, this one of my contributions. Wanted to check in on this, its been a few years since last bottle. an "improvised" splash decant and drank over 90 minutes.
Deep purple color. Nose jumps out of the glass, dark fruits, savory/meats, violets, incense(?) Rich and fruit forward palate ...blackcurrant, tart black raspberry earth...some licorice (maybe) and leather on mid palate. A lot going on here. Combines a noteable Aussie profile with character and elegance throughout.
Feels like this is full mature at this point, should hold at this level for a while but I don't think it improves much. Drink over next 5 years
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Much better than I expected. I don't have much Aussie Shiraz left in my cellar, so I can't say if other shirazes will age this well, but this wine has evolved into a great place and certainly rewards cellaring. The fruit is still fresh and vibrant, but not jammy as it might have been in its youth. In addition, it's developed some wonderful secondary characteristics of forest floor and mushroom. In fact, if tasted blind, I might have guessed burgundy rather than a rhone variety. Gasp!
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Wow - hugely deep, strong, so full of fruit, it's like a mouthful of fruit gums. This was a real treat. Be careful what you pair it with though. It needs to be able to stand up to this Ribena for grown-ups.
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Day 1 thru Coravin - Smoooooth wine - well-balanced. Nice berry nose that matched the vivid juicy berries on the palate, long finish. Well-crafted. Very exciting that I waited 11 years.
Day 2 pop and pour rest of bottle - meat and berries on both the nose and palate - more complex, but the juicy berries and long finish were still the headline. Everyone was wowed.
Wish I had more... very enjoyable bottle. No reason to wait - such a treat. But it probably could last many more years.
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Very dark red; highly intense fruity nose, dark berries, some vanilla; soft, velvety, highly concentrated and well balanced with good depth, roundness and acidity, lots of blackberries; long nice aftertaste; very good and excellent price value; in a good spot right now
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I hated this wine in 2007, it was iffy in 2010, now it is terrific. Still a fruit bomb but much more balanced and drinkable. Wouldn't have believed it.
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Unbelievable nose - incredible fruit on nose and palate - full on blackberries - a wow wine - very drinkable now and for those who like a fruity wine I would drink up.
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Poured and let sit a couple of hours. Found this to be very balanced and would drink now. Expected a bigger mouth but this was fruity blackberry but not overpowering Nice finish.
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Second Australian Shiraz of the night. Deep and dark ruby red. Classic Aussie nose with a ton of caramel, sweet bread, molasses, jammy and an interesting undertone of mint. Moderate tannins (6.5/10) with black cherries, caramel and even more complex dark fruits as it opens up. Medium body and long finish. Delicious Aussie Shiraz. Drink till 2022.
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A young yet light fruity nose. Tannins at 7.5/10. Clearly the acidity comes through in the nose and on the palate. Body seemed thin and this is where decanting would help.
A sharpness and heat on the finish.
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Opinion seems to be very divided over this wine. While not a frequent drinker of Australian reds, I found this to be a very well made bottle in any global category. There's some grumbling about this "big shiraz" type of structure (that I personally don't like) - this was not that. This bottle exhibited a nice amount of restraint while still being full bodied. Very nice aromas of charcoal, dark fruits, fig come out among medium tannins. The bottle did not fade at all over the one hour or so that we drank it (not decanted). It even had a little volatile acidity and a touch of some savory notes on the finish that made it much more interesting that the average fruit bomb. Definitely one of the better Australian reds i have had in recent years.
Opened 2 hours before drinking filtered very dark in color lovely aroma from the start but a little bit disappointing on the palate . I agree with MLWINE in saying This wine is completely over the top. Hugely rich and jammy, it reminds me of an Australian amarone. Nothing subtle about this wine. No structure; no complexity; just intense, rich, jammy dark fruits. Some will love it; I'm not one of them. The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig and prune.
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Superb Barossa Shiraz. Magnificent glycerine filled mouth coating texture. Glorious dark fruit and just enough acidity to hold it all together. Tannins are subtle and sitting very much in the background. Fantastic long finish. Very much worth the money ....so wish we had more.
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Not corked but stewed plums and strange paint thinner nose. None of the usual acidity I recall for this wine. Almost tasted like it was well past it's drinking window and I've often wondered if a wine with this level of extraction would age well. Bought a case ~ 9-10 years ago and stored at 55F since then, the others have been spectacular but haven't had recently and I'm wondering whether an 'off' bottle or a sign of the limited aging potential of this wine?
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Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah Popped and poured. Clear, deep, almost black ruby color with orange reflexes. Intense, fully developed and fantastic nose of spices, tobacco, dried red fruit, bacon, cherries and… and… and. Dry, wonderful balance of acidity, silky, powerful tannin and alcohol. This wine is very concentrated but not too fat. Cherry juice, cassis with lots of spices, dark chocolate, bacon, espresso which covers the whole mouth. Very intense and the aromas will continue in the looong finish. Really a great wine and I regret that this is my only bottle… I would think that it is just about to reach its peak, but will stay there for many more years. Will it improve? Hard to say and believe because it is already soo good
Color: Deep Purple, no fade. Nose: Black fruit, especially blackberry, black current, and black cherry, along with violet, licorice. Explosive after 45 minutes in a wide-bottomed decanter. Palate: Rich. Full bodied. Voluptuous. Redolent with black fruit especially blackberry as well as crème de cassis and a slight touch of licorice. the wine unfolded on the palate as a rich, almost port-like wine. The tannins were smooth, there was good acidity, and there was no heat given its 14.5% abv. The finish was long and most enjoyable. A mouthful of wine.
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Is this the most quintessential Aussie Shiraz ever ? Is Grange safe ? Can it be that good or was our tasting a collective love-in, where one opinion escalates the next ?
This is amazing stuff, but lest we got carried away we agreed to defer further comment till we consumed our last bottle of this wine . ( probably at Christmas or New Year )
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Really delicious, very strong, dark flavors. Detected a little bit of corkage that burned off within about an hour, but it makes me nervous for aging it much further. Very dark ruby color with deep red rims. Nose of flowers and garden soil. Pallet - tannin dissolve into fruit bomb, still a little chalk left and a tangy two minute finish. Spicy, heady, quite earthy and lots of cool secondary notes.
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Drinking beautifully. Decanted and drank. Ripe aroma of cherry, heather, saddle-leather. Medium body, well structured, 45 second finish. This is very drinkable, but could go another 10 years easily.
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The cork was brittle but no leakage had occurred. The wine is fantastic. Big fruit and wonderful legs. However, IT IS TOO YOUNG ! Leave it until 2018 or later. I have two more bottles and will wait to try them.
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As good as Barossa shiraz gets, from a vintage that just gets better and better with time. Long and complex, blueberries, anise, floral notes, tar, earth and wonderful mouth-feel. Ripe tannins are melting away, leaving this wine close to it's peak. This is one of the few Aussie shiraz at this price point that absolutely improves with age. Highly recommended.
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I can understand why this wine is not for everyone but it does have depth/seconary flavors that go beyond the massive palate. Not sure how much better it gets from here.
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This wine is completely over the top. Hugely rich and jammy, it reminds me of an Australian amarone. Nothing subtle about this wine. No structure; no complexity; just intense, rich, jammy dark fruits. Some will love it; I'm not one of them.
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Deep yet clear reddish purple color with a nose of dark fruits, menthol, vanilla cream and a meaty component. A rich spicy shiraz with notes of black plums, blue berries, blackberries, tobacco, menthol, stewed beef, mocha and a nice mineral finish. Quite different since I last had this a few years back. Apparently it has become much more mellow and seems to have shed some of its juvenile fruit-dominated characteristics since I last tried this. Nonetheless, this a tasty wine still has plenty of life in it.
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Amazing wine, didn't really get to take detailed notes as I was at a tasting and poured a little for myself to let it get some air, and when I returned to the bottle 15 minutes later it was empty! I guess everyone else enjoyed it also. From what i remember, still tasting young but in a good window, no rush to drink it.
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popped late in the meal, but I thought it pretty well balanced and none of the menthol and eucalyptus I generally don't like. This is rich ripe stuff but not overly heavy
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As you would expect from this region and variety. Top notch. I'm moving away from the Aussie fruit bombs, but it is drinking very well at this point. Another couple of years should allow it to mellow out a bit more, but really not much reason to wait too much longer.
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World Cup Football BBQ wine dinner (Zorg's place, Umeå, Sweden): WOTN. Fantastic performance tonight! Mjuffingly fantastic! Previous TN stands, just turn up the volume a bit! Please... If you have a higher degree of self discipline, than, please, keep it for at least 5 years. Longer is better.
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Donkerrood, paars. Sexy geur van jammig donker fruit, kruidigheid, room. Een dik kanon, maar door mooie zuren prettig doordrinkbaar en niet log. Goede tanninestructuur, lang aanhoudend.
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One of the better wines form this produce i have had. Some older vintages are trending towards stewed fruit, raisin and prune flavors. This wine had none of that. Tasted a bit veiled. Fruit was muted. Nothing wrong but certainly not outstanding. Given my experience with older vintages I am not taking any chances with this vintage and I plan to drink most of my bottles this year and next.
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Get Together at the Crib with the Farmhouse Crew (Chez Moi, Talman Avenue): I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. For many it was their WOTN. Quite understated but still a behemoth of a Shiraz. Dark blackberry jam, liqueured fig and plum. Dark chocolate and vanilla. Definitely a fair amount of oak showing but the robust fruit holds up. I don't see how this is a 95+, in some cases 98 point wine. It is nice and unlike other Barossa and even Glaetzer wines I have tasted. This was one of the first nicer bottles of wine I purchased and was somehow able to hold onto it for six years! I strongly believe that cellar time assisted much in the score and more restrained qualities.
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Decanted for 90 min. Beautiful clear deep red color. Great example of an Aussie Syrah without being jammy and no heat at all. Still young - definitely has a few more years in it, but everything is balanced with a certain lusciousness to it. Long finish. I think I will wait a couple of years to open my last bottle - if I can wait that long. Paired beautifully with grilled ribeyes.
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Still young. Opaque in color. Mouth filling, slightly hot, you have to like the grape it or because there is nothing backed off or subtle here - I guess this is what qualifies as brooding or serious. I finished it confused as I rated it high but not sure I will buy it again
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The power builds as the wine opens. It was really fun to drink. More subdued in the first 10 minutes...and then changing character over the next two hours...all the while drinking beautifully. The wine looks Garnet colored. It smells like Fig, and Clove. It tastes like Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, and Blueberry. The body is Full. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Long.
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Welcome Back Kelvin! (Kelvin and Joyce's Place, Bishan): This was truly excellent. Still a bit young for my tastes, but it was such an impressive wine - one of the best of the night in fact, even though it was the only new world in the midst of a nice French and Italian line-up. It had a big nose that left not one in any doubt that this was a Barossa Shiraz, with deep draws of ripe plums, cassis and blackberries seasoned with earth, eucalyptus and mint. Still rather primary, and the same thing could be said about the palate as well. The wine was very substantial, very rich in the mouth, with big black-fruited notes of cassis and blackberries at the forefront - tons of flesh and depth and power throughout. Yet what really set this apart from your run-of-the-mill big, modern Barossa was the remarkable sense of balance and purity that that had the wine practically glowing with energy in spite of its weight - not a hint of confected sweetness or cloying viscosity here. In fact, this is one of those rare modern Shirazes where one sip actually invited another and then another. There were signs of nascent complexity starting to show up on the midpalate as well, with the dark fruit being met with earth and eucalyptus, and then into the long, muscular finish, were sour plums and menthol, spice and a light puff of cigarette smoke drifted off on a bed of slightly chewy, but very ripe, pleasing tannins. Very impressive indeed. This will take a few years yet to lose it puppy fat, take on more complexity and fully form, but it is getting there - I would love to try it again say at the turn of the decade. 93+
Really an outstanding bottle of wine. Deep garnet hues. Decanted 90 minutes. Tannins integrated and blown off. Fruit complex but not over done. Lingering finish.
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Last bottle in an ambitious afternoon. Consistent with prior note, guest had asked for a fruit forward, big wine that would drink well out of the chute, drank after a Favia Viognier and Marcassin.
This is a really spectacular wine. Dark purple, nose you could pick up two feet away. Great Shiraz - have to like the style - will mellow with age, great right now
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Dark; classic, unmistakably Barossan Shiraz; bold, lush massive fruit but plenty of vitality. Powerful finish. Good now & will drink effortlessly during the next decade+.
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This was a bottle that renewed our faith in Aussie Shiraz! Not over the top over-extracted disjointed fruit bomb. This wine has a plenty of dark fruit with hints of citrus and sweet tannins. Will need few more years to further integrate and shed its baby fat. Enjoyable now but not in a rush to drink.
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With JT and Dana at dinner in WC. Popped and poured was great right out of the bottle, got slightly better but was pretty open right away.
Dark purple color. Nose was open right out of the chute, rich, earth, plums. Classic Shiraz- brooding, deep black fruit, spice, oak, licorice on the finish. Black currants, ripe fruits as it finishes. Was a crowd pleaser...
Tannins smooth, fine grained, resolved. Rich, dense mouth-feel. Medium finish, past bottles have had a longer finish...all in, Amon Ra never dissapoints, IMO. This is a really nice wine that drinks well now and will continue to improve. Have a good stash, will be drinking over next decade
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Taste: Full bodied with nice chewy tannins. The structure is still there, but it is starting to smooth out with richer tones of eucalyptus, black cherries, spice tones, and black fruits.
Overall: This was showing very nicely. It has a bigger style to it, but it holds it well.
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The color is garnet and black and quite densely hued and opaque. The smells are tar, pepper, black licorice, mint, and blackberry. The tastes are minty blueberry, dark cherry, blackberry, tar, earth, pepper, and black licorice. The tannins are integrated and powdery and the acidity is very zingy. The finish is lengthy. This is a tasty and fruity wine.
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Decanted for 1 hour. Amazingly lively and red fruited compared to other Amon Ra vintages that I've had. Good lift and harmonious finish for a shiraz. A bit sweet but that's typical. Very nice
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Laugh all you will -- this was an amazing wine. Have not had one in a few years; well past my loving Aussie phase, but this reminds you why you once did. Sure, everyone jumped in to see who could make it bigger than the other, and actually the much less well known Aussie producers who do actual terroir based wines are world class, older Amon-Ra's remind you that for sheer drinking pleasure, these could match up with anyone. Yes, the fruit was good, but elements of earth showed themselves everywhere in this wine, giving it minerality I did not expect but certainly appreciated. Young as hell also, this has years and years ahead of it.
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My first experience with this wine, after having purchased several bottles of the ' 04 and ' 05 vintage. Hmm, I have to confess that I was not overwhelmed. There was so much oak, struggling with the primary dark fruit, there wasn't much harmony. I didn't decant the wine but just pnp. Not sure if that is the right way. I hope the '04 turns out better.
Decanted and consumed over 3 hours. Heavy tar on the nose with faint flowers and some white pepper. Mouthfeel still hasn't come together yet; strong fruit dominates young tannins (bitter and fine-grained as noted by StefanAkiko) with plenty of alcohol showing through. Nice but not doing it for me in the same way as it did a year ago.
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The sommelier wisely advised that we shouldn't decant. He was correct and he also mentioned that post decanting this wine sort of dies off fast. Open singing nose, black fruit, light oak, floral, spice and a touch of liquorice on the finish. Very elegant nose. On the palate the wine feels right , firm with good exctraction and density , silky tannin, solid fruit core but not overdone. Good acidity. The 15% alc is not that evident and although there is Heat on the finish this is a very well made wine with a super long finish. This is no shying lady but a full one wine however Even Bordeaux purists like us who usually hate "made" wines really like this one. Drink now. 93-94
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finally opened this shiraz dark brooding deep dark fruit mint eucalyptus had it with filet on french baget black truffle butter pecorino romano with baby arugala perfect match The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Raisin, and Plum. The body is Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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Beautiful Barossa shiraz, elegance, balance and depth all wrapped around ripe and fine grained tannins. Not pretending to be anythi g other than what it is and while Barossa shiraz is not generally my thing nowadays, I am happy to have this in the cellar. Really does need more time but this has some lovely high quality fruit and oak here. Has it in spades in fact. Will age very well I suspect.
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Non-blind. Decanted 2 hrs for home dinner (wife cooking.) Impression: Outstanding with stars! M-sized nose of typical Aussie broad shouldered Shiraz. In the mouth, it has M+ acids and a composure that is not "in-ya-face-jammy" but more towards something powerfully elegant. Not exactly prima ballerina, rather like a slightly fat guy doing the ballerina thing. Good thinking, just lacking a little in performance. This strikes me as a Frankenstein's monster: extracted Aussie style Shiraz posing as a wannabe restrained French. Wine is full bodied, long and interesting. Higher in acids than most extracted Aussies and well built for the longer haul. Tannins are found in the end palate and are a mix of bitter and fine grained, L-. Aromas include a large proportion of red fruits, and then (for the style) small amounts of anise seed, licorice, mint and baking spice. The roasted oak component is enticing and adds to the greatness of it all. Negative remarks notwithstanding, I'm a big fan of Glaetzer's finer achievements, not of his minors. Married the stir fried beef. One more btl to go of this one, keeping it for as many years as I feel brave enough to. (Wife: 94)
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A dark garnet color; still purple on the rim. I get awesome and complex aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, anise seed, hints of basil, graphite, spice and toasty vanillin. Refined, rich and elegant in the mouth. Soft and velvety; a medium viscosity. A smooth and velvety finish that is extended, with a subdued warmth that lasts a while in the gullet. Pairs fairly good with lamb, but I appreciate the wine more by itself. Well stored at 56 degrees. Sumptuous stuff for me.
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A lineup of top Aussie Shiraz (Charlie's Home): I have always liked this wine and was surprised I didn't score it higher. Lots of black raspberries, and modeling clay on the nose. Its got a juicy acidity that was different from the others. Jammy black raspberries on the palate. Long finish. Really nice wine but a laggard tonight.
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Very big wine. Blueberries and spices. Typical of the appelation, but very well made and, in its own and weird sort way, almost elegant. In a Mike Tyson wears a Tuxedo sort of way.
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I opened this bottle by accident thinking that it was the '03 vintage, but it turned out to a rather pleasant surprise. This wine tastes super smooth at this point in time with a very nice spicy, menthol-inflected, earthy profile especially towards the finish. The fruit component tastes much more integrated with the oak since I last had this about two years ago but still retains enough youthfulness in it to last well into the decade.
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2012 - ES #1 (Extra Space Boon Keng): Alcohol :: 14.5% Double decant for 3hrs. Dark ruby purplish. sweet plum, blackcurrant, leather, pepper, nail polish and spices. Oh man, this is so fine for a Barossa Shiraz, exceptional acidity for the lift and freshness. This has the usual huge concentration of fruits but everything is well in place and focus. The depth and complexity is not top class, but this is a wine that you can swallow. Dark chocolate an spicy infused aftertaste at the long finish.
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Double decant for one hour then brought to restaurant. Nose was perfect, with an abundance of ripe fruit. Taste was outstanding. Easily outpaced an 02 two hands and an 02 elderton command. WOTN.
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Amon-Ra Vertical (Kevin's House): Not a good showing for this wine and about as interesting as a $15 Aussie Shiraz. Blackberries, spice and violets. Very light on the palate and lacks concentration. Medium finish and picks up some blueberries. As others have noted quite acidic for an Aussie Shiraz. For $15 I am a buyer but not at $50 plus.
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Amon Ra Vertical (2002-2006) (Kevin's House): 2 1/2 hour dbl. decant. Nose: Tobacco and stone mineral with some pepper hints. After glass air a chocolate component shows up. Palate: Sweet and spicy dark fruits after extended glass air as the high acidity on pop and pour trial waned (fortunately). Good to see this wine come out and play after extended air time but this is still an atypical Amon Ra given the high acidity in relation to the fruit levels. Still enjoyable but if you're going to open one now beat the hell out of it (lots of decanting, and perhaps a crow bar :-).
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Amon Ra Vertical 2002-2006 (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Very dark purple-red color. 2.5 hr double decant. Drank 1+ glass over 2.5hrs. The nose has eucalyptus - less than most of the group though, blackberry, sweet creme de cassis, leather, tobacco, pepper. The palate strikes me a little leaner overall but still has loads black fruit and body. The acid dominates a bit too much. The finish is also quite peppery. Reminds me of the '02, but not quite as well balanced.
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Smoked BBQ nose with blackberries, olives and meats. The palate is big but smoothe with some mild BBQ sauce, raspberry, beef and some herbs. A little clipped in the finish but if it opens the finish with air...wow!
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There's a note on the nose that suggests "lightly corked" but it so subtle that I can't say that for sure. So, I won't score this one. And, I can't say it's "corked" because like this bottle, my last tasting seemed out of sorts as well. But this bottle seems a bit light on fruit, heavy on acid...out of sorts. Gets better with time, but my impression is that this is too early. Or at least that's my "hope". Probably 90-92 points, this bottle, for current drinking. But again....I'm not entirely convinced that this bottle wasn't lightly flawed. Update: based on the '04 Amon Ra opened tonight, which was/is dreamlike, I think that the '05 was flawed / slightly corked. Perhaps a testament to the fruit depth in this wine, that it was able to overshadow the flaw. Or maybe my palate just sucks.
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I've had this on several occasions and it never fails to deliver. Great purity and concentration of fruit but not jammy and kept in check by wonderful balancing acidity. It needed time in the decanter to show it's stuff but impressed the guests at our birthday bash. I think I paid $60 for this 5 years ago which for a wine of this class is an absolute steal.
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Wine was drinking nicely, better structure than I remember. This did not explode out of the glass like so many wines that ruined Australia reputation for so many. It was refined and somewhat reserved with wonderful rasberry and dark cherry..
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After the Saxum last night, it was interesting to sample a Shiraz from down under as a compare and contrast. While there was definitely a blueberry profile, the fruit was not as pronounced or as rich as the Saxum. Nonetheless, this was a very fine wine, with a classic Aussie Shiraz profile, and it is a mere babe in the woods. This wine has years left in it. Softer than the Saxum, but wonderfully good in its own right.
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Sadly had this wine a bit into the night so the palates were a bit tired. Still - always a great drink. Fruit forward but elegant with a lovely finish.
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Had this for Thanksgiving, decanted for 30 minutes, and LOVED the fruit bomb. Not overly alcoholic, ripe blackberry and blueberry, with long finish. Drank rest of bottle 2 days later and tasted strong vanilla flavor on palate with surprisingly medium finish (had expected it might fade). Me thinks it drinks well now but could use some more time too.
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Hard wine to rate this one. Certainly lacks complexity but does not appear over-extracted. I'm not sure whether it hasn't had enough time to come together (and develop complexity) or that it just never will become anything more.....I guess I'll just have to wait
I have 2 more and I think I'll open the next one in 2014.
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Decanted 4+ hours. Exremely dark and opaque purple. This is a huge wine, with an enormous chunk of dark blackberries and spices right there on the attack, and carried through on the midpalate. The mouthfeel is heavy and syrupy. Lacks the finesse and complexity of other high-end new world syrah/shraz I've enjoyed through the years like Cayuse and the nicer Torbrecks. Not a bad wine by any means but a bit disappointing considering the hype.
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decanted 4 hours. This is one BIG full body wine. Violet color. Unbelievable fruit bomb with black pepper scents. Will last for many years if I can wait that long before opening the next one. Best Aussie Shiraz that I have had to date.
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- Violet color and aromas of blackberry, black currant and violet. It's in total harmony and has flavours of black currant, blackberry and black pepper with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Great as always.polished ff quickly. Decanted for 2 hrs still needed air. Best result was Vinturi 1/2, and 1/2 neat.
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It was Impeccable. This for me is troughly a great wine in the style it represents. Would I drink only this. No, of course not. When I look at my cellar, does it have the finesse of the Lynches Bages I last drunk or the complexity of the Pierre Damoy Chambertin Clos de Bèze I tatsed recently. No, it does not but do I feel this deserves a place in my cellar next to this bottles? a BIG Yes.
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Part of 2004 to 2008 vertical we did with friends. Found this more open than the 2004. Very vibrant with lots of red fruit up front. Drinking very well right now but needed decanting. Lots of structure and elegance here. Second favourite in the tasting next to the 2006.
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Decanted it 3 hours prior to tasting. The nose was classic big australian shiraz big, bold and fruity. The taste the same - yet refined (for an aussie shiraz from barosso..). Taste of blackberries, pepper and licorice. Thoroughly enjoyed drinking this one. Will enjoy drinking the remaining I have at present.
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Respi-aerate to decanter. Color deep inky red with lots of black and some purple hues, full body coats the glass. Expansive bouquet (but not OTT) has layers of dark fruit, meaty notes with touches of blood, bits of eucalyptus, tar and some leathery nuances that surprised me and may reflect a little age. This was not from my cellar, stored at cool basement temp the last couple years. On the palate, loads of powerful blackberries, brighter cherries, baking spice, tar, and some earthiness. There is a welcome freshness to the acid that is noticeable through a long layered finish of red and black fruits and spice. Substantial tannins but they are quite well integrated, or at least less noticeable under the wealth of fruit. Overall this was great Aussie Shiraz at it's best, with lots of power and yet not overbaked or showing alcohol at any point of 3 hrs of sipping. My only minor complaint was that there was not much in the way of nuance, and in pairing with roasted rack of lamb this suffered in comparison to a 2000 Pegau CDP. Will drink the next in 5-7 years, as this seems to have the stuffing to ride.
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Great Aussie Shiraz that is drinking really well right now - fruit bomb. Consumed after a SQN Raven and this one held it's own. Really well structured with good layers of ripe dark fruit. My entire group enjoyed this one alot. The '05 is a great vintage of Glaetzer's Amon Ra and should have alot of life left to it.
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Decanted and consumed over 3.5 hours. Still retains its deep purple coloring but is much tamer than in its earlier years. Still very floral with lots of lavender, pepper and oak on the nose. Has a silky-dusty mouthfeel with gobs of sweet, lush, dark fruit. Agree with some of the earlier notes that its finish is a little flat, with alcohol and wood notes that probably linger longer than the fruit itself, but I still find that I enjoy this quite a bit. I'd place this wine (at this time) similar in profile to an aged Shafer Relentless....lots of fruit flavor despite coming across as a mature wine, but not nearly as "in your face" as (too) many Aussie shiraz'.
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Not sure what this tasted like on release, so I can not criticize the critics, but still there is really no excuse. This is a big wine with lots of dark fruits, plum, blackberry and prune. Though no bang in the mid palate or finish. This was a good shiraz, let me re-phrase that, this was a good shiraz if it was $20, but not worth more.JHMO. Being a shiraz fan I have had my share over the years and this did not impress for what the hype/score suggested. On this night the $22 dollar '06 Kurtz Boundary row shiraz beats the $69 dollar Amon Ra fairly handedly.
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Tasted against 2005 Penfolds RWT - Darker fruit, very balanced and smooth. Not as bright as the RWT, but perhaps a little more depth and nuance. Most preferred the RWT, but this one is great too!
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Dark purple with a black core. Powerful and balanced, can't think of anything wrong with it; wouldn't call it over the top either. Just not thrilling me at the moment. Maybe lacks refreshment, as the acids are strong but don't feel lively, and the tannin is somewhat sharp-edged.
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Plummy black fruits, charcoal, menthol, chocolate and a nice earthy funk. Dense, rich and smooth. A pronounced dill note and strong acids on the finish. Nicely integrated but I think better a few years ago. Those with a higher tolerance for dill may appreciate this wine more than I.
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Decanted 1 hour. Re-bottled and left to breathe for 3 more hours. Great nose of blueberries. Rich and full bodied in the mouth with lots of blueberry and blackberry. Smooth and elegent with great fruit intensity which carries through the 40 second finish. A little pepper and spice shows on the very end. This wine showed excellent balance and diidn't show heat at any stage. Maybe the aeration helped with this. Fabulous wine which is drinking really wel right now and is worth the money despite the hefty price tag. The best Aussie shiraz i have had to date.
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Decanted more than one hour.Blackberries and blueberries on the nose.After the first sip I wasn´t overly impressed; pretty ordinary aussi shiraz.But with some more airtime it showed to be very smooth and delicious with vibrant dark berries and supple tannins without being a fruitbomb.Elegant and delicious are the words here. Now I understand why this is so popular.
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Great wine. but did not show as well as the first bottle earlier this year. this was more of a fruit bomb. big blast of dark berry on the nose. blueberry for days on the palate. but not as structured nor as lengthy on finish as experienced before.
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Big Oz shiraz. Delivered exactly what you would expect. Rich and silky textured with lots of black fruit. Just the right side of richness avoiding syrupy notes. Very good example of the style. I have no idea what this might turn into with time.
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Opened and decanted for 45 minutes. Wow! Dark, dark purple to the rim with cherry, raspberry & spice on the nose. Rich, smooth mouth-filling Shiraz with cherry, raspberry, plum and oak w vanilla & spice notes that only evolved w time in the decanter. At the 4 hour mark this wine was amazing, still rich fruit but showing complexity and a long, long finish. Easily another 10+ years on this wine but ready to start drinking in earnest now. This was the 5th bottle from a case opened and by far the best.
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Big, chunky and needed decanting over the hours. Full bodied and tons of fruit. Over 2 hrs developed nicely, smoother and dominated by a creamy milky vanilla scent. Very long finish. Great wine for its price
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Decanted one hour. Smooth, fruity, velvety shiraz. My first bottle of this, and I thought that this seemed a bit closed- the secondary fruit flavors always seemed just out of reach. Definitely a deep wine with more complexity than the typical Aussie.
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Strong dark berry/cherry, coffee, chocolate flavors on palate. Nose was oaky and hot, which was a distraction. This is clearly better than when I had it on release, but it will take more time to come around for my taste - hold.
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2005 Syrah Horizontal representing 4 continents (Casa Tomek): Consistent with prior notes, except that there was a strong menthol note in addition this time around. Incredibly concentrated wine, which I can see as a detractor for some (not for me - I totally enjoyed the balanced extraction). An absolutely stunning wine. My # 4 WOTN, the group's #3.
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Opened this to confirm my membership in the "anti flavor wine elite". What I did realize is a few years have treated this well and was quite surprised with the acidity and overall size. The fruit is somewhat sweet, but definitely not over the top, initially there is a hint of oak that seems to add some structure, but that does fade with time and your left with some nice restrained red fruit and not much else. In the end a little too one dimensional for my taste, but can see how others that enjoy the style like this.
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TIght upon opening. Stored in the fridge in a "Wine for Later" 1/2 bottle. (That's a flask with a frosted glass stopper, sized so 375 ml has no air in the bottle.) 48 hrs later this was smokin'. Lots of black fruit balanced by acid & tannins. Went well with grilled lamb burgers spiced with basil & garlic.Much more food friendly than Carnival of Love, say. Double decant cold for at least a day based on this data point.
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Straight from the bottle showed a delightful nose of chocolate coated plum, raspberry, creamy caramel oak, camphor, charcoal grilled meat and face powder. Full bodied with creamy black fruits with a counterweight of brighter red fruits, white pepper and an acid lift. A peppery finish that has bright fruit and again good acid. The tannins are resolved. Hedonistic and lush but with good energy. Drink soon and enjoy it for what it is - it showed signs of oxidation the next day.
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Had this last night after a bottle of the 2002 vintage. The 2005 vintage was definitely better than the 2002, mainly because it didn't have the coconut notes that the 2002 did. Yes, it's a big, rich, smooth wine with a thick texture and gobs of blackberry, plum and blueberry fruit, but it has little if any elegance or complexity. A one tirck pony, tasty but ultimately unsatisfying to me (B/B+).
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This beast has a big and powerful nose of creamy vanilla spice. The appearance is dark purple with a rich density which suggest a concentrated and flavorful wine. The palate is full, rich and balance with intense creamy fruits dominating the more subtle components of pepper and menthol. This wine is still a baby at this juncture, the heavy tannins suggest a very long life ahead of it. Its drinking good now with at least 3 hours of decanting minimum. I will wait another 5 years before I have another one of these, by then it should be nearing perfection.
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at Cut with Pat, Mike, and Dave. big and brawny with concentrated dark fruit and great balance. had next to 2000 QC Cab and the Amon-Ra had greater depth and length.
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Having just sold 2 thru Vinfolio @$95, decided to try one of my last 8 again.Also to please my wife, who LOVES this style of wine. IT IS REALLY GOOD, and I know most are down on rich hedonistic Aussie Shiraz these days, but it blew away the 2000 Lynch Bages we had on the 2 previous nights. I have had this now on 3 or 4 occasions, and it has stoodout each time, even outclassing(blind) the 98 Grange in our Shiraz French Bakery Wine dinnner in 2008. A rich supple wine with a compelling mid palate.
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Big sucka, but more acidic than I recall. Not my style. Huge vanilla nose. Floral. Sweet. Dark fruit. Obviously well made. Plenty of polish. Full, rich and spicy. Not really a fruit bomb. Has structure but it is high booze. I think this would age for awhile. Also a crowd pleaser. No reason to collect.
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Color: Black Nose: Violets, Black berries, crushed rock, Pepper Taste: Violets, crushed rock, blackberries, oak, vanilla, but kept changing over time Finish: Smooth tannins and extremely long with violets, oak, vanilla, crushed rock and blackberries Evaluation: This wine with some age might be a 98 pointer. Incredible wine that change over time and you must decant a min. of 3 hours. Enjoy!!! 95 points currently
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Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Super Scoring Aussie Wines (John's Marketplace, Portland, OR): Decanted 1 hour, and needed about 23 more. A MASSIVE wine, just over the top in all categories. Aroma was mouthwatering with black fruit and pepper, and in the mouth, that fruit slaps you upside the head. But the real killer is the tannic vice that locks down on your mouth and throat once you swallow the wine. Once my vision cleared, about 2 minutes later, I could still taste the huge fruit in this wine...an amazing finish of sweet fruit. This was sheer infanticide and I wouldn't even dream of opening a bottle of this in the next decade. This is a wine for your grandchildren.
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WOW!!! still needs time. so dark it was like oil. massive massive dark fruit but still well rounded and i think will continue to be amazing for the next 10yrs
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We decanted this a couple of hours and took it to a restaurant. Had dinner with someone who loves South Australian Shirazs, so I thought this would do the trick. Third time I've had the 2005, and each time it was excellent. This is fruit foward, and really delivers an "attack" of sweet dark fruit. It comes at you with black cherry and plum extracted. The residual sugar and acid levels made it a wonderful match with lamb and steak. One friend (the President of our local Alliance France - and quite biased to old world styles) thought it was too much, but his wife, my wife and I all loved it. South Australian Shirazs may be falling out of some favor in the U.S., but it's not because of the 2005 Amon-Ra.
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Will check back on this later. Popped/poured, and frankly its a bit "stupid" compared to what it ought to be. Obviously has all the elements of a great wine, but a bit out of sorts...lacking integration. A fairly strong sense of acidity on the palate, which distracts from great fruit. It's a nice wine now, but not what it should/can/will be. I have no worries about the remaining bottles, but either more years in the cellar or a long decant are in order. Update: MUCH better after 4 hours opened (not decanted) and with 30-45 minutes in the glass. The brightness/acidity folds back into the wine, and the wine becomes much more integrated and complex, with the fruit showing very nicely. So, clearly the answer on this for near term drinking is a decant, probably 2-3 hours minimum.
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an other bottle of this magnificent wine. Very balanced as allways. I want to let this age but I just can't. At my local shop in Belgium, the sales person claims Ben Gleatzer is confident his 2006 amon ra is the best vintage and the 2006 will age the best. So I bought 2 bottles of 2006 Amon ra to let them age and in the same way I will not feel as guilty when I drink my 2005 Amon ra. ;)
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Clear. Very deep purple core with a vibrant cherry red rim. This wine looks very youthful. The nose comes off very fruit forward with tonnes of sweet berries, candied plum, cassis, raspberry jam and loads of smooth woody spice. I'm going to say this wine is dry but its probably closer to off dry with all its residual sugar. Moderate acid with a silky smooth mouthfeel. This wine is all about fruit intensity. Tonnes of cassis and blackberry jam fly out of the gate with a wonderful purity. Lots of Christmas spice and some herbs lie in the background but really this is all about the fruit. Tannins are grippy but not enough to keep up with the weight of the body. High alc but the body of the wine carries it effortlessly. The finish is voluptuous and long constantly reminding you to go back for another sip. Outstanding quality. 91 pts. Drinking well now. Im unsure how it will age. Will this evolve into a more elegant beast with less fruit but more seccondary characteristics? From my limited experiance, no. This style needs the fruit to hide the acidification. Drink by 2014
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syrah smackdown (Barrington IL, Wally's house): nose: very pungent and powerful nose jam packed with red fruits, rich tones of red cherries, cassis, black fruits and loads of black cherries. Great depth, and excellent balance with the big fruit tones melding together very well
taste: Excellent medium/full feel with really good balanced flavors of red fruits, red cherries, cassis, black cherries and some bits of camphor and black licorice. While the flavors are really good, they seem to be lacking a bit of teh depth and expression that they possesed on the nose
overall: I made sure to decant this for 5 hours or so and then bottle aired it for two hours after putting it back in the bottle. Maybe it needed more air or some more time sideways. Wally had some of this over the next two nights and he told me that it showed a lot better, c'est la vie
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to impatient for a lengthy decant on this one, but really opened up nicely in the glass over a period of about 30 mins. loads of dark fruit, and vanilla, little if any tannins, smooth clean finish. i probably jumped the gun by a few years on this one. not quite as big as i had anticipated though, which was nice. ill crack another one this time next year.
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others last night went ga-ga for this stuff. It was a typical big aussie wine. Had a good fruit structure but was hot and lacked balance and depth, fruit profile was similar to Command (which is one Aussie wine I love) but lacked the complexity and sophistication of the Command
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Popped and decanted for three hours. Whew! After a couple of glasses I was ready for a nap. Candied blackberries and blueberries on the nose. On the palate, this is a massive wine. Full-bodied but not syrupy, loads of dark berry fruit with a pleasant streak of tar to liven things up. A little more restraint would have been nice (to me), but still a solid wine.
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After first sip, decanted two hours - which it needed. Great, rich wine. High alcohol, but strong fruit and lots of personality. Meant to go with rich foods.
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Almost black color. Generous nose of blackcurrant, blueberry, coffee, chocolate. Extremely full-bodied; taste follows the smell. Good structure and integrated tannins. Very nice and enjoyable already in its present state, though some more years of cellaring will most likely give it more character.
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Decanted for 3 hours prior to starting and was still a bit backward at that point. Another 90mins had the wine very well-balanced; incredibly dark and floral nose, rich and lush. Lots of dark fruit, creamy texture, tar, concentrated and pure. The wine had a bit of alcohol early on, which had dissipated by hour 5, at which point it began developing a stronger sweetness to it. Just an outstanding shiraz.
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Best of American Syrah Blind Tasting (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted blind. My wine of the Night. Rich fruit to start on nose with licorice, pepper and thyme. Powerful yet balanced black fruit on palate with great length, energy and balance. This wine continues to impress me in every vintage.
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Great American Syrah Shootout II (Chicago, IL): Black, opaque color. Huge, giving and delicious nose. Pure black fruit, toast and brown sugar. Richly fruited palate, to say the least, is focused and so well balanced for such a big wine. Sweet and rich with well-integrated oak -- hinting at some complexity beneath. Simply delicious and so light on its feet. A relative bargain and under-appreciated by the masses. My #2, Group #1.
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Wineflock - Best of American Syrah (Home): Group #1, My #5 - Full deep opaque black/red color. Lovely medium full red fruit and floral nose - nice. Really nice interesteing sweet/tart black fruit and cassis on the palate with good lifted acidity. 94-95pts.
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Bacchus blind tasting (My place): Black color with a thin purple rim. Intense nose with lots of fruit, blueberry, blackberry and very ripe cherries, notes of blackcurrant liqueur, sweet licorise, pepper, gunpowder and ammonium chloride. Insanely full-bodied and concentrated on the palate. Super powered, new world, fruit - dark and brooding, with lots of sweetness. On the midpalate sweet licorise and a note of bitterness. Ends with a good tannic grip, that is well integrated underneath the liqueur and candied fruit finish. This wine is full-throtle, but superbly balanced. Give it time, and it should become more refined - everything else is already there.
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It's been 11 months since I had this last. I'd say it improved a bit over the past year, or I just enjoyed it more. Nice fruit, integration, finish and complexity. It was a little hot initially, and remained that way throughout as I didn't decant. Typically I decant everything I drink, even if for just a few minutes. This time, I changed it up and left it in the bottle uncorked. Between day one and two it didn't seem to change much outside of becoming more smooth of day two. I enjoyed this a lot over this weekend.
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This is the third time I drink this beautiful wine. (first time I comment it on cellartracker) The first bottle was the best and although I feel this wine has closed down a little over the last year(s) it still is very, very enjoyable. What strikes me the most is the balance of the amon ra. I have a decent collection of wines but no first growth, Gaja, Harlan or anything exceeding 50-60 €. Until now the 2005 amon ra is the most balanced wine I ever had. (to put in perspective; I am 27 but from Belgium so drinking regularly and loving wine since 10 to12 years ) I am extremely curious how this will evolve. I find it very difficult to predict if the best drinking window lays before us or behind us. If while aging this could pick up some more complexity in the mid palate and keep the balance and long silky finish this could deserve the 98 parker score. I have 6 bottles left and hope I can leave them for at least 3 years before cracking a new bottle. This means I hope the best is yet to come. for now 94+
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Much, much better than the underwhelming 2003 I had last time. This was a rich, complex, well-endowed and perfectly balanced Shiraz. Deep purple to rich red at the edges, alcohol and blackberry nose, but the palate isn't hot. What it is, is layer after layer of rich south Aussie fruit, with a long finish. Fantastic wine.
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on opening.... Big Dark, Extracted, Concentrated Blackberries. Somehow maintains some silkiness, Hitting the decanter for 5+ hours
at the 11hr mark, this is going in an opposite direction of the pax (04 Keltie.) Acidity seems artificially pronounced as fruit starts to mellow. Toasty and smoky aromas take over on the nose. Toasti-ness showing on the palate also... this showed way better early
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A very elegant and hedonistic Aussie Shiraz. Decanted : two hours before tasting. Dense purple-red color. Sumptuous nose with aromas of blackberry, nutmeg, sweet herbs, cassis and vanilla. On the palate : an extremely rich and approachable wine, wonderfully balanced, with luscious ripe red fruit, a good structure and huge but very mellow and silky tannins. Creamy finish. A very sophisticated wine, but a bit too oaky (not fully integrated yet) and jammy for my taste.
Een elegante en hedonistische Australische Shiraz. Gedecanteerd twee uur voor consumptie. Dichte purperrode kleur. Voortreffelijk bouquet met aroma’s van zwarte bes, nootmuskaat, vanille, cassis en een zachte kruidentoets. Smaak : zeer toegankelijke, rijpe wijn vol weelderig rood fruit, met een mooie balans en een goede structuur en met duidelijke doch zachte, zijdeachtige tannines. “Romige” afdronk. Een zeer gesofisticeerde wijn, naar mijn smaak echter wat te “jammy” en met teveel hout (nog niet volledig geïntegreerd).
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Fight night wines (my house): nose: utterly massive and yet balanced nose of eucalyptus, mint, blackberry, dark cherry, crushed berries, raspberries, oak, and smoke tones just flow into the nose. wide open and pure this is big on the fruit, but nowhere close to being over the top
taste: wonderfully balanced fruit with raspberry, cherry, mint, eucalyptus, blackberries, smoke, and some oak tones
overall: a stupendous wine. Insanely balanced and wide open. This is a blow away wine with impeccable balance, attack, transitions, and a really good long raspberry finish. It needs some air before drinking, but this is a special wine
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I bought some of this a few yrs ago and never tried it. it has alot of hype so before the flight back I decided to pop one. The color solid purple. The nose was pleasant. At first sniff i got aromas of incense berrry and graphite. I also sensed some wet earth. The first sniff was not equal to the the nose? Closed maybe? I dont know. I did taste some herbs licorice and casis with cedar. The mid palate was short and unsatisfying. There however, I did get licorice, cedar, cherry, herbs and peppers. The finish was not as long as I had expected. This is a solid wine but I have had better Shiraz. Rating 92
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Compared tonight against the 04 Amon-Ra, which made this seem far less developed and tasteful. But keep in mind the 04 Amon-Ra is a very exceptional wine.
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Good, but nowheres as excitng as at our BYO Shiraz tasting 2 months ago when blind it was preferred to the 98 Grange and Jim Barry Armagh. Inky black, with good bouquet, and presence.Is it starting to go into a transitional stage? Revisted on the 18th, was much better, and closer to prior experience.
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One of the best red wines I've ever had, and it paired beautifully with the prime rib at dinner. Dark, rich, but silky smooth. Concentrated fruit flavours.
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Second bottle from my case: uncorked 24 hr in advance, double decanted 4 hrs before dinner. Prime rib with asparagus, wild rice, fresh horseradish. This wine was the highlight. Lovely perfectly balanced shiraz, not hot or over-extracted. The dinner guests commented on its smoothness, and it was gone too fast. This wine has it all! It was firing on all cylinders, although still quite youthful, only giving hints of its future potential. A superb wine. 94 pt.
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One of nine wines tasted blind at Lucio's dinner 4/26/08: Tons of black fruit on the nose and palate. This one did not stand out for me or for the group. After the reveal, we learned this was a 98 Parker wine. Who knew.
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This is a wine of great mass and elegance. Great purity of fruit. Notes sweet cherries, bbq spice and black raspberry. The nose is very complex, intoxicating really. In the mouth, perfect balance, long finish and absolutely begging to be consumed. I've certainly have had wines that did not come close to delivering what this wine has for the price, as far as qpr goes this is right there with the best I’ve had.
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Overall: Very nice wine. Great balance and structure. If anything it was a bit young, but there were no overpowering tannins to speak of. Quite simply I could find no faults with it other than the price.
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Disappointing given the price and the 98 given by RP. Good fruit, excellent balance, lush mouthfeel, reasonable length, but lacking in complexity. We had it alongside a 2003 Pio Cesare Fides, and everyone agreed that the Fides was a better wine, primarily because it was substantially more complex than the Amon-Ra. Perhaps RP is detecting some greatness that will come with time, but I won't be buying more to find out.
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Decanted for 2 hours, poured it back into the bottle, and took it to the restaurant. The Amon-Ra was hugh, complex, and, simply stated, extraordinary. It had (again) a hugh velvety mouth feel of lush fruit in integrated layers that were perfectly balanced. This wine demonstrated the kind of complex harmony that's possible in a wine. It's Sunday, but tomorrow morning I'm calling the wine store and having them put the rest of this aside for me.
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This is really a fantastic young wine, with lots of legs. Balanced, and structure to give you that faraway stare on the finish. Will try again every six months over the next few years.
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Had at dinner with family for my daughters birthday. I didn't know how people would react with the Amon Ra so I had several others choices. I told my sister-in-law and her husband to taste this first to see if they liked it. They did and asked for a full glass each. When they finished they said that was delicious. can I have some more. So we finished it off. My brother-in-law said this is the best wine I ever had. It made it all worth it when someone likes it that much. Then my sister-in-law said the same thing. They fell in love with Amon-Ra. I don't blame them, as its likely to be one of my all time favorites as well. I had opened the bottle about two hours before dinner and re-corked for the ride. It's so rich and smooth, full of fruit. Nothing fake here, its all good.
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Wow what a monster this is. Out and back in the bottle seven hours earlier. Three of us who were doing the order for the annual wine dinner had a difficult time deciding whether to serve this before the 02 Ramey Jericho and the 04 L'Aventure Estate Cuvee. We decided to go with the Amon Ra first but doubted ourselves as this was clearly bigger than those bordeaux blend cabs. It really opened up and gave us different layers of rich fruit flavors. Can't wait for the 06.
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Ben Glaetzer has differentiated himself (again) from many Aussie winemakers. THis is one of the best structured, balanced and complex Australian wines I've ever had the pleasure of drinking.
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Aussie Wines Offline (Canyon Lodge American Grill - Laguna, CA): This wine is clearly a child, but what a precocious child it is! Notes of black raspberry, plum, wet soil, and vanilla. Plush and creamy in the mouth and a 30+ second finish. This wine needs several more years in the cellar, but I think it is destined for greatness. 94-95 points.
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Decanted for 3 hours before dinner, and continued to evolve over the next hour. Ellen likened it to the 98 Jim Barry Armagh, one of or favorite wines. A rich opulent wine reflecting dark berrry confit with vanilla American oak, carrries its 14.5% alcohol well.It is a hedonists wine, that promises to evolve.
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Unmistakenably Australian, this teeth-staining battering ram of a wine shows lots of dark brooding fruit with coffee plum and ripe blackberry nose with some hints of licorice. Low acid, but decently structured. Would be exceptional with a nice bbq steak. Kinda over the top but not too much so. Long sweet plum finish
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See last post by Donrad. Perfect description! I double decanted for 5 hours started to sip. Didn't open up until about 7 hours. Absolutely outstanding for the price.
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Holy crap....Almost perfect. Great balance for its youth. Tons of crushed berries, little roasted meat (after hours opened), lush on the palate with explosive fruit that matches the nose. Silky smooth tannins....In balance now, will be in balance for years to come...Glaetzer wines are some of my new favorites. Absolutely amazing value for the money. Buy all you can...
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Lovely, balanced, huge. The class of an Australian flight that included 01 Oracle, 01 Dead Arm and 05 Carnival of Love. Primary, fun, and appealing now, but tonight, tasting group interests tended towards 1990 CdPs and 01 Brunello, raising the question (again) of how these massive wines from Oz will develop over the next 20 years?
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Dark purple crimson. Nose of buttery wood, musk, smoke, ripe red fruit. In the mouth, persistent ripe, sweet, jammy red fruit, spices, and wood. Warm, but carries its alcohol fairly well for the style. Moderate tannins. Moderately long, warm, vinous finish. A lovely wine leaning toward the New World style. Nice now and for the next 10 years.
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Decanted and drank over a couple of hours. Very concentrated primary fruit, but nonetheless well balanced. Oak present as an undertone, but this is really all about that dense, sweet fruit. Very fine indeed right now, no idea how it might develop with bottle age.
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I had a bottle about 8 months ago and it was gushing with big fruit and structure and it was a 95. I think its starting to close a bit as its now a bit muted. Glaetzer wines are certainly age worthy and I've had many over the years. This Amon Ra is a huge wine that will certainly evolve over the next 10 year and more.
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Big fruit, nicely integrated. Wine isn't just what nature gives the wine maker to put in a bottle. This is a fine example of why that statement is dead wrong. This a well crafted wine.
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second time having this wine this month. definitely lots of fruit and nice indian spice coming from those >100 year old shiraz vines. tannins are young and showing on the finish.
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Late night pop at Varmint's after the Ween show with all the tools. Black as night. Very unique smoky, caramel, toffee component on the nose. Seems to have settled down a bit since the last bottle I had. Very well balanced. No notice of alcohol on the nose or palate with gobs of pure fruit. Nothing fake about this wine.
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Double decanted 3 hours. Darkly colored. Fragrant nose reveals mocha, blackberries, spice, vanilla, graphite. Absolutely coats your mouth...serious 10WD-40. Very subdued on the mid-palate, but a nice long finish. This is approachable now, but will improve with time.
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Decanted 1 hr. Had alongside '91 Wolf Blass Black Label at Greedy Goose. Unfortunately, because the Black Label was such a brilliant wine and in its peak drinking window, it highlighted some of the flaws of the Amon Ra, namely its youth... I have no doubt that in time this will be an extrodinary wine, however, right now its just not that approachable. That's why I have elected not to give it a rating.
Drink 2012-2020
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Drack på en vinbar på DUlles flygplats i Washington DC. Fantastisk intensive nästan amarone liknanade doft. Mjuk och lång avslutning. MOgen och drickfärdig, Enastående och speciellt vin.
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Tuesday tasting at Papa Joe's comparing Aussie Shirazes. This was easily the climax of the evening. What flavour! Indescribable. Here, talking about wine is like dancing about architecture. Outstanding.
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taste as experiment for buying more dark dark purple color, on the nose it was minty , dark fruits, jam and a little char....very Oz!!in the mouth it is alot of diff flavors, black fruits, plums casis, thick blackberry jam and some chocolate...really broad but not too far out of whack..long long finish...i would buy more of these
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Tasted during Masterclass by Ben Glaetzer in Amsterdam. A bit plummy/jammy in the nose. Also mint. Very concentrated an complex. Beautiful wine. Needs more time.
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Bouquet of smoke and dark fruits, but flowery as well. The nose is fresh and lively--so much comes at you so fast, and it just smells expensive. Also got black currant and plum in the nose.
Now, on to the taste. SUBERB mouth feel. Blueberry, jammy strawberry, acidity to keep things in perfect balance. On these Aussie's, there's a tendency to assume that the higher the Parker score the bigger the fruit bomb it's going to be. Here, however, there is a lot of complexity also, and some Bordeaux elements (cherry, tobacco). Chocolate note developed in the finish toward the end of the bottle.
Good, strong 93.
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Creamy aromas of raspberry liqueur, blueberry, charcoal and white flowers. Surprisingly lithe in the mouth with blueberry fruit, mocha and a stony, talc note. A smooth, dense finish that shows minimal tannin. Seems ready to drink and very hedonistic. Hopefully a couple years with allow some more secondary elements and a little more structure to show through.
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Hedonistic from beginning to end, but also the most complex and balanced Southern Aussie I've ever had. Silky smooth, with delicious ripe dark fruit, spice and cocoa. It's got the structure for cellaring, but drinking beautifully now, so why wait.
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Best Wine I ever tasted. Really Smooth and complex. There is liqeur smell with dark chocolate and coffee. Very rich and sumptous. Extremely tasty. Disapointed after GAM 2004 and 2005. This is a outstanding wine!
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Sampled again at the wine tasting machinery at Papa Joe's. Dark and opaque colour. Fruity nose. However, the flavour is less fruity this time, for some reason. Maybe the bottle has been sitting too long in the machine. Not sure. Anyway, still excellent, nearly outstanding. I don't mean to low-ball an excellent wine, but the berry flavour was just less prominent this time. Still very well balanced, and a pleasure to experience.
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A spectacular Shiraz. Decanted for only 30 minutes and it was already exploding out of the bottle. This is the second bottle I have had and both have been extremely consistent.
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Sampled at the wine tasting bar at Papa Joe's. The colour is dark. The aroma is most pleasant. This was easily the best wine tasted of all. Very fruity and well balanced. Outstanding.
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I decanted for 4.5 hours, consumed over dinner and with the oscars (2 hours). Left one glass for another 24 hours for a final take. Here's my impression:
A voluptuous nose. Absolutely breathtaking. Covering presence of tar, with soft and shy notes of eucalyptus and buried fruit. The nose intoxicated my nostrils until I got a headache! The wine contacts the palette with silky eucalyptus and cassis but quickly stiffens into the mid-palette. The direction of the wine was shocking to me, absolutely resolved...The tannic backbone really gets you towards the finish and the heat/acidity is definitely overriding the hidden black fruits and secondary cassis profiles that were nuanced on the front. The glass that I have consumed 24 hours later has relinquished much of that heat and the fruit is more explosive than ever...The seething tinge of acidity finishes potently, more potently than many drinkers would choose to relish. I don't have much experience with tasting the same wines over long periods of time (hey I'm only 21) so I can't give a drinking window, but rudimentary I will say it needs years
95+ with a potential, if the acidity and heat integrates and the fruit comes to the table more inclusively, that this wine could yeild that 98 that Parker alluded to.
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Grilled Lamb with Friends (MI): Extraordinary showing. Has everything in spades. Incredibly rich and sexy. Sweet, plush palate but some Horsepower also. Great Balance. Drank with an hour+ of air. So good now, hard to imagine it getting better with much age. And I dont think I'm going to let the majority of my bottles make the journey to find out.
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This was my first time trying this wine (thanks bro!). It had a huge dark, dark color. I was expecting an overextracted Aussie Shiraz, New World fruit bomb. But I was pleasantly surprised. The wine had balance and elegance. Flavors of blueberry and redfruit with a hint of spice (and possibly mint). Smooth with a long finish. Probabaly could do with a few more years in the cellar. Overall an outstanding wine.
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Well put together, quality wine. It was balanced and smooth. I decanted it, but it didn't really need much time. Over about a 90 minute period, it smoothed out even more and the fruit came out. Nose was phenomenal, classic Barossa. However, the thing that was missing here for me to give it a higher score was the complexity. Perhaps it was my mood, environment, etc., but this didn't have the layers of complexity that I was expecting based on everything I've read. Was it good, absolutely. But, for the price? Not right now. I have 3 more, so I'll wait another year or so on the next one to see if a more complex profile emerges.
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poured into decanter and drank after only 20 minutes (suggest at least 2 hours). Nose of licorice, violets, oak & blackberries. This is a monster of a wine with a lot of complexity. Loads and loads of black fruit that is very dense. Very minimal acid and a decent amount of tannins currently. The oak comes out quite a bit on the palate. Finish is long and a distinct vanilla flavor that lingers on and on.
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Lovely nose, definitely Aussie shiraz with a hint of medicinal spice. Deep black to nearly the rim, still too young. Nice balance, good acidity at the end. Tannins are fine and sweet. Loads of fruit, a touch of bitterness at the close. A fine shiraz, but will be at its best in 5+ years.
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Drank at Le Gourmand. Beautiful thick Shiraz. Lots of plum and raisin to chew on. Amazing wine, but tricky to justify the 2x difference from the also beautiful Bishop. Well, tricky, but not impossible.
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The color on this wine is crazy. Super dark and concentrated. The nose showed a little sweetness alongside some boysenberries, and a black and white cookie. This was a little restrained for what was expected. It was big and extrated, but kept graceful. The palate revealed some blueberry,blackberry, boysenberries, and red cherries. A fruit medley. This wine kept changing as the night went on. I like this type of wine, I just find my palate tires quicky if it is the only wine on the table. Alongside others wines this turns a conversation piece. There is alot happening that seems to evolve minute by minute to alot more. The finish was long and vibrant. I enjoyed this better than the 2004 Amon-Ra tasted last summer.
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Lovely to drink now but for my taste I will wait for several years to drink any more. I had this at a friends' and enjoyed this teeth-staining, chewy, concentrated Shiraz that had fruit enough to mask the tannins. My score is for what it is now, but I fully expect it to score much higher in 5 to 10 years.
50+5+12+17+9=93
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So dark in the glass and thck as treacle. Very expressive nose bursting with no end of fruit including chocolate, cassis, spice and liquorice. Wow - what a wine - the palate is silky smooth with big tannins but they are matched with bigger fruits and it's so complex on the palate I can hardly think where to begin! There is everything in here - spices, vanilla, pepper, cassis, blackcurrant jam, chocolate, mocha, minerals and more. The finish goes on forever - what a satisfying wine.
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A huge, powerful wine but with so much restraint that it can be called exceptionally elegant, as well. Much brighter and lighter color in the glass than I anticipated. Especially initially, the nose was meaty, like game with berries and juniper. Later it gave way to more pronounced blueberry and spice. In the mouth, it was very dense with red fruit, blackcurrant, spices, and more blueberry, but the density in the palate was counterbalanced by a really nice level of acidity. The spreading finish was long, long, and lovely with a further expansion of the range of fruit. Great wine. 95-96
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Very nice tonight and definitely has some upside potential. Very rich and smooth fruit with decent balance but a lttile flabby (to be expected this early in life).
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Decanted for 2hrs. Dense dark purple almost black color. Beautiful slightly sweet aromas of raspberry, cassis, blackberry and liquorice. Full bodied with a complex palate of dark fruit, tobacco and spice, big but very rounded sweet tannins, extremely balanced leading to a very long lush finish. This wine is drinking absolutely beautiful right now. I was weary to open it so early but after reading many reviews on EBob I figured I should give it a try....and glad I did. Everything here is already in sync, how nice to drink a class act Shiraz that isn't a alcohol fruit bomb like many others. No need to wait on this....enjoy! This completely blows away the 05 Mollydooker COL. 95
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The third or fourth bottle I've had in the past few months and each one has been a gem. I love to drink Shiraz more than any other type of wine and in the past couple year's I've had my share... this one's in my Top Five for sure.
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Wow, what a wonderfully sophisticated wine. This is really the first time we felt that word 'polished' applied to a wine, it was silky and luxurious with a really complex flavor with lots of fruit and hints of tobacco and chocolate and a touch of earthiness. The tannin structure and finish were really intriguing...the tannins were mellow and just a little grippy, but continued to evolve for 10-15 seconds after a sip, making my mouth water like crazy, and then the finish lingered for another 30+ seconds after.
We took a break in the middle and came back (by which time it had been open for 16 hours, decanted for 7) and we felt that some of the complexity had faded.
Cin says "When I drank this wine I really felt that it was _made_ well".
On taste alone, this is definitely a 4 out of 4 (="Open another bottle right now"). It is a little pricey at $70-$80, but even still we're going to go out and get a few more bottles to keep around and lay down. The price nudges the score down a little, but I can't bring myself to give it a 3.5.
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Not just another ozzie fruit bomb, while the wine is highly extracted there's depth here. Not overly sweet as often found with others of this ilk and balanced with just the right level of acidity. On the nose there are blueberries, cassis and notes of oak. The wine spreads beautifully across the palate with silky smoothness and a medium finish. Looking forward to drinking this in a few years as while it has good complexity now I believe this will develop more with age. Had alongside Kaesler Old Vine and Two Hands Angel's Share and this was a big step up.
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Superior to the 2003 and 2004, which I also enjoyed. This wine straddles Australia and Northern Rhone, it's more subtle and balanced than prior years, but still has a hint of the Aussie character of "turn the volume up to 11." Bacon fat on the nose, and blueberries on the palate. The best of the Aussie '05's I have yet to taste.
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Full on aromas of spice, blackberry, florals, tar, licorice and tobacco on the nose. Sweetly fruited, ripe and intense on the palate with good length, but a bit of alcohol evident when swallowing throws things off a bit. I really loved this, every sniff revealed something different, but one glass is entirely enough for me.
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This bottle was decanted for at least 3 hours prior to tasting. Huge nose of blueberries and blackberries and licorice. Flavors of blackberries, cherries, vanilla, and licorice. Full bodied, blockbuster of a wine with a great velvety mouthfeel and a finish that lasts a very long time. Regretfully, we did not purchase any of these when they were readily available at retail, so we will have to rely on the kindness of friends to taste these in the future or take some down at auction. Really great stuff, and a clear WOTN.
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Beautiful wine, after 3 hours in the decantur. A little left this morning in a glass, still powerpacked black fruit. Give it 5 years more to calm down (so 2012 or so).
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Really good stuff. I drank the Godolphin the week before and actually may have liked it better. Huge nose of blueberries, though not near the level of the 2005 Enchanted Path. Long layered finish. Will give the remaining bottles some time. Decanted three to four hours prior to drinking. Better than the Mitolo GAM from 2005.
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Drank side by side with MollyDooker Carnival of Love. This was the better wine, primarily because of the lower alcohol. Very good wine, with a great nose and lots of depth.
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Deep and dark. Day one showed a weak nose and a brutish tannic but fruit filled palette. By day two it'd opened up with all sorts of red fruits, licorice and sweet wood with an excellent tannin and acid driven finish. Day three was just as fine, still big and rich. Extraordinary indeed 5+12+18+10=95
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A monster in the making. I bought 3 of these. The other 2 will wait about 5 years before trying again. Front-loaded with red fruits, this will only get better with age.
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Decanted for an hour and half - rich red fruit and toasty oak on the nose, with amazing richness and lush, velvety texture. A paradigm of its type. The only thing that prevents me from rating it higher it is the lack of complexity, which hopefully will change with time. Spectacular, stunning wine.
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Decanted for 2.5 hours and consumed over two nights. Expressive nose of vanilla, blueberry, blackberry, and oak all nicely meshed with some mint in the background. The purity of fruit in this wine is amazing. Full body and very intense. Rich blueberry and blackberry at first followed by chocolate and subtle vanilla oak. The finish is silky long with more pure blackberries, black licorice, and cherries. I hope to cellar my remaining bottles, but the wine is so good right now.
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Decanted 4.5 hr’s. Thick and powerful nose of blueberry and blackberry with light tar notes and eucalyptus. A tremendous wine with rich and lusty blueberry and cassis flavors that are well balanced and accented with light minerals and faint black pepper. Broadens nicely on the mid-palate with chocolate notes and a touch of eucalyptus increasing towards the finish. Has good acidity along with supple, silky, and mouth coating tannins and a lengthy, blockbuster finish.
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Decanted for 3hrs. Ruby in colour. Sweet nose of caramel, strawberry jam, chocolate cherry blossoms with hints of pepper and mint. This silky smooth wine coats the palate with flavors of mocha, sweet cherries and sugarcoated strawberries. Nice acidity on the mid palate, firm tannins and a long finish. This should improve with 5 years of cellaring.
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Very dense purple color. Rich, deep nose of black fruits. Initial taste seems to be saline in its intensity, with hints of oak and tannins. The fruit is huge, and this is indeed a very fine wine, but I'm not sure it's quite as complex as it is made out to be. The 1997 Drouhin Clos de la Roche I had early this year seemed, for example, to have a richer set of aromas. This seemed a bit more single-dimensioned, but much more powerful. It also seems to be a young wine, in need of a few years to settle. All in all, this was a delicious wine.
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Color is inky black purple. Nose was huge right away. Blackberries, blue berry, some jam. After 2 hours of decanting, nose was still blackberry and blue berry. Beautiful, but I couldn't get much more on nose other than the berries. Palate is full, very young, dusty tannin mixes well with the black fruit, lively acidity makes for a long finish. Wouldn't guess shiraz - best I've had. Hint of chocolate. Glad I have more.
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I could happily smell this wine all night long. Entirely captivating just like the Chapoutier, but in a totally opposite manner - totally saturates your nose with aromas of licorice, chocolate, raspberry, cherry, tobacco, blueberries and floral notes. So luscious and ripe, and with velvet like texture on the palate. Firm tannins and background classy use of oak provide much needed structure for this immense wine. I doubt my one bottle will last anywhere near long enough for me to find out how this will age as it is just so approachable and pleasurable right now.
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Now that this wine is on retail shelves here we had to commit a crime and open one up. This is a bigger Amon-Ra than the past vintages and it wouldn't surprise me if it needs more time than past vintages to really open up. Huge, raw flavours even after being opened for several hours. Should be improving for some time to come.
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We just couldn't wait on this one. Had this with steak at Jak's. Wonderful nose with just a hint of oak surrounded by fruit. Smooth with a some acid. Oak, cherry, sugar... It was extremely impressive. Just for fun, we had a glass of the Boxer to compare and hands down the Amon-Ra tromped the syrupy Boxer.
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This is one of the smoothest young wines I have ever tried, and the best Australian Shiraz I have had (up to this point). Very refined, not in your face, but a myriad of flavors involving red currant, raspberries and a bit of subtle earthiness. Amazing wine--how will it age?
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Amon-Ra 02, 03, 04 and 05 with Ben Glaetzer (Denver): An exceptional wine, equal in intensity to the 03, but not as mature, leaving the question about just how fast these wines will mature and what will they become? These are generally from 85-90 year old vines, but what will that mean for the future?
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Glaetzer/Heartland tasting 2006 (Brisbane): {Barrel sample} Supposedly RPJ was the only one to taste these barrel samples before us - I wonder what he thought of this? More powerful, tannic, and muscular than the 04. Black in colour. Deep, strong flavoured fruit. Still retains elegance, but not as graceful or perfumed as the 04. I’m guessing he liked it?
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2/13/2024 - talbot61 wrote:
At Boston Wine & Poker, Needham, Mass.: Tasted blind. Very dark. Sweet, plummy fruit, almost like a dry port. Could easily be served as dessert wine.
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2/6/2024 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Very rich and concentrated, but this relies on its big ripe fruit above & beyond anything else that might add further interest.
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1/27/2024 - SadEdjo Likes this wine: 93 Points
not for the faint of heart but such pure dark red fruit. Nicely resolved tannins. Still dark colour, still primary fruit. Will this ever "mature"?
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12/30/2023 - CellarV wrote: 95 Points
Harmonious, rich fruit that really delivers without feeling in any way overblown - quality shines through. Last bottle but certainly worth the wait - a treat! Drank alongside the 2012 - also fabulous
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12/27/2023 - klang wrote:
Superb textbook Barossa shiraz, full bodied, but balanced with sweet fruit still dominant. Just showing secondary development. Mouth coating with an exceptionally long finish.
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12/18/2023 - Vinophil2000 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Keller Horst.
Gereift, süß, da viel Glycerien, marmeladig, dunkle Fruch meets rote Frucht. Der Wein ist nicht mehr so pointiert und fokussiert wie 2008. Damals hatte er Tannin, Länge, Tiefe und dunkle Frucht. Im Moment charmant aber weniger konzentriert. 93-94 Punkte. Am zweiten Tag ähnlich wie am zweiten Tag. Korken beim Öffnen zerbröselt. Bis 2026(+)?! Höhepunkt: Vermutlich 2010 bis 2017?!
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11/12/2023 - Goldstone Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Lunch at Shane & Caroline's (Their Place, Hong Kong): Decanted for 3-4 hours. Deep impenetrable red-purple colour just lightening at the meniscus. Nose is big, welcoming open blast of caramel, dirt, espresso grounds, and blackcurrant/redcurrant jam. Palate has good immediate acidic freshness, but followed by sour red fruit. Surprisingly thin and rather vinegary. Has fallen off a cliff since last drank in 2016, when it was very jammy and rich and needed more cellar time, but obviously not this much.
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7/30/2023 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still a very big wine. No rush to drink as there were no signs of ageing. Colour almost black. Fruity nose. Very smooth with lots of fruit flavours. A bit sweet at first but the wine opened up and the sweetness faded as the bottle was consumed. This was a PNP. I would recommend a short decant.
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3/11/2023 - Condrieu82 Likes this wine: 95 Points
P&P from Coravin. Pitch dark color with minimal bricking. Nose of plums and blackberries with secondary notes of tobacco and tertiary of leather.
The palate is oh-so-smooth with still great acidity to balance the very vivid black fruits; menthol, tobacco, more leathery notes, long finish with green pepper and oak to keep this together very nicely. Tannins are almost entirely integrated, and while mature this could further improve over the next 4-5 years. A stunning bottle - and another great example of aged Australian Shiraz.
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3/9/2023 - topherwhatever wrote: 91 Points
~20 years on, this is a nice bottle.
Not my typical style, but this had plum-flavored leather with surprisingly solid acidity that I grew to really like. Yes, it's concentrated, but it's a tasteful expression of aussie syrah when this style can go wrong fast.
I don't regret the 100 dollars I spent on it.
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2/7/2023 - ddingley Likes this wine: 93 Points
I liked this over the top big bold style more 10-15 years ago when I bought this, but this was still a very enjoyable wine. Tannins very soft and I think will not get better, but still some time left on this (however this was from magnum).
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1/23/2023 - TomNichols Likes this wine: 96 Points
Intense dark color. Wonderful overwhelming boysenberry aroma and taste. A sin to drink now. Hard to find locally. Have a few bottles left, which I will do all I can to ignore, if I live that long. Otherwise… for my granddaughters, twenty years from now..
Tom Nichols, Houston
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12/30/2022 - spendergast Likes this wine: 97 Points
This wine continues to drink very well and sadly, my last bottle. Decanted 2 hrs. Deep red, opaque with highly concentrated and dark complex fruit with notes of black raspberry, cherry, earth, and hint of spice. Incredibly smooth with long finish. Paired with grilled ribeye steaks.
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12/3/2022 - Praxis wrote: 97 Points
Purplish red in color but somewhat murky appearance with fine grain tannin particles suspended in the glass. The nose is dominated by mature spicy richness of unfiltered fruits, stewed beef, well integrated oak, dark chocolate (85%) and what I would associate with a distinctly complex rubbery earthy profile typical of older higher quality Southern Australian Shiraz (say over a decade of bottle age). The palate is still quite full-bodied, rich, big as in intense and concentrated, multi-layered, relatively balanced considering its 14.5% abv. with ample acidity to compliment the opulent fruit that is still present in this 17 year old wine. The flavor components in this old vine shiraz is in the order of matured black, blue and dark red fruits in a puree form, dark chocolate, fresh roast Arabica coffee, meat, wild game, a hint of old leather and old tobacco, peppery spice and of course the signature earthy rubber tire notes. The big, bold, concentrate, rich and lingering watery mineral-inflected finish is absolutely impressive. It’s been quite a while since I tasted this (8/18/2017). I used to drink this quite often when it was younger (as I revisited my earlier CT notes from 2014, 2012, 2010) and I’ve always enjoyed this better than the great 2006 vintage. But after tonight’s tasting I can confidently say with a big grin on my face, "I still do".
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7/25/2022 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent. No real signs of ageing. Still lots of fruit. Good acidity. I would say the 2021 drinking window could be extended to 2025?
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7/19/2022 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 93 Points
A nose of some dark fruits and spice, black ink in color. A medium to full bodied red, with blackberry, black currants, toast, some cocoa and spices on still long finish. Still great despite it being 17 years old, drink now. www.winelx.com
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7/6/2022 - bootaylor76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a beauty and thank God I have one more as this was the bomb. Great fruit with a little spice..wish I had more than one!
Cork & Taylor Wine Podcast
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5/29/2022 - soyhead wrote:
Been more than a decade since I’ve had this producer , and it’s more or less the same age of the prior bottles I had. So Aussie Shiraz with some age…
Nose - boysenberry , mocha, a bit of nose singing heat
Mouth - big fruit still, though somewhat stewed , mulberry , a veritable fruit bomb even at age 17, for fans of the big Napa style this might be worth looking into.
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5/16/2022 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Last tasted in October, 2017, the 2005 Amon-Ra was even better today and also better than the 2005 Greenock Creek Alices we had yesterday. Blackberries, black currants, black cherries, chocolate, spice, and a hint of licorice. A rich, concentrated wine which went down incredibly smooth without losing complexity and structure. Well balanced, complex, full bodied, and a long lingering finish. Impressive.
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4/24/2022 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 92 Points
At home over two nights. Still dark and mostly opaque. Mature soft and round aromas and flavors, style typical of Barossa syrahs. Still excellent but time to drink up.
Ric
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3/13/2022 - kzkpt wrote:
Lovely, fruit-forward, classic Barossa Shiraz. Balanced right from opening, it got so much better after a 2 hour decant. Medium bodied, lots of glycerine, and juicy without being plummy or stewed, so often a characteristic of this regions top wines. Just gorgeous. Likely to hold a few more years but no need to wait. This is ready.
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2/19/2022 - rmcnees Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep garnet in color, with hues of inky blackish-purple, full bodied , muscular with firm grainy tannins, a bit of alcohol heat, rich, dense yet balanced, blackberry and black currant fruits, bramble, spices, bitter dark chocolate, licorice, savory soy with hints of pepper and cedar, fresh crisp acids on a bright vibrant long finish.
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2022/02/amon-ra-big-aussie-red-for-tomahawk.html
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1/29/2022 - borneman wrote: 94 Points
Silky smooth and amazingly fresh. Long finish. Lots of life left but can’t imagine it getting any better.
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1/27/2022 - forceberry wrote: 88 Points
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. Tasted in a 2015-2002 Amon-Ra vertical.
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€.
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10/15/2021 - CheviotCellar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Milk chocolate, dark cherries, raisin. Very full aroma. Palate has similar flavor with grainy tannins and healthy acid. The acid should outlive the fruit. Another bottle, will try in a few years. Not that exciting but very good overall.
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5/31/2021 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
An excellent wine.
In memory of LCDR Larry “Mike” Jordan, a fellow U.S. Navy serviceman during the Vietnam War. Mike was returning to the USS Kitty Hawk from the Philippines when his aircraft, a KA3B aerial tanker, was purportedly shot down on April 12, 1966. His name is listed on The Vietnam Veterans Memorial, PANEL 6E LINE 106.
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1/2/2021 - aveeck wrote: 88 Points
Over-fruited, with jamminess that is too sweet and cloying, even after 15 years. Only saving grace is a mellow finish that isn't too flabby.
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12/20/2020 - grapenomad wrote: 87 Points
Parkerized wine 101. This was just an overkill. A Shiraz coming from the big 2005 vintage and coming in with warm, sweet, almost stewed black fruit, oak spice and sweet tobacco. Palate is broad with tannins quite soft at this stage. Acidity is still there, but acts more as a support and not a life-saver. I have a feeling I’m drowning in this wine while drinking it. Just over the top.
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11/26/2020 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking well. Certainly new world but not an overly extracted Aussie wine.
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10/23/2020 - Vandy1983 Likes this wine: 90 Points
The dark ruby color belies the fruit-forward flavor of dark cherry accompanied by spice.
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9/27/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
This bottle reminded me of the '07 Carnival of Love I recently had in that it had some of the same liquid Skittles elements, but it was different. The candied fruit element was not as overpowering as the Carnival's was and there were some more nuanced elements of underbrush, Oak and spice. But these extra elements did not come together as well as you'd hoped. Still a very well made wine with plenty going on in it, but nothing so special as to revisit at this point.
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5/14/2020 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
From the bad old days of Shiraz (i.e. before 2010 or so), this was a ripe, almost sweet mouthful. If it doesn’t have a high RS I’d be surprised. The fruit is juicy and black, with heat, animal dung and pepper on the finish. Didn’t love it but it is if a time and totally makes sense giving Robert Parker’s astronomical rating.
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5/8/2020 - Jokermac Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic!
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4/27/2020 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Loads of black cherry and blueberry compote on the nose. Very smooth, lush and overripe black cherry and blue berries. Some sweet Oak and hints of Eucalyptus in the background
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4/14/2020 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened to breathe for steak night! More dark and then milk chocolate on the palate, and very juicy and delicious paired with grilled ribeye, but otherwise consistent with my previous note.
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3/13/2020 - skurtz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened to breathe for 3-4h. This is a gorgeous, opulent shiraz, lots of perfumy minerality and cedar, red fruit and spices on the nose, on the palate, a big round mouthfeel of juicy red and black fruit, more graphite and mineral, oak and black pepper in the long finish. Excellent! This really benefited from 2-3h of exposure to air, at first it was more restrained and not as well integrated. 92/93
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2/12/2020 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #146; Australian Shiraz (By JZ): Complex bouquet with red and dark berries, chocolate and some celery. On the palate leather, chocolate, black fruits, coffee, spiciness, good and fresh acidity, a pleasant touch of sweetness and harmonious, well integrated tannin. Enormous length. Beautiful wine. Fully mature now.
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2/12/2020 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Hooked the bottle to a Keeper nitrogen canister and we had 2 glasses with some of Rose’s wonderful beef bourguignon. From standard syrah stems. While the wine is translucent at the rim, it still has deep, dark coloring.
Nose of earth and meat, with tobacco, spice and tea. Tannins are definitely fading and it’s best to not leave a lot in the glass for an hour or more. Still lots of great fruit and shows elegance that I wouldn’t have imagined when I drank the first bottles out of this case. One bottle left, which I’ll drink in the coming year or three
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1/2/2020 - millesime66 wrote: 89 Points
Gros rouge australien mais avec tout de même du raffinement. Le fruit était encore présent, mais le bois prend tout de même de la place. La bouteille est lourde et imposante et a plu au groupe de 6 qui la buvions. Un peu cher mais à essayer.
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12/31/2019 - knelsfk wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple color with dark fruit and oak aromas. Medium body with ripe jammy fruit dominating the palate. Oak present but out of balance with the fruit. A little flabby with and medium finish. Retasted after open for 24 hours and was much more in balance and enjoyable. Not sure what will happen with more bottle age.
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12/20/2019 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 89 Points
This deep-to-opaque ruby Shiraz was sampled from a well-cellared magnum. Sourced from a single vineyard in the Ebenezer region of the Barossa Valley and aged for 14 months in a combination of French and American oak (100% new), this 14-year-old wine is fleshing out as a "fruit bomb." Effusive of black cherries, boysenberries and dark plums, it adds notes of incense, Asian spices and dark chocolate. Although the percentage of French oak is likely higher than that of its American counterpart, it is the latter that clearly has a foothold by virtue of the wine's strong eucalyptus component. Full-bodied, fresh and with well-woven alcohol (listed as 14.5%), it wraps its flavors with big sweet tannins and has good mid-palate density. The finish is lengthy but dominated by wood. While enjoyable, a lighter hand with the oak would have resulted in a better product. There is certainly enough fruit and structure for this wine (from magnum) to last for several more years. That said, do not expect the oak component to fully integrate anytime soon. Drink now-2025.
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12/16/2019 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 91 Points
Kleur: Fdiep ondoordringbaar donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: Na 14 jaar staat het fruitgedreven aroma van deze Shiraz nog recht overeind. Donker fruit, vooral zwarte bessen en bramen. Verder cassis-fruit en crême de cassis. Daarnaast tonen van potloodslijpsel en wat tabak. Smaak / Afdronk: Mondvullende, krachtige Shiraz. Prchte verleideljike wijn. Zachte zuren, boterzachte tannines, inmiddels is de wijn ook qua alcohol prachtig in balans. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie moderne Australische Shiraz! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 91/100
Google Translate:
Color: Fdiep impenetrable dark red. Aroma / bouquet: After 14 years, the fruit-driven aroma of this Shiraz is still standing. Dark fruit, especially black currants and blackberries. Furthermore, cassis fruit and crême de cassis. In addition, tones of pencil sharpening and some tobacco. Taste / Aftertaste: Mouth-filling, powerful Shiraz. Great tempting wine. Soft acids, butter-soft tannins, the wine is now also beautifully balanced in terms of alcohol. General / potential: Beautiful modern Australian Shiraz! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 91/100
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12/6/2019 - dbg wrote:
Cellared since release, perfect cork and fill. Pop and pour, drunk over 4 hours. Dark red/purple still. Intense forward nose of very ripe dark fruits, blackberry, plum, oak, and a bit of pruniness. Full body, ripe jammy fruit, decent balancing acidity, flavors follow the nose, medium-long finish. Some of the pruney over-ripe character fades over time. Fruit remains very ripe and sweet but maintains decent acid tension, never goes flabby. Excellent.
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11/28/2019 - m251runner wrote: 94 Points
Holy Toledo… this wine was a treat. I drank the 2005 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley for Thanksgiving dinner and a big glass after dinner. So, I’ve read and heard much about this wine. If anyone has a bottle of this drink it soon--it is very ready. I understand the Amon-Ra is a single vineyard Shiraz, and this is the flagship wine of Glaetzer wines. Overall, I admit that this wine has matured considerably in the bottle. It is now rust colored, and big wine for sure, with a syrupy, soy, and clove, and a whole lot of dried spices on the first big smell. I’m glad I didn’t decant it as this was ready after just a few minutes in the glass. And, I readily admit it wasn’t for everyone at the table. However, for me it was delicious and a treat to drink a wine with 14 years of age. It was dusty with port texture and super dry. There is some dark fruit left, and loads of sediment in the last glass. Again, this wine is on its last legs. Open it soon and enjoy a bottle--perhaps on a quiet night in front of the fire. Cheers.
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10/31/2019 - Geoff Likes this wine: 93 Points
Powerful wine. Great nose of dark fruit, sweet berries and mild secondary notes. Moderate tannins. Rather monolithic, pure , powerful and enchanting. Long finish. May be past its best slightly. No development of nuances. All in all,very pleasing wine.
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10/22/2019 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
Complex aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, anise seed, hints of basil, graphite, spice and toasty vanillin. Very similar to my last tasting 7 years ago, except it is now fullu mature.
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10/19/2019 - SUBAR Likes this wine:
Did not decant. Opened 30 min prior. Tasted the evolution with lamb. Black fruit. Coffee notes. Hints of licorice and tobacco. Big and beautiful. Soft full mouth feel. Orgasmic wth dark chocolate. Loved it even though I thought I wouldn’t.
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10/12/2019 - Magnolian Likes this wine: 92 Points
The poster child for mid-ought Aussie score inflation by R. Parker, this is nevertheless an enjoyable and complex wine. Maybe slightly past peak, but still packs a wallop of flavor and density, though mercifully much of the heat from its youth has mellowed away, leaving nice tight beams of flowers and sweetness.
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8/12/2019 - well-red wrote: 89 Points
slightly past it's peak but still enjoyed it with smoked beef ribs. If you have any left, then you better drink up soon!
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5/31/2019 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
I never understand the enormous scores Aussie syrahs sometimes get, and this is another one of those. A high quality wine no doubt, with wonderful smoothness, loads of fruit, and richness that are all very pleasing, but complexity, while not absent, is lacking.
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5/29/2019 - RonT Likes this wine: 91 Points
A very dark and heavy wine. Plum, bright cherry, fig notes a few minutes after opening. Need to hold off on this and let it open for a bit. Tasting later fig dominates but it has smoothed out. Very heavy with a long finish.
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5/13/2019 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
Still fresh and youthful. Rich nose of coffee and blackberry, both of which come through in the mouth, which adds juicy black raspberry. Floral notes on the finish at first and the fruit persists a long time. Really no sign of slowing down and it’s delicious and complex, structured, but fully integrated tannins.
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5/11/2019 - Sfrye Likes this wine: 94 Points
Waited a long time to open this. Did not disappoint whatsoever. Still plenty of soft rich fruit. Developing tons of auxiliary flavors like dried apricot, metal and macerated cherry. Sad to see it go
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5/4/2019 - johnnyo wrote: 96 Points
Amazing wine. Rich but balanced. Amazing fruit.
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3/11/2019 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still dark and mostly opaque. Mature soft and round aromas and flavors, style could be either cabernet or shiraz. Doesn't really declare itself strongly to its varietal. Excellent and very drinkable, but not showing signs of being beyond its peak.
Ric
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2/24/2019 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted. First glass was closed. opened up with a bit of time in the decanter. Fruit has faded but still present with a very long finish. You can tell it is a Shiraz but not a lot of pepper notes. Still some alcohol but tannins have smoothed out. Very enjoyable. Not sure if this will improve given that the fruit has faded but still very dark in the glass glass with no visible signs of age. Overall good to go but my experience was that some time in the decanter will allow the wine to open up. Enjoy.
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1/26/2019 - SadEdjo wrote: 90 Points
Rather sweet and simple now
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1/26/2019 - PortFanatic wrote: 94 Points
Dark color. Looks young for a 14 year old wine. Double decanted, corked and the served a few hours later. WOW! This is really excellent. B lack cherry and plums. Maybe slightly monolithic. A big wine, but the structure just seems to be just right. There are some subtle, but fine tannins that come in late and the acid gives it a lift. Very balanced for such a big wine. This is in a really good spot.
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12/27/2018 - pgm wrote: 94 Points
Holding in a really nice place. Integrating, and adding nice tertiary notes from age, but still has some freshness and most of its power.
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12/24/2018 - ljl203 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. Fully integrated profile. Powdery blue fruit with rose notes and just enough acidity and minerality to keep you wanting another glass.
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12/9/2018 - peterchoy wrote: 93 Points
Appearance: Bright and clear, the wine is of deep ruby colour, with garnet rims and legs.
Nose: Clean, with pronounced intensity aromas of black fruit of blackcurrant and dark plum, kernel notes of coffee, oak notes of vanilla and toast, pungent spice of liquorice, maturity notes of savoury, animal notes of leather. The wine is developing.
Palate: Dry with medium acidity, the wine has medium (+) tannin of ripe and velvety texture, high alcohol and full body, and medium (+) intensity flavours of black fruit of blackcurrant and blackberry, red fruit of raspberry, dried fruit of prune, oak notes of vanilla, maturity notes of savoury. The wine has a medium (+) finish.
Conclusion: Very good quality Barossa Valley Shiraz with a very intense nose showing great complexity, the wine is well-balanced, with power but also a finesse, demonstrating good structure and a palate of elegance, with good concentration and a fairly long finish as well. It is ready to drink now and can maintain for another 5-7 years.
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11/6/2018 - Stevey wrote: 92 Points
Purchased in 2007 and stored at 13C. Popped and poured. Kirsch nose, blackberry palate with spiciness typical of shiraz; smooth full bodied. Tannins have fully integrated. It's a big shiraz as you'd expect from Amon Ra but not has powerful as previous vintage. In drinking window now.
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9/8/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Outstanding bottle. Had with a Prince of Hearts and 20 yo cdp. Clearly the best of the bunch. Very dark. Pleasant nose. Smooth, deep, subtle dark purple and deep blue fruit. Excellent finish. A very good wine in probably the optimal drinking window.
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9/4/2018 - ChrisR Likes this wine: 92 Points
Black raspberry and a somewhat surprisingly tart red current predominate, with black pepper and spice from the oak and a touch of vanilla early (which faded with air). Still quite tannic and firm; lithe, not at all fleshy despite the abundance of material. Sneakily tasty and easy to drink. Finished over three days without much variance.
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6/9/2018 - tcosgriff Likes this wine: 87 Points
Deep purple color with a bouquet and flavor dominated by vanilla oak with some plum notes and a bit of barbecue. Still quite tannic with some smoothing out after airing, but never enough to produce a very interesting wine. Limited depth and nuance with a fairly long but not elevating finish.
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5/19/2018 - drmarclevine wrote: 92 Points
Short decant. Bing cherry creamsicle with some blackberry and maybe some barbecue grill on the nose. Huge in the mouth with concentrated red plum jam with an extra-long finish. Wanted a few more rough edges or perhaps more rugged earth but this style just doesn't go there. Has more life left but will not improve. Add a few points if these big Aussie bruisers are your thing.
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4/12/2018 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
UWS; A mixed set of wines (@ JB): Expressive and concentrated bouquet with leather. On the palate juicy acidity and full bodied. Very tasty. Good acidity and round tannin.
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2/3/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted blind, 2nd bottle today of this exact same wine, this 2nd bottle being much bigger, brighter and better. Also more harmonious. Unlikely to have any upside from here.
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2/3/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 89 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind (Chicago, IL): Tasted blind. Slightly reductive and very ripe at the same time. Also a bit of new oak still protruding. But overall good+ weight with powerful fruit and good+ length. More air would probably have helped.
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2/3/2018 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Blind Syrahs at Chevalier (Chicago, IL): Served blind to a large group, and ironically after another bottle of the same wine had been opened at the tasting. This second bottle was better and holding up nicely. Rich and decadent, but with good structure and closer to what this was like on release. I don't think aging helps these wines ... so drink up.
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2/3/2018 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
Blind Syrahs at Chevalier (Chicago, IL): Tasted blind. One of two bottles of the same wine at today's tasting. The first bottle was much less interesting. The nose has ripe, simpler black fruit. On the palate this is bordering prune-like albeit with some good fresh acids. Seems to have declined quite a bit since some thrilling bottles tasted a few years after release.
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1/29/2018 - Philasinger wrote:
Absolutely delicious from magnum. Maturing nicely.
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1/19/2018 - Cikgoo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prime drinking window! Needs 1-2hrs decant and spices, pepper and sweet cherries are singing. Very Bordeaux like with tannins
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12/10/2017 - aquacongas wrote: 92 Points
Ich mag Amon Ra, aber nach dem GB wirkt er mir zu maskulin und plump. Der Alkohol (15,5%) ist spürbar und schafft es auch mit der Zeit nicht, sich vollständig zu integrieren. Die Frucht ist konzentriert, aber die ausgezerrten Tannine lassen den Wein etwas eindimensional erscheinen. Ich glaube, auch in ein paar Jahren kommt nicht mehr viel. Andere Erfahrungen jemand? 92
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11/17/2017 - AWBryce Likes this wine:
Potent. Inky purple nose, mint, some oak.
On the palate, firm acid and tannin, ripe blue fruits, long finish. Enjoyable.
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11/11/2017 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 95 Points
Immediately upon opening this had some wonderful aromas but fell flat on the palate, fairly one dimensional. Was tempted to consider the bottle a lost cause and open something else but waited; this put on considerable weight within just 15 minutes, and became quite enjoyable after 45.
Dark mature fruit (blackberry) cardamom,
smoke and leather on the nose. Flavor profile continues to add layers of depth and complexity with time; this is a wonderful example of a well aged Shiraz. Polished and elegant, this has evolved gracefully from its fruit forward, tight and brash youth. Still has a few solid years ahead of it.
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10/11/2017 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black currants, cherries, chocolate, and spice. Full bodied. Long finish with a touch of sweetness at the end.
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8/18/2017 - Praxis wrote: 96 Points
Dark blackish and somewhere between deep purple and orangey red. Wonderful nose of concentrated dark fruits, peppery spice and a hint of wood and meat. The palate is quite full, rich and well integrated black and dark blue fruits, rich vanilla cream, meat, leather, tobacco, and black pepper that literally coats the mouth with intense flavors that that just won’t let up but remains consistent throughout and ends a long mineral finish. Haven’t had this shiraz in a while but its still drinking great at age 12. The fruity core is very much still intact and much more integration and balance. Some sedimentation on the bottom of the bottle but the wine is definitely smooth and still drinking very, very well right now and with some years to go. It's been a wonderful experience trying this great wine on multiple occasions to taste the various stages of this great wine's development since 2010. Will try the next bottle in 2020.
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8/14/2017 - bons vinhos wrote: 93 Points
Very good wine,balanced and smooth ,no sharp edges,really pleasant.Still tastes pretty young,could certainly last another 10 years very complex in primary notes,it lost some of the complexity towards the end of the bottle.Opened one hour and a half prior to drinking,finished it two hours later.
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8/13/2017 - PatioAlberta Likes this wine: 93 Points
Worth the wait. Decanted for 2 hours prior to drinking. Not a huge fruit punch but loads of subtlety. Loved it.
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6/3/2017 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
Awesome bottle of wine. I drank this a few weeks ago so my memory is somewhat clouded, but I remember this was a very good drink. While you can notice a little Barossa on this, this is really nice individual wine. Round, but still should have plenty of life left.
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6/1/2017 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 93 Points
Kleur: Diep opaak donkerrood Aroma / bouquet: Wow, wat een heerlijke explosie van aroma's. Stuivend donker bosfruit, boordevol bramen en zwarte bessen / creme de cassis. Tabak, leer, gedroogde pruimen. Een vleug potloodslijpsel. Smaak / Afdronk: Een mond vol, maar prachtig in balans. Frisse zuurgraad, krachtige maar boterig zachte tannines, royale hoeveelheidl alcohol. Indrukwekkend lange afdronk. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtige Aussie-Shiraz. Powerhouse. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 18 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 93/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep opaque dark red Aroma / bouquet: Wow, what a delicious explosion of aromas. Smelly dark forest fruit, full of blackberries and black currants / Creme de Cassis. Tobacco, leather, dried plums. A slick pencil shredder. Taste / Drink: A mouth full but beautifully balanced. Crisp acidity, strong but butter soft tannins, generous alcohol content. Impressively long finish. General / Potential: Beautiful Aussie-Shiraz. Powerhouse. 50+ Color: 5+ Aroma / Bouquet: 12 + Taste / Drink: 18 + General / Potential: 8 = 93/100
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5/28/2017 - nywine68 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Super enjoyable. Dark color, not a hint of maturity but tannins are completely in the background. Beautiful crime de cassia flavors. Medium length. Slight hint of white pepper on the finish.
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4/28/2017 - walkerjfw wrote:
Bday celebration at our house. Simon would only drink wine if we opened an Aussie...so grabbed this guy from the cellar.
Consistent with prior notes. A big hit across the board with our group. Fully mature (IMO) at this point, I think this will be at its best over next 3-5 years
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4/17/2017 - pablopilot Likes this wine: 90 Points
I will have to brush my tongue to get the purple off. Fortunately I have had a cold for a few days, so the taste of cough syrup works for me right now. This wine is basically dessert. It is inky purple and taste of blueberry syrup mixed with cherry juice and saddle leather. Is it delicious? I am embarrassed to say that I do enjoy it, even though it is a froot loops/hawaiian punch punch in the nose by an evil troll who laughs as you lustily slurp it up. Finished drinking maybe 20 minutes ago and can still taste the lingering finish! I honestly think an ice cube or two would make this (even) more enjoyable. Now I need a glass of some very elegant burgundy or barolo to cleanse my taste buds...
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3/24/2017 - nij Likes this wine: 94 Points
Purchased in 2007, could not wait any longer. On opening nose of leather and liquorice, and Crimson/Dark Purple in colour. Decantered for 3hrs, a lush feel on palette with blackberry, prune and black currant. Beautiful layers and a nice complexity for a Aussie Shiraz but with soft notes and rounds of with a 30 sec finish. Delicious.
Have 2 bottles left, and will open over next 5-7 years, to see its evolution. In a great spot right now.
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2/20/2017 - guitarguy wrote: 92 Points
Young, fresh, vibrant but not as huge as many Aussies from this era. Still a big boy with light tannins that may signify a little less life due to balance. Drink any time.
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2/4/2017 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
With Ted D in OCNJ, this one of my contributions. Wanted to check in on this, its been a few years since last bottle. an "improvised" splash decant and drank over 90 minutes.
Deep purple color. Nose jumps out of the glass, dark fruits, savory/meats, violets, incense(?) Rich and fruit forward palate ...blackcurrant, tart black raspberry earth...some licorice (maybe) and leather on mid palate. A lot going on here. Combines a noteable Aussie profile with character and elegance throughout.
Feels like this is full mature at this point, should hold at this level for a while but I don't think it improves much. Drink over next 5 years
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2/3/2017 - Vinu wrote: 96 Points
Date night. Huge.
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2/1/2017 - Jonathan T Likes this wine: 94 Points
Much better than I expected. I don't have much Aussie Shiraz left in my cellar, so I can't say if other shirazes will age this well, but this wine has evolved into a great place and certainly rewards cellaring. The fruit is still fresh and vibrant, but not jammy as it might have been in its youth. In addition, it's developed some wonderful secondary characteristics of forest floor and mushroom. In fact, if tasted blind, I might have guessed burgundy rather than a rhone variety. Gasp!
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12/25/2016 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow - hugely deep, strong, so full of fruit, it's like a mouthful of fruit gums. This was a real treat. Be careful what you pair it with though. It needs to be able to stand up to this Ribena for grown-ups.
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11/25/2016 - enovino wrote: 94 Points
Day 1 thru Coravin - Smoooooth wine - well-balanced. Nice berry nose that matched the vivid juicy berries on the palate, long finish. Well-crafted. Very exciting that I waited 11 years.
Day 2 pop and pour rest of bottle - meat and berries on both the nose and palate - more complex, but the juicy berries and long finish were still the headline. Everyone was wowed.
Wish I had more... very enjoyable bottle. No reason to wait - such a treat. But it probably could last many more years.
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11/18/2016 - benny wrote: 96 Points
Now this is Shiraz! Opened and drank over 2 hours. Sip or with food extraordinary wine. Drink now or will go for years.
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11/11/2016 - Miceri Likes this wine: 97 Points
Very dark red; highly intense fruity nose, dark berries, some vanilla; soft, velvety, highly concentrated and well balanced with good depth, roundness and acidity, lots of blackberries; long nice aftertaste; very good and excellent price value; in a good spot right now
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10/30/2016 - budman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lucious fruit. Yummy. Smooth tannins!!
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10/26/2016 - Mike V wrote: 93 Points
I hated this wine in 2007, it was iffy in 2010, now it is terrific. Still a fruit bomb but much more balanced and drinkable. Wouldn't have believed it.
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9/11/2016 - somadoc Likes this wine: 96 Points
Unbelievable nose - incredible fruit on nose and palate - full on blackberries - a wow wine - very drinkable now and for those who like a fruity wine I would drink up.
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8/20/2016 - SFBill Likes this wine: 94 Points
Poured and let sit a couple of hours. Found this to be very balanced and would drink now. Expected a bigger mouth but this was fruity blackberry but not overpowering Nice finish.
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7/29/2016 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 93 Points
Second Australian Shiraz of the night. Deep and dark ruby red. Classic Aussie nose with a ton of caramel, sweet bread, molasses, jammy and an interesting undertone of mint. Moderate tannins (6.5/10) with black cherries, caramel and even more complex dark fruits as it opens up. Medium body and long finish. Delicious Aussie Shiraz. Drink till 2022.
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7/29/2016 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
Australian Cabernet Shiraz and Book XVII (Blind tasting): This should have had decanting and I think it will improve significantly. Popped and poured tonight.
A young yet light fruity nose. Tannins at 7.5/10. Clearly the acidity comes through in the nose and on the palate. Body seemed thin and this is where decanting would help.
A sharpness and heat on the finish.
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7/13/2016 - KenK Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bombastically yummyand not over the top, but quite showy. Well balanced despite being a large scale wine.
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7/11/2016 - KVM wrote:
very dark. Nuanced red and black fruit with vanilla seasoning - really beatiful. Full flavoured and balanced. This is drinking wonderfully right now.
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7/3/2016 - hrazdiiv Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opinion seems to be very divided over this wine. While not a frequent drinker of Australian reds, I found this to be a very well made bottle in any global category. There's some grumbling about this "big shiraz" type of structure (that I personally don't like) - this was not that. This bottle exhibited a nice amount of restraint while still being full bodied. Very nice aromas of charcoal, dark fruits, fig come out among medium tannins. The bottle did not fade at all over the one hour or so that we drank it (not decanted). It even had a little volatile acidity and a touch of some savory notes on the finish that made it much more interesting that the average fruit bomb. Definitely one of the better Australian reds i have had in recent years.
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6/4/2016 - beach663@btinternet.com wrote: 89 Points
Opened 2 hours before drinking filtered very dark in color lovely aroma from the start but a little bit disappointing on the palate .
I agree with MLWINE in saying This wine is completely over the top. Hugely rich and jammy, it reminds me of an Australian amarone. Nothing subtle about this wine. No structure; no complexity; just intense, rich, jammy dark fruits. Some will love it; I'm not one of them.
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is moderate sediment in the bottle. It smells like fig and prune.
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5/30/2016 - peter.mancell@mfg.com.au Likes this wine: 96 Points
Superb Barossa Shiraz. Magnificent glycerine filled mouth coating texture. Glorious dark fruit and just enough acidity to hold it all together. Tannins are subtle and sitting very much in the background. Fantastic long finish. Very much worth the money ....so wish we had more.
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5/7/2016 - MattJ wrote: flawed
Not corked but stewed plums and strange paint thinner nose. None of the usual acidity I recall for this wine. Almost tasted like it was well past it's drinking window and I've often wondered if a wine with this level of extraction would age well. Bought a case ~ 9-10 years ago and stored at 55F since then, the others have been spectacular but haven't had recently and I'm wondering whether an 'off' bottle or a sign of the limited aging potential of this wine?
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2/24/2016 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Ready now for sure. This is benchmark Aussy Shiraz.
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2/20/2016 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 95 Points
Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah
Popped and poured.
Clear, deep, almost black ruby color with orange reflexes. Intense, fully developed and fantastic nose of spices, tobacco, dried red fruit, bacon, cherries and… and… and.
Dry, wonderful balance of acidity, silky, powerful tannin and alcohol. This wine is very concentrated but not too fat. Cherry juice, cassis with lots of spices, dark chocolate, bacon, espresso which covers the whole mouth. Very intense and the aromas will continue in the looong finish. Really a great wine and I regret that this is my only bottle… I would think that it is just about to reach its peak, but will stay there for many more years. Will it improve? Hard to say and believe because it is already soo good
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1/11/2016 - RWallace wrote: 95 Points
Color: Deep Purple, no fade. Nose: Black fruit, especially blackberry, black current, and black cherry, along with violet, licorice. Explosive after 45 minutes in a wide-bottomed decanter. Palate: Rich. Full bodied. Voluptuous. Redolent with black fruit especially blackberry as well as crème de cassis and a slight touch of licorice. the wine unfolded on the palate as a rich, almost port-like wine. The tannins were smooth, there was good acidity, and there was no heat given its 14.5% abv. The finish was long and most enjoyable. A mouthful of wine.
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12/28/2015 - wetlandwino wrote: 95 Points
Perfect!
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12/26/2015 - ljl203 wrote: 94 Points
Outstanding. Long finish stinging sweet purple fruit and acid
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12/26/2015 - konadog wrote: 93 Points
Blackberry and some tar. Very lush texture with fine tannins in the background
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12/13/2015 - budman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sublime. The nose was awesome.
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12/9/2015 - ESCO wrote: 96 Points
We think we may have to compose ourselves.
Is this the most quintessential Aussie Shiraz ever ? Is Grange safe ? Can it be that good or was our tasting a collective love-in, where one opinion escalates the next ?
This is amazing stuff, but lest we got carried away we agreed to defer further comment till we consumed our last bottle of this wine . ( probably at Christmas or New Year )
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12/8/2015 - alpsjourney Likes this wine: 95 Points
Really delicious, very strong, dark flavors. Detected a little bit of corkage that burned off within about an hour, but it makes me nervous for aging it much further. Very dark ruby color with deep red rims. Nose of flowers and garden soil. Pallet - tannin dissolve into fruit bomb, still a little chalk left and a tangy two minute finish. Spicy, heady, quite earthy and lots of cool secondary notes.
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11/8/2015 - subir Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking beautifully. Decanted and drank. Ripe aroma of cherry, heather, saddle-leather. Medium body, well structured, 45 second finish. This is very drinkable, but could go another 10 years easily.
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9/21/2015 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
Dark spicy exotic and plummy fruits. Has gained some roundness and oneness over time. Moreish wine.
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7/21/2015 - steinbrl12 Likes this wine: 93 Points
excellent full deep fruit with blueberry notes.
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6/19/2015 - Stephen518 Likes this wine: 93 Points
The cork was brittle but no leakage had occurred. The wine is fantastic. Big fruit and wonderful legs. However, IT IS TOO YOUNG ! Leave it until 2018 or later. I have two more bottles and will wait to try them.
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6/18/2015 - felixp Likes this wine: 98 Points
As good as Barossa shiraz gets, from a vintage that just gets better and better with time.
Long and complex, blueberries, anise, floral notes, tar, earth and wonderful mouth-feel. Ripe tannins are melting away, leaving this wine close to it's peak.
This is one of the few Aussie shiraz at this price point that absolutely improves with age. Highly recommended.
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5/22/2015 - robmatic wrote: 92 Points
Concentrated, chocolate milkshake, great fruit and intensity. Super fun wine.
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5/3/2015 - kurishin Likes this wine: 92 Points
I can understand why this wine is not for everyone but it does have depth/seconary flavors that go beyond the massive palate. Not sure how much better it gets from here.
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2/27/2015 - thebonnydooner wrote: 93 Points
The Wine Night at Bellevue Wine Storage - Part 1 (Bellevue, WA): Drank towards the end of a long evening - this was a hit. Not as profound as the 2002 Dead Arm but a rich and ripe wine with nice balance.
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2/12/2015 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 95 Points
consistent with notes of 6/12/2014
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2/12/2015 - MLwine Does not like this wine: 87 Points
This wine is completely over the top. Hugely rich and jammy, it reminds me of an Australian amarone. Nothing subtle about this wine. No structure; no complexity; just intense, rich, jammy dark fruits. Some will love it; I'm not one of them.
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2/6/2015 - magnord wrote: 94 Points
Amazing!
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1/11/2015 - woofy Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is a beautiful Shiraz. Deep color, wonderful fruit, drinks so easy. Perfect timing to open this after ten years.
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12/31/2014 - Praxis wrote: 95 Points
Deep yet clear reddish purple color with a nose of dark fruits, menthol, vanilla cream and a meaty component. A rich spicy shiraz with notes of black plums, blue berries, blackberries, tobacco, menthol, stewed beef, mocha and a nice mineral finish. Quite different since I last had this a few years back. Apparently it has become much more mellow and seems to have shed some of its juvenile fruit-dominated characteristics since I last tried this. Nonetheless, this a tasty wine still has plenty of life in it.
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12/17/2014 - WStucker wrote: 93 Points
Amazing wine, didn't really get to take detailed notes as I was at a tasting and poured a little for myself to let it get some air, and when I returned to the bottle 15 minutes later it was empty! I guess everyone else enjoyed it also. From what i remember, still tasting young but in a good window, no rush to drink it.
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12/11/2014 - Mr T wrote:
popped late in the meal, but I thought it pretty well balanced and none of the menthol and eucalyptus I generally don't like. This is rich ripe stuff but not overly heavy
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7/5/2014 - Sundesertcactus Likes this wine: 86 Points
This wine is almost port like in its heavy sweet fruit, this could still age. Not a huge fan of the style, but it is well made.
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6/22/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Let breathe for 3 hours. Very pleasant complex relatively muted (for an Oz shiraz) fruit with excellent finish.
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6/15/2014 - rockenrude Likes this wine:
As you would expect from this region and variety. Top notch. I'm moving away from the Aussie fruit bombs, but it is drinking very well at this point. Another couple of years should allow it to mellow out a bit more, but really not much reason to wait too much longer.
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6/14/2014 - Zorg wrote: 95 Points
What a great wine, way to young but still fantastic! Outshone all the other wines at a tasting full of good wines.
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6/14/2014 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 97 Points
World Cup Football BBQ wine dinner (Zorg's place, Umeå, Sweden): WOTN.
Fantastic performance tonight!
Mjuffingly fantastic! Previous TN stands, just turn up the volume a bit! Please...
If you have a higher degree of self discipline, than, please, keep it for at least 5 years. Longer is better.
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6/12/2014 - danielbleier wrote: 95 Points
Wonderful wine, full of blackberry, blueberry compote, black olive and tar.
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4/12/2014 - Strikermax wrote: 95 Points
Donkerrood, paars. Sexy geur van jammig donker fruit, kruidigheid, room. Een dik kanon, maar door mooie zuren prettig doordrinkbaar en niet log. Goede tanninestructuur, lang aanhoudend.
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4/5/2014 - prufrocksabogado Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink or hold. Patience likely to yield even more rewards.
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3/23/2014 - 309VEB Likes this wine: 89 Points
One of the better wines form this produce i have had. Some older vintages are trending towards stewed fruit, raisin and prune flavors. This wine had none of that. Tasted a bit veiled. Fruit was muted. Nothing wrong but certainly not outstanding. Given my experience with older vintages I am not taking any chances with this vintage and I plan to drink most of my bottles this year and next.
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3/21/2014 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Get Together at the Crib with the Farmhouse Crew (Chez Moi, Talman Avenue): I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. For many it was their WOTN.
Quite understated but still a behemoth of a Shiraz. Dark blackberry jam, liqueured fig and plum.
Dark chocolate and vanilla. Definitely a fair amount of oak showing but the robust fruit holds up.
I don't see how this is a 95+, in some cases 98 point wine. It is nice and unlike other Barossa and even Glaetzer wines I have tasted. This was one of the first nicer bottles of wine I purchased and was somehow able to hold onto it for six years! I strongly believe that cellar time assisted much in the score and more restrained qualities.
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3/9/2014 - andrewdl wrote: 96 Points
Silky. Velvet. Luscious. Wow.
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2/14/2014 - joefel Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 90 min. Beautiful clear deep red color. Great example of an Aussie Syrah without being jammy and no heat at all. Still young - definitely has a few more years in it, but everything is balanced with a certain lusciousness to it. Long finish. I think I will wait a couple of years to open my last bottle - if I can wait that long. Paired beautifully with grilled ribeyes.
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1/11/2014 - Philippe_C wrote: 90 Points
Super jammy nose, combined with bery high acidity... very very concentrated cassis syrup, too heavy, technical wine!!
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11/28/2013 - capacious Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still young. Opaque in color. Mouth filling, slightly hot, you have to like the grape it or because there is nothing backed off or subtle here - I guess this is what qualifies as brooding or serious. I finished it confused as I rated it high but not sure I will buy it again
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11/9/2013 - yasha Likes this wine: 96 Points
What a wonderful bottle of wine. Decanted for a hour. The bad part it's my last bottle.
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11/8/2013 - Pearls_b4Swine wrote: 93 Points
Delicious exemplar of the wine. Keeps improving with each year. Wish I had a few more '05s left, but alas this was the last.
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10/8/2013 - Flavito wrote: 87 Points
Dense, overdone and a little obvious.
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9/29/2013 - peterk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cgoumas said it all - lovely wine that will get better
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9/29/2013 - cgoumas Likes this wine: 93 Points
The power builds as the wine opens. It was really fun to drink. More subdued in the first 10 minutes...and then changing character over the next two hours...all the while drinking beautifully.
The wine looks Garnet colored. It smells like Fig, and Clove. It tastes like Black currant (cassis), Blackberry, and Blueberry. The body is Full. The wine has Satin-like texture. The wine finishes Long.
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9/27/2013 - Paul S wrote: 93 Points
Welcome Back Kelvin! (Kelvin and Joyce's Place, Bishan): This was truly excellent. Still a bit young for my tastes, but it was such an impressive wine - one of the best of the night in fact, even though it was the only new world in the midst of a nice French and Italian line-up. It had a big nose that left not one in any doubt that this was a Barossa Shiraz, with deep draws of ripe plums, cassis and blackberries seasoned with earth, eucalyptus and mint. Still rather primary, and the same thing could be said about the palate as well. The wine was very substantial, very rich in the mouth, with big black-fruited notes of cassis and blackberries at the forefront - tons of flesh and depth and power throughout. Yet what really set this apart from your run-of-the-mill big, modern Barossa was the remarkable sense of balance and purity that that had the wine practically glowing with energy in spite of its weight - not a hint of confected sweetness or cloying viscosity here. In fact, this is one of those rare modern Shirazes where one sip actually invited another and then another. There were signs of nascent complexity starting to show up on the midpalate as well, with the dark fruit being met with earth and eucalyptus, and then into the long, muscular finish, were sour plums and menthol, spice and a light puff of cigarette smoke drifted off on a bed of slightly chewy, but very ripe, pleasing tannins. Very impressive indeed. This will take a few years yet to lose it puppy fat, take on more complexity and fully form, but it is getting there - I would love to try it again say at the turn of the decade. 93+
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9/20/2013 - Frommen wrote: 95 Points
Fresh red berries in an australian context. Has a lot of stuffing (as expected) but manages too keep it from being cloying or sweet. Outstanding!
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9/16/2013 - Wali183 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Extremes dunkel. Tiefgründig, reif, berauschend. Cassis, Mokkaschokolade, exotische Gewürze. Vollmundig und lang. Großes weinkino.
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8/25/2013 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Really an outstanding bottle of wine. Deep garnet hues. Decanted 90 minutes. Tannins integrated and blown off. Fruit complex but not over done. Lingering finish.
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6/23/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 94 Points
Last bottle in an ambitious afternoon. Consistent with prior note, guest had asked for a fruit forward, big wine that would drink well out of the chute, drank after a Favia Viognier and Marcassin.
This is a really spectacular wine. Dark purple, nose you could pick up two feet away. Great Shiraz - have to like the style - will mellow with age, great right now
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6/3/2013 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
Dark; classic, unmistakably Barossan Shiraz; bold, lush massive fruit but plenty of vitality. Powerful finish. Good now & will drink effortlessly during the next decade+.
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5/29/2013 - Old Vino Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a bottle that renewed our faith in Aussie Shiraz! Not over the top over-extracted disjointed fruit bomb. This wine has a plenty of dark fruit with hints of citrus and sweet tannins. Will need few more years to further integrate and shed its baby fat. Enjoyable now but not in a rush to drink.
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5/20/2013 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
With JT and Dana at dinner in WC. Popped and poured was great right out of the bottle, got slightly better but was pretty open right away.
Dark purple color. Nose was open right out of the chute, rich, earth, plums. Classic Shiraz- brooding, deep black fruit, spice, oak, licorice on the finish. Black currants, ripe fruits as it finishes. Was a crowd pleaser...
Tannins smooth, fine grained, resolved. Rich, dense mouth-feel. Medium finish, past bottles have had a longer finish...all in, Amon Ra never dissapoints, IMO. This is a really nice wine that drinks well now and will continue to improve. Have a good stash, will be drinking over next decade
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5/18/2013 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Bearserkerfest Day 2- Domaine Wine Storage (Domaine Wine Storage, Chicago IL): Nose: Deep and rich nose with tones of eucalyptus, black cherries, spice tones, black fruits, and tones of blackberries. There is good depth to this with it not being overblown.
Taste: Full bodied with nice chewy tannins. The structure is still there, but it is starting to smooth out with richer tones of eucalyptus, black cherries, spice tones, and black fruits.
Overall: This was showing very nicely. It has a bigger style to it, but it holds it well.
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5/12/2013 - hackey37 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The color is garnet and black and quite densely hued and opaque. The smells are tar, pepper, black licorice, mint, and blackberry. The tastes are minty blueberry, dark cherry, blackberry, tar, earth, pepper, and black licorice. The tannins are integrated and powdery and the acidity is very zingy. The finish is lengthy. This is a tasty and fruity wine.
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2/2/2013 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 1 hour. Amazingly lively and red fruited compared to other Amon Ra vintages that I've had. Good lift and harmonious finish for a shiraz. A bit sweet but that's typical. Very nice
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1/20/2013 - deltacop wrote: 95 Points
So good. I only have one left. Will try to hold off while enjoying other vintages.
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1/13/2013 - cadamson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Laugh all you will -- this was an amazing wine. Have not had one in a few years; well past my loving Aussie phase, but this reminds you why you once did. Sure, everyone jumped in to see who could make it bigger than the other, and actually the much less well known Aussie producers who do actual terroir based wines are world class, older Amon-Ra's remind you that for sheer drinking pleasure, these could match up with anyone. Yes, the fruit was good, but elements of earth showed themselves everywhere in this wine, giving it minerality I did not expect but certainly appreciated. Young as hell also, this has years and years ahead of it.
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1/5/2013 - 309VEB wrote: flawed
Totally oxidized. Very sweet, stewed fruit and raisins. Hopefully a one off given the stellar reviews that this wine typically receives.
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12/27/2012 - costamalfitana wrote: 89 Points
My first experience with this wine, after having purchased several bottles of the ' 04 and ' 05 vintage. Hmm, I have to confess that I was not overwhelmed. There was so much oak, struggling with the primary dark fruit, there wasn't much harmony. I didn't decant the wine but just pnp. Not sure if that is the right way. I hope the '04 turns out better.
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12/23/2012 - davidandrose wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and consumed over 3 hours. Heavy tar on the nose with faint flowers and some white pepper. Mouthfeel still hasn't come together yet; strong fruit dominates young tannins (bitter and fine-grained as noted by StefanAkiko) with plenty of alcohol showing through. Nice but not doing it for me in the same way as it did a year ago.
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12/22/2012 - Papies wrote: 94 Points
The sommelier wisely advised that we shouldn't decant. He was correct and he also mentioned that post decanting this wine sort of dies off fast. Open singing nose, black fruit, light oak, floral, spice and a touch of liquorice on the finish. Very elegant nose. On the palate the wine feels right , firm with good exctraction and density , silky tannin, solid fruit core but not overdone. Good acidity. The 15% alc is not that evident and although there is Heat on the finish this is a very well made wine with a super long finish. This is no shying lady but a full one wine however Even Bordeaux purists like us who usually hate "made" wines really like this one. Drink now. 93-94
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12/20/2012 - bsilvermd Likes this wine: 94 Points
finally opened this shiraz dark brooding deep dark fruit mint eucalyptus
had it with filet on french baget black truffle butter pecorino romano
with baby arugala perfect match
The wine looks Purple colored. The legs are Slow. It smells like Raisin, and Plum. The body is Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Medium.
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11/29/2012 - deverett Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful Barossa shiraz, elegance, balance and depth all wrapped around ripe and fine grained tannins. Not pretending to be anythi g other than what it is and while Barossa shiraz is not generally my thing nowadays, I am happy to have this in the cellar. Really does need more time but this has some lovely high quality fruit and oak here. Has it in spades in fact. Will age very well I suspect.
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11/3/2012 - StefanAkiko wrote: 93 Points
Non-blind. Decanted 2 hrs for home dinner (wife cooking.)
Impression: Outstanding with stars!
M-sized nose of typical Aussie broad shouldered Shiraz.
In the mouth, it has M+ acids and a composure that is not "in-ya-face-jammy" but more towards something powerfully elegant. Not exactly prima ballerina, rather like a slightly fat guy doing the ballerina thing. Good thinking, just lacking a little in performance. This strikes me as a Frankenstein's monster: extracted Aussie style Shiraz posing as a wannabe restrained French. Wine is full bodied, long and interesting. Higher in acids than most extracted Aussies and well built for the longer haul. Tannins are found in the end palate and are a mix of bitter and fine grained, L-. Aromas include a large proportion of red fruits, and then (for the style) small amounts of anise seed, licorice, mint and baking spice. The roasted oak component is enticing and adds to the greatness of it all.
Negative remarks notwithstanding, I'm a big fan of Glaetzer's finer achievements, not of his minors. Married the stir fried beef. One more btl to go of this one, keeping it for as many years as I feel brave enough to. (Wife: 94)
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9/10/2012 - Krhcellar wrote:
Awesome!
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7/16/2012 - bonedocnine wrote: 95 Points
Rich and Ripe with dark fruits and a hot finish
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6/2/2012 - MLwine wrote: 90 Points
Huge, jammy Aussie shiraz. My palate has evolved and would prefer something with a bit more finesse.
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5/19/2012 - Chainthroer wrote: 94 Points
A dark garnet color; still purple on the rim. I get awesome and complex aromas of blackberry, blackcurrant, blueberry, anise seed, hints of basil, graphite, spice and toasty vanillin. Refined, rich and elegant in the mouth. Soft and velvety; a medium viscosity. A smooth and velvety finish that is extended, with a subdued warmth that lasts a while in the gullet. Pairs fairly good with lamb, but I appreciate the wine more by itself. Well stored at 56 degrees. Sumptuous stuff for me.
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5/9/2012 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 92 Points
A lineup of top Aussie Shiraz (Charlie's Home): I have always liked this wine and was surprised I didn't score it higher. Lots of black raspberries, and modeling clay on the nose. Its got a juicy acidity that was different from the others. Jammy black raspberries on the palate. Long finish. Really nice wine but a laggard tonight.
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5/5/2012 - don_quichotte wrote: 91 Points
Very big wine. Blueberries and spices. Typical of the appelation, but very well made and, in its own and weird sort way, almost elegant. In a Mike Tyson wears a Tuxedo sort of way.
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5/3/2012 - presterjohn wrote:
huge, rich, dark and blue fruit, touch of pepper, green notes. evolves quickly in the glass. not bad for such a big wine
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4/10/2012 - Praxis wrote: 97 Points
I opened this bottle by accident thinking that it was the '03 vintage, but it turned out to a rather pleasant surprise. This wine tastes super smooth at this point in time with a very nice spicy, menthol-inflected, earthy profile especially towards the finish. The fruit component tastes much more integrated with the oak since I last had this about two years ago but still retains enough youthfulness in it to last well into the decade.
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2/18/2012 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 91 Points
2012 - ES #1 (Extra Space Boon Keng): Alcohol :: 14.5%
Double decant for 3hrs. Dark ruby purplish. sweet plum, blackcurrant, leather, pepper, nail polish and spices. Oh man, this is so fine for a Barossa Shiraz, exceptional acidity for the lift and freshness. This has the usual huge concentration of fruits but everything is well in place and focus. The depth and complexity is not top class, but this is a wine that you can swallow. Dark chocolate an spicy infused aftertaste at the long finish.
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2/16/2012 - Wayne Richmon wrote: 94 Points
Double decant for one hour then brought to restaurant. Nose was perfect, with an abundance of ripe fruit. Taste was outstanding. Easily outpaced an 02 two hands and an 02 elderton command. WOTN.
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2/12/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 89 Points
Amon-Ra Vertical (Kevin's House): Not a good showing for this wine and about as interesting as a $15 Aussie Shiraz. Blackberries, spice and violets. Very light on the palate and lacks concentration. Medium finish and picks up some blueberries. As others have noted quite acidic for an Aussie Shiraz. For $15 I am a buyer but not at $50 plus.
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2/4/2012 - Mattshank wrote: 92 Points
Amon Ra Vertical (2002-2006) (Kevin's House): 2 1/2 hour dbl. decant. Nose: Tobacco and stone mineral with some pepper hints. After glass air a chocolate component shows up. Palate: Sweet and spicy dark fruits after extended glass air as the high acidity on pop and pour trial waned (fortunately). Good to see this wine come out and play after extended air time but this is still an atypical Amon Ra given the high acidity in relation to the fruit levels. Still enjoyable but if you're going to open one now beat the hell out of it (lots of decanting, and perhaps a crow bar :-).
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2/4/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Amon Ra Vertical 2002-2006 (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Very dark purple-red color. 2.5 hr double decant. Drank 1+ glass over 2.5hrs. The nose has eucalyptus - less than most of the group though, blackberry, sweet creme de cassis, leather, tobacco, pepper. The palate strikes me a little leaner overall but still has loads black fruit and body. The acid dominates a bit too much. The finish is also quite peppery. Reminds me of the '02, but not quite as well balanced.
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1/31/2012 - Uglypinga wrote:
Smoked BBQ nose with blackberries, olives and meats. The palate is big but smoothe with some mild BBQ sauce, raspberry, beef and some herbs. A little clipped in the finish but if it opens the finish with air...wow!
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1/28/2012 - vanpe003 wrote:
There's a note on the nose that suggests "lightly corked" but it so subtle that I can't say that for sure. So, I won't score this one. And, I can't say it's "corked" because like this bottle, my last tasting seemed out of sorts as well. But this bottle seems a bit light on fruit, heavy on acid...out of sorts. Gets better with time, but my impression is that this is too early. Or at least that's my "hope". Probably 90-92 points, this bottle, for current drinking. But again....I'm not entirely convinced that this bottle wasn't lightly flawed. Update: based on the '04 Amon Ra opened tonight, which was/is dreamlike, I think that the '05 was flawed / slightly corked. Perhaps a testament to the fruit depth in this wine, that it was able to overshadow the flaw. Or maybe my palate just sucks.
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1/17/2012 - MattJ wrote: 95 Points
I've had this on several occasions and it never fails to deliver. Great purity and concentration of fruit but not jammy and kept in check by wonderful balancing acidity. It needed time in the decanter to show it's stuff but impressed the guests at our birthday bash. I think I paid $60 for this 5 years ago which for a wine of this class is an absolute steal.
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1/7/2012 - cryptochrome wrote: 90 Points
overrated!
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1/5/2012 - Bisse Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic full-bodied wine!
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1/1/2012 - pinotwinelover wrote: 93 Points
Wine was drinking nicely, better structure than I remember. This did not explode out of the glass like so many wines that ruined Australia reputation for so many. It was refined and somewhat reserved with wonderful rasberry and dark cherry..
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12/25/2011 - A&C wrote: 93 Points
After the Saxum last night, it was interesting to sample a Shiraz from down under as a compare and contrast. While there was definitely a blueberry profile, the fruit was not as pronounced or as rich as the Saxum. Nonetheless, this was a very fine wine, with a classic Aussie Shiraz profile, and it is a mere babe in the woods. This wine has years left in it. Softer than the Saxum, but wonderfully good in its own right.
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12/6/2011 - Rolster72 wrote: 93 Points
Sadly had this wine a bit into the night so the palates were a bit tired. Still - always a great drink. Fruit forward but elegant with a lovely finish.
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11/26/2011 - exawb wrote: 95 Points
Had this for Thanksgiving, decanted for 30 minutes, and LOVED the fruit bomb. Not overly alcoholic, ripe blackberry and blueberry, with long finish. Drank rest of bottle 2 days later and tasted strong vanilla flavor on palate with surprisingly medium finish (had expected it might fade). Me thinks it drinks well now but could use some more time too.
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11/22/2011 - tonsta wrote:
Hard wine to rate this one. Certainly lacks complexity but does not appear over-extracted. I'm not sure whether it hasn't had enough time to come together (and develop complexity) or that it just never will become anything more.....I guess I'll just have to wait
I have 2 more and I think I'll open the next one in 2014.
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11/14/2011 - Magnolian wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 4+ hours. Exremely dark and opaque purple. This is a huge wine, with an enormous chunk of dark blackberries and spices right there on the attack, and carried through on the midpalate. The mouthfeel is heavy and syrupy. Lacks the finesse and complexity of other high-end new world syrah/shraz I've enjoyed through the years like Cayuse and the nicer Torbrecks. Not a bad wine by any means but a bit disappointing considering the hype.
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11/9/2011 - Roest wrote:
Delicious fruit bomb. Very well balanced, however. It never becomes vulgar.
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11/8/2011 - bwaverley wrote: 93 Points
Still needs a considerable amount of time in the cellar.
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11/8/2011 - Jsw@jswright.com wrote: flawed
Corked
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10/13/2011 - clarktoews wrote: 95 Points
very consistent with my last bottle. truly a fantastic shiraz. I would buy this again for sure.
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10/10/2011 - well-red wrote: 96 Points
decanted 4 hours. This is one BIG full body wine. Violet color. Unbelievable fruit bomb with black pepper scents. Will last for many years if I can wait that long before opening the next one. Best Aussie Shiraz that I have had to date.
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9/7/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
- Violet color and aromas of blackberry, black currant and violet. It's in total harmony and has flavours of black currant, blackberry and black pepper with a full body. Polished texture with a long finish - Great as always.polished ff quickly. Decanted for 2 hrs still needed air. Best result was Vinturi 1/2, and 1/2 neat.
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9/3/2011 - PourritureNoble wrote: 94 Points
It was Impeccable. This for me is troughly a great wine in the style it represents. Would I drink only this. No, of course not. When I look at my cellar, does it have the finesse of the Lynches Bages I last drunk or the complexity of the Pierre Damoy Chambertin Clos de Bèze I tatsed recently. No, it does not but do I feel this deserves a place in my cellar next to this bottles? a BIG Yes.
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8/15/2011 - danibus wrote:
Not showing its best but big Aussies, even of this quality level, just don't do it for me any more.
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6/28/2011 - Rolster72 wrote: 94 Points
Part of 2004 to 2008 vertical we did with friends. Found this more open than the 2004. Very vibrant with lots of red fruit up front. Drinking very well right now but needed decanting. Lots of structure and elegance here. Second favourite in the tasting next to the 2006.
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5/30/2011 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Delicious, as always! Opened, because Ellen didn't care for the 99 Tadieu Laurent Cote Rotie, the previous night.
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5/9/2011 - LikeABC wrote:
Needs a little more bottle age.
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5/2/2011 - MightyMilburn wrote: 97 Points
Decanted it 3 hours prior to tasting. The nose was classic big australian shiraz big, bold and fruity. The taste the same - yet refined (for an aussie shiraz from barosso..). Taste of blackberries, pepper and licorice. Thoroughly enjoyed drinking this one. Will enjoy drinking the remaining I have at present.
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4/22/2011 - A&C wrote: 94 Points
Delicious, delicious, and delicious. Blueberries.
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4/16/2011 - Vinacull wrote: 94 Points
Respi-aerate to decanter. Color deep inky red with lots of black and some purple hues, full body coats the glass. Expansive bouquet (but not OTT) has layers of dark fruit, meaty notes with touches of blood, bits of eucalyptus, tar and some leathery nuances that surprised me and may reflect a little age. This was not from my cellar, stored at cool basement temp the last couple years. On the palate, loads of powerful blackberries, brighter cherries, baking spice, tar, and some earthiness. There is a welcome freshness to the acid that is noticeable through a long layered finish of red and black fruits and spice. Substantial tannins but they are quite well integrated, or at least less noticeable under the wealth of fruit. Overall this was great Aussie Shiraz at it's best, with lots of power and yet not overbaked or showing alcohol at any point of 3 hrs of sipping. My only minor complaint was that there was not much in the way of nuance, and in pairing with roasted rack of lamb this suffered in comparison to a 2000 Pegau CDP. Will drink the next in 5-7 years, as this seems to have the stuffing to ride.
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4/9/2011 - B Dub wrote: 95 Points
Great Aussie Shiraz that is drinking really well right now - fruit bomb. Consumed after a SQN Raven and this one held it's own. Really well structured with good layers of ripe dark fruit. My entire group enjoyed this one alot. The '05 is a great vintage of Glaetzer's Amon Ra and should have alot of life left to it.
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3/13/2011 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and consumed over 3.5 hours. Still retains its deep purple coloring but is much tamer than in its earlier years. Still very floral with lots of lavender, pepper and oak on the nose. Has a silky-dusty mouthfeel with gobs of sweet, lush, dark fruit. Agree with some of the earlier notes that its finish is a little flat, with alcohol and wood notes that probably linger longer than the fruit itself, but I still find that I enjoy this quite a bit. I'd place this wine (at this time) similar in profile to an aged Shafer Relentless....lots of fruit flavor despite coming across as a mature wine, but not nearly as "in your face" as (too) many Aussie shiraz'.
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1/16/2011 - deltacop wrote: 91 Points
opened 2 1/2 hours before pouring. Just seemed a bit flat. I felt like I was having a flat soda. Still real nice, but somehow lacking.
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12/25/2010 - robertgoulet wrote: 89 Points
Not sure what this tasted like on release, so I can not criticize the critics, but still there is really no excuse. This is a big wine with lots of dark fruits, plum, blackberry and prune. Though no bang in the mid palate or finish. This was a good shiraz, let me re-phrase that, this was a good shiraz if it was $20, but not worth more.JHMO. Being a shiraz fan I have had my share over the years and this did not impress for what the hype/score suggested.
On this night the $22 dollar '06 Kurtz Boundary row shiraz beats the $69 dollar Amon Ra fairly handedly.
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12/23/2010 - Larry Brooks wrote: 94 Points
Tasted against 2005 Penfolds RWT - Darker fruit, very balanced and smooth. Not as bright as the RWT, but perhaps a little more depth and nuance. Most preferred the RWT, but this one is great too!
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12/20/2010 - AdamWallstein wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple with a black core. Powerful and balanced, can't think of anything wrong with it; wouldn't call it over the top either. Just not thrilling me at the moment. Maybe lacks refreshment, as the acids are strong but don't feel lively, and the tannin is somewhat sharp-edged.
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12/18/2010 - quickben wrote: 89 Points
decanted for an hour before drinking. the fruit is intense and powerful - but short of greatness
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12/18/2010 - cmr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Solid well made wine but nothing really exciting about it.
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12/13/2010 - Jack wrote: 90 Points
Hmmm... not as impressed with this one.
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11/27/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 90 Points
Plummy black fruits, charcoal, menthol, chocolate and a nice earthy funk. Dense, rich and smooth. A pronounced dill note and strong acids on the finish. Nicely integrated but I think better a few years ago. Those with a higher tolerance for dill may appreciate this wine more than I.
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11/27/2010 - Yamadori wrote: 95 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Re-bottled and left to breathe for 3 more hours. Great nose of blueberries. Rich and full bodied in the mouth with lots of blueberry and blackberry. Smooth and elegent with great fruit intensity which carries through the 40 second finish. A little pepper and spice shows on the very end. This wine showed excellent balance and diidn't show heat at any stage. Maybe the aeration helped with this. Fabulous wine which is drinking really wel right now and is worth the money despite the hefty price tag. The best Aussie shiraz i have had to date.
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10/29/2010 - Henman wrote: 93 Points
Decanted more than one hour.Blackberries and blueberries on the nose.After the first sip I wasn´t overly impressed; pretty ordinary aussi shiraz.But with some more airtime it showed to be very smooth and delicious with vibrant dark berries and supple tannins without being a fruitbomb.Elegant and delicious are the words here. Now I understand why this is so popular.
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10/24/2010 - signotim wrote: 91 Points
Great wine. but did not show as well as the first bottle earlier this year. this was more of a fruit bomb. big blast of dark berry on the nose. blueberry for days on the palate. but not as structured nor as lengthy on finish as experienced before.
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10/16/2010 - rayq wrote:
Big Oz shiraz. Delivered exactly what you would expect. Rich and silky textured with lots of black fruit. Just the right side of richness avoiding syrupy notes. Very good example of the style. I have no idea what this might turn into with time.
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10/9/2010 - g-man wrote: 90 Points
A nice wine that is starting to settle down but still shows some heat upon opening. While a sound wine it's just not my style these days.
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8/29/2010 - rob1869 wrote: 93 Points
Wow everything you could want from a young Aussie shiraz and more!
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8/7/2010 - CMz wrote: 96 Points
Opened and decanted for 45 minutes. Wow! Dark, dark purple to the rim with cherry, raspberry & spice on the nose. Rich, smooth mouth-filling Shiraz with cherry, raspberry, plum and oak w vanilla & spice notes that only evolved w time in the decanter. At the 4 hour mark this wine was amazing, still rich fruit but showing complexity and a long, long finish. Easily another 10+ years on this wine but ready to start drinking in earnest now. This was the 5th bottle from a case opened and by far the best.
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7/20/2010 - quickben wrote: 92 Points
extremely good - tannins were smooth, lots of fruit and spice
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7/9/2010 - sonakul_t wrote: 94 Points
Big, chunky and needed decanting over the hours. Full bodied and tons of fruit. Over 2 hrs developed nicely, smoother and dominated by a creamy milky vanilla scent. Very long finish. Great wine for its price
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6/18/2010 - mjf@ulkner wrote: 92 Points
Decanted one hour. Smooth, fruity, velvety shiraz. My first bottle of this, and I thought that this seemed a bit closed- the secondary fruit flavors always seemed just out of reach. Definitely a deep wine with more complexity than the typical Aussie.
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5/1/2010 - caboychuck wrote: 94 Points
Red ripe fruit and chocolate on the nose. So darn good. Upfront red fruit, nice acidity, a hint of chocolate.
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4/4/2010 - Mike V wrote: 89 Points
Definitely better than the 1st bottle in 2007. may need years to get past the primary thing
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4/2/2010 - zazoo wrote: 95 Points
Excellant full bodied Aussie shiraz
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3/21/2010 - JJL wrote: 90 Points
Strong dark berry/cherry, coffee, chocolate flavors on palate. Nose was oaky and hot, which was a distraction. This is clearly better than when I had it on release, but it will take more time to come around for my taste - hold.
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3/13/2010 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
2005 Syrah Horizontal representing 4 continents (Casa Tomek): Consistent with prior notes, except that there was a strong menthol note in addition this time around. Incredibly concentrated wine, which I can see as a detractor for some (not for me - I totally enjoyed the balanced extraction). An absolutely stunning wine. My # 4 WOTN, the group's #3.
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2/15/2010 - PourritureNoble wrote: 91 Points
first disappointment with this wine. Not the impeccable balance I am used to with this wine. Or maybe my palate was off?
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2/15/2010 - glaze3 wrote:
Opened this to confirm my membership in the "anti flavor wine elite". What I did realize is a few years have treated this well and was quite surprised with the acidity and overall size. The fruit is somewhat sweet, but definitely not over the top, initially there is a hint of oak that seems to add some structure, but that does fade with time and your left with some nice restrained red fruit and not much else. In the end a little too one dimensional for my taste, but can see how others that enjoy the style like this.
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2/13/2010 - suttonri wrote:
TIght upon opening. Stored in the fridge in a "Wine for Later" 1/2 bottle. (That's a flask with a frosted glass stopper, sized so 375 ml has no air in the bottle.) 48 hrs later this was smokin'. Lots of black fruit balanced by acid & tannins. Went well with grilled lamb burgers spiced with basil & garlic.Much more food friendly than Carnival of Love, say. Double decant cold for at least a day based on this data point.
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2/7/2010 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Straight from the bottle showed a delightful nose of chocolate coated plum, raspberry, creamy caramel oak, camphor, charcoal grilled meat and face powder. Full bodied with creamy black fruits with a counterweight of brighter red fruits, white pepper and an acid lift. A peppery finish that has bright fruit and again good acid. The tannins are resolved. Hedonistic and lush but with good energy. Drink soon and enjoy it for what it is - it showed signs of oxidation the next day.
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2/3/2010 - JohnSh wrote: 87 Points
Had this last night after a bottle of the 2002 vintage. The 2005 vintage was definitely better than the 2002, mainly because it didn't have the coconut notes that the 2002 did. Yes, it's a big, rich, smooth wine with a thick texture and gobs of blackberry, plum and blueberry fruit, but it has little if any elegance or complexity. A one tirck pony, tasty but ultimately unsatisfying to me (B/B+).
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1/23/2010 - Praxis wrote: 96 Points
This beast has a big and powerful nose of creamy vanilla spice. The appearance is dark purple with a rich density which suggest a concentrated and flavorful wine. The palate is full, rich and balance with intense creamy fruits dominating the more subtle components of pepper and menthol. This wine is still a baby at this juncture, the heavy tannins suggest a very long life ahead of it. Its drinking good now with at least 3 hours of decanting minimum. I will wait another 5 years before I have another one of these, by then it should be nearing perfection.
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1/17/2010 - stetcon wrote: 95 Points
Terrific
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1/9/2010 - signotim wrote: 95 Points
at Cut with Pat, Mike, and Dave. big and brawny with concentrated dark fruit and great balance. had next to 2000 QC Cab and the Amon-Ra had greater depth and length.
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1/5/2010 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 94 Points
Having just sold 2 thru Vinfolio @$95, decided to try one of my last 8 again.Also to please my wife, who LOVES this style of wine. IT IS REALLY GOOD, and I know most are down on rich hedonistic Aussie Shiraz these days, but it blew away the 2000 Lynch Bages we had on the 2 previous nights. I have had this now on 3 or 4 occasions, and it has stoodout each time, even outclassing(blind) the 98 Grange in our Shiraz French Bakery Wine dinnner in 2008.
A rich supple wine with a compelling mid palate.
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1/1/2010 - WinstonWolfe wrote: 96 Points
Amazing nose of raspberry and spice. Meaty notes attack your palate giving way to dark fruits. Finish never seems to end. Loved this wine!
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12/6/2009 - milwaukeewino wrote:
Big sucka, but more acidic than I recall.
Not my style.
Huge vanilla nose. Floral. Sweet. Dark fruit. Obviously well made.
Plenty of polish. Full, rich and spicy. Not really a fruit bomb. Has structure but it is high booze.
I think this would age for awhile. Also a crowd pleaser.
No reason to collect.
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12/2/2009 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
Color: Black
Nose: Violets, Black berries, crushed rock, Pepper
Taste: Violets, crushed rock, blackberries, oak, vanilla, but kept changing over time
Finish: Smooth tannins and extremely long with violets, oak, vanilla, crushed rock and blackberries
Evaluation: This wine with some age might be a 98 pointer. Incredible wine that change over time and you must decant a min. of 3 hours. Enjoy!!! 95 points currently
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12/2/2009 - RPerro wrote: 93 Points
Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Super Scoring Aussie Wines (John's Marketplace, Portland, OR): Decanted 1 hour, and needed about 23 more. A MASSIVE wine, just over the top in all categories. Aroma was mouthwatering with black fruit and pepper, and in the mouth, that fruit slaps you upside the head. But the real killer is the tannic vice that locks down on your mouth and throat once you swallow the wine. Once my vision cleared, about 2 minutes later, I could still taste the huge fruit in this wine...an amazing finish of sweet fruit. This was sheer infanticide and I wouldn't even dream of opening a bottle of this in the next decade. This is a wine for your grandchildren.
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10/22/2009 - clarktoews wrote: 96 Points
WOW!!! still needs time. so dark it was like oil. massive massive dark fruit but still well rounded and i think will continue to be amazing for the next 10yrs
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10/18/2009 - ajaffee wrote: 96 Points
We decanted this a couple of hours and took it to a restaurant. Had dinner with someone who loves South Australian Shirazs, so I thought this would do the trick. Third time I've had the 2005, and each time it was excellent. This is fruit foward, and really delivers an "attack" of sweet dark fruit. It comes at you with black cherry and plum extracted. The residual sugar and acid levels made it a wonderful match with lamb and steak. One friend (the President of our local Alliance France - and quite biased to old world styles) thought it was too much, but his wife, my wife and I all loved it. South Australian Shirazs may be falling out of some favor in the U.S., but it's not because of the 2005 Amon-Ra.
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9/20/2009 - sinebubble wrote:
Liquidation party. A little too acidic. Not showing like it should.
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9/10/2009 - Wolfgang wrote: 85 Points
Popped and poured, closed down and dumb, let it sit fora few more years.
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8/22/2009 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
Will check back on this later. Popped/poured, and frankly its a bit "stupid" compared to what it ought to be. Obviously has all the elements of a great wine, but a bit out of sorts...lacking integration. A fairly strong sense of acidity on the palate, which distracts from great fruit. It's a nice wine now, but not what it should/can/will be. I have no worries about the remaining bottles, but either more years in the cellar or a long decant are in order. Update: MUCH better after 4 hours opened (not decanted) and with 30-45 minutes in the glass. The brightness/acidity folds back into the wine, and the wine becomes much more integrated and complex, with the fruit showing very nicely. So, clearly the answer on this for near term drinking is a decant, probably 2-3 hours minimum.
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7/22/2009 - PourritureNoble wrote: 94 Points
an other bottle of this magnificent wine. Very balanced as allways. I want to let this age but I just can't. At my local shop in Belgium, the sales person claims Ben Gleatzer is confident his 2006 amon ra is the best vintage and the 2006 will age the best. So I bought 2 bottles of 2006 Amon ra to let them age and in the same way I will not feel as guilty when I drink my 2005 Amon ra. ;)
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7/10/2009 - MightyMike wrote: 92 Points
Did not decant long enough.
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6/26/2009 - dhammer53 wrote: 94 Points
A yummy wine that didn't disappoint. First impression... WOW! Lush and balanced. Fruit of blackberry. Oakey. We drank this towards the end of dinner.
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5/16/2009 - DT-Mills wrote: 90 Points
Strong nose, berry & cherry. Raspberry fruit most forward fruit. Some oak on finish, I expexted more - maybe it's time to drink.
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5/3/2009 - jmd60611 wrote: 91 Points
Everyone really loved this monster...deep purple, big rich a bit monolithic perhaps, but really complemented the prime bone in rib eye steak
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5/3/2009 - deltacop wrote: 95 Points
Just an outstanding shiraz. I only have 4 left so it's time to spread them out a bit.
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4/26/2009 - dre wrote: 91 Points
Clear. Very deep purple core with a vibrant cherry red rim. This wine looks very youthful.
The nose comes off very fruit forward with tonnes of sweet berries, candied plum, cassis, raspberry jam and loads of smooth woody spice.
I'm going to say this wine is dry but its probably closer to off dry with all its residual sugar. Moderate acid with a silky smooth mouthfeel. This wine is all about fruit intensity. Tonnes of cassis and blackberry jam fly out of the gate with a wonderful purity. Lots of Christmas spice and some herbs lie in the background but really this is all about the fruit. Tannins are grippy but not enough to keep up with the weight of the body. High alc but the body of the wine carries it effortlessly. The finish is voluptuous and long constantly reminding you to go back for another sip.
Outstanding quality. 91 pts.
Drinking well now. Im unsure how it will age. Will this evolve into a more elegant beast with less fruit but more seccondary characteristics? From my limited experiance, no. This style needs the fruit to hide the acidification. Drink by 2014
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4/24/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
syrah smackdown (Barrington IL, Wally's house): nose: very pungent and powerful nose jam packed with red fruits, rich tones of red cherries, cassis, black fruits and loads of black cherries. Great depth, and excellent balance with the big fruit tones melding together very well
taste: Excellent medium/full feel with really good balanced flavors of red fruits, red cherries, cassis, black cherries and some bits of camphor and black licorice. While the flavors are really good, they seem to be lacking a bit of teh depth and expression that they possesed on the nose
overall: I made sure to decant this for 5 hours or so and then bottle aired it for two hours after putting it back in the bottle. Maybe it needed more air or some more time sideways. Wally had some of this over the next two nights and he told me that it showed a lot better, c'est la vie
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4/19/2009 - lorenzo wrote: 94 Points
Shiraz as an Amarone. pair wisely and will reward. Crazy Rich.
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4/15/2009 - mattjohnson_78 wrote: 92 Points
to impatient for a lengthy decant on this one, but really opened up nicely in the glass over a period of about 30 mins. loads of dark fruit, and vanilla, little if any tannins, smooth clean finish. i probably jumped the gun by a few years on this one. not quite as big as i had anticipated though, which was nice. ill crack another one this time next year.
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2/21/2009 - Frommen wrote: 93 Points
Sweet intense dark fruit flavors. Could be a bit more interesting...
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1/31/2009 - zimmy07 wrote: 90 Points
others last night went ga-ga for this stuff. It was a typical big aussie wine. Had a good fruit structure but was hot and lacked balance and depth, fruit profile was similar to Command (which is one Aussie wine I love) but lacked the complexity and sophistication of the Command
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1/16/2009 - spendergast wrote: 97 Points
Deep red, opaque with highly concentrated and complex fruit. Incredibly smooth with long finish. An outstanding wine.
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1/9/2009 - ziavino wrote: 90 Points
Popped and decanted for three hours. Whew! After a couple of glasses I was ready for a nap. Candied blackberries and blueberries on the nose. On the palate, this is a massive wine. Full-bodied but not syrupy, loads of dark berry fruit with a pleasant streak of tar to liven things up. A little more restraint would have been nice (to me), but still a solid wine.
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1/8/2009 - joshwoodward wrote: 93 Points
Massive. Light tannin and acidity, but relatively balanced. Concentrated. Black fruit, light medicinal, almost restrained.
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12/30/2008 - gregsp wrote: 95 Points
After first sip, decanted two hours - which it needed. Great, rich wine. High alcohol, but strong fruit and lots of personality. Meant to go with rich foods.
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12/14/2008 - Tony T wrote: 94 Points
Almost black color. Generous nose of blackcurrant, blueberry, coffee, chocolate. Extremely full-bodied; taste follows the smell. Good structure and integrated tannins. Very nice and enjoyable already in its present state, though some more years of cellaring will most likely give it more character.
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12/12/2008 - davidandrose wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 3 hours prior to starting and was still a bit backward at that point. Another 90mins had the wine very well-balanced; incredibly dark and floral nose, rich and lush. Lots of dark fruit, creamy texture, tar, concentrated and pure. The wine had a bit of alcohol early on, which had dissipated by hour 5, at which point it began developing a stronger sweetness to it. Just an outstanding shiraz.
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10/24/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 96 Points
Best of American Syrah Blind Tasting (Hughes House - Chicago IL): Tasted blind. My wine of the Night. Rich fruit to start on nose with licorice, pepper and thyme. Powerful yet balanced black fruit on palate with great length, energy and balance. This wine continues to impress me in every vintage.
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10/24/2008 - Nanda wrote: 97 Points
Great American Syrah Shootout II (Chicago, IL): Black, opaque color. Huge, giving and delicious nose. Pure black fruit, toast and brown sugar. Richly fruited palate, to say the least, is focused and so well balanced for such a big wine. Sweet and rich with well-integrated oak -- hinting at some complexity beneath. Simply delicious and so light on its feet. A relative bargain and under-appreciated by the masses. My #2, Group #1.
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10/24/2008 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
Wineflock - Best of American Syrah (Home): Group #1, My #5 - Full deep opaque black/red color. Lovely medium full red fruit and floral nose - nice. Really nice interesteing sweet/tart black fruit and cassis on the palate with good lifted acidity. 94-95pts.
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10/15/2008 - Kamikaze wrote: 94 Points
At first, lots of alcohol and dark fruit. AFTER SEVEN HOURS DECANTING, it smoothed, alcohol was more subtle. FULL body, concentrated, amazing...
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10/10/2008 - Terkel wrote: 94 Points
Bacchus blind tasting (My place): Black color with a thin purple rim. Intense nose with lots of fruit, blueberry, blackberry and very ripe cherries, notes of blackcurrant liqueur, sweet licorise, pepper, gunpowder and ammonium chloride. Insanely full-bodied and concentrated on the palate. Super powered, new world, fruit - dark and brooding, with lots of sweetness. On the midpalate sweet licorise and a note of bitterness. Ends with a good tannic grip, that is well integrated underneath the liqueur and candied fruit finish. This wine is full-throtle, but superbly balanced. Give it time, and it should become more refined - everything else is already there.
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10/9/2008 - LeechDogg wrote: 93 Points
Dark fruit, butter, tannic, little tart, sweetness upon opening up, overextracted.
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9/28/2008 - caldwell wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was pretty tight; didn't ever seem to have the flesh and flash of its older brother, the 2004. Let it sleep.
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8/16/2008 - shiraz guy wrote: 96 Points
It's been 11 months since I had this last. I'd say it improved a bit over the past year, or I just enjoyed it more. Nice fruit, integration, finish and complexity. It was a little hot initially, and remained that way throughout as I didn't decant. Typically I decant everything I drink, even if for just a few minutes. This time, I changed it up and left it in the bottle uncorked. Between day one and two it didn't seem to change much outside of becoming more smooth of day two. I enjoyed this a lot over this weekend.
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7/26/2008 - PourritureNoble wrote: 94 Points
This is the third time I drink this beautiful wine. (first time I comment it on cellartracker) The first bottle was the best and although I feel this wine has closed down a little over the last year(s) it still is very, very enjoyable. What strikes me the most is the balance of the amon ra. I have a decent collection of wines but no first growth, Gaja, Harlan or anything exceeding 50-60 €. Until now the 2005 amon ra is the most balanced wine I ever had. (to put in perspective; I am 27 but from Belgium so drinking regularly and loving wine since 10 to12 years ) I am extremely curious how this will evolve. I find it very difficult to predict if the best drinking window lays before us or behind us. If while aging this could pick up some more complexity in the mid palate and keep the balance and long silky finish this could deserve the 98 parker score. I have 6 bottles left and hope I can leave them for at least 3 years before cracking a new bottle. This means I hope the best is yet to come. for now 94+
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7/24/2008 - nvandyk wrote: 97 Points
Much, much better than the underwhelming 2003 I had last time. This was a rich, complex, well-endowed and perfectly balanced Shiraz. Deep purple to rich red at the edges, alcohol and blackberry nose, but the palate isn't hot. What it is, is layer after layer of rich south Aussie fruit, with a long finish. Fantastic wine.
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7/6/2008 - lorenzo wrote:
on opening.... Big Dark, Extracted, Concentrated Blackberries. Somehow maintains some silkiness, Hitting the decanter for 5+ hours
at the 11hr mark, this is going in an opposite direction of the pax (04 Keltie.)
Acidity seems artificially pronounced as fruit starts to mellow.
Toasty and smoky aromas take over on the nose. Toasti-ness showing on the palate also...
this showed way better early
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6/23/2008 - huse wrote: 92 Points
A very elegant and hedonistic Aussie Shiraz. Decanted : two hours before tasting. Dense purple-red color. Sumptuous nose with aromas of blackberry, nutmeg, sweet herbs, cassis and vanilla. On the palate : an extremely rich and approachable wine, wonderfully balanced, with luscious ripe red fruit, a good structure and huge but very mellow and silky tannins. Creamy finish. A very sophisticated wine, but a bit too oaky (not fully integrated yet) and jammy for my taste.
Een elegante en hedonistische Australische Shiraz. Gedecanteerd twee uur voor consumptie. Dichte purperrode kleur. Voortreffelijk bouquet met aroma’s van zwarte bes, nootmuskaat, vanille, cassis en een zachte kruidentoets. Smaak : zeer toegankelijke, rijpe wijn vol weelderig rood fruit, met een mooie balans en een goede structuur en met duidelijke doch zachte, zijdeachtige tannines. “Romige” afdronk. Een zeer gesofisticeerde wijn, naar mijn smaak echter wat te “jammy” en met teveel hout (nog niet volledig geïntegreerd).
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6/7/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 96 Points
Fight night wines (my house): nose: utterly massive and yet balanced nose of eucalyptus, mint, blackberry, dark cherry, crushed berries, raspberries, oak, and smoke tones just flow into the nose. wide open and pure this is big on the fruit, but nowhere close to being over the top
taste: wonderfully balanced fruit with raspberry, cherry, mint, eucalyptus, blackberries, smoke, and some oak tones
overall: a stupendous wine. Insanely balanced and wide open. This is a blow away wine with impeccable balance, attack, transitions, and a really good long raspberry finish. It needs some air before drinking, but this is a special wine
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5/31/2008 - Pavie Princess wrote: 92 Points
I bought some of this a few yrs ago and never tried it. it has alot of hype so before the flight back I decided to pop one. The color solid purple. The nose was pleasant. At first sniff i got aromas of incense berrry and graphite. I also sensed some wet earth. The first sniff was not equal to the the nose? Closed maybe? I dont know. I did taste some herbs licorice and casis with cedar. The mid palate was short and unsatisfying. There however, I did get licorice, cedar, cherry, herbs and peppers. The finish was not as long as I had expected. This is a solid wine but I have had better Shiraz. Rating 92
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5/24/2008 - idrinkvino wrote: 93 Points
Compared tonight against the 04 Amon-Ra, which made this seem far less developed and tasteful. But keep in mind the 04 Amon-Ra is a very exceptional wine.
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5/18/2008 - wpiers wrote: 93 Points
Wow. Ate with some grilled lamb chops; wonderful berry taste, strong finish, drinking very nicely. Premium Barossa Shiraz
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5/16/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 92 Points
Good, but nowheres as excitng as at our BYO Shiraz tasting 2 months ago when blind it was preferred to the 98 Grange and Jim Barry Armagh.
Inky black, with good bouquet, and presence.Is it starting to go into a transitional stage?
Revisted on the 18th, was much better, and closer to prior experience.
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5/11/2008 - fireandice wrote: 95 Points
One of the best red wines I've ever had, and it paired beautifully with the prime rib at dinner. Dark, rich, but silky smooth. Concentrated fruit flavours.
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5/10/2008 - DuncanSalmon wrote:
Second bottle from my case: uncorked 24 hr in advance, double decanted 4 hrs before dinner. Prime rib with asparagus, wild rice, fresh horseradish. This wine was the highlight. Lovely perfectly balanced shiraz, not hot or over-extracted. The dinner guests commented on its smoothness, and it was gone too fast. This wine has it all! It was firing on all cylinders, although still quite youthful, only giving hints of its future potential. A superb wine. 94 pt.
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4/27/2008 - scofer wrote: 88 Points
One of nine wines tasted blind at Lucio's dinner 4/26/08: Tons of black fruit on the nose and palate. This one did not stand out for me or for the group. After the reveal, we learned this was a 98 Parker wine. Who knew.
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4/25/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 95 Points
This is a wine of great mass and elegance. Great purity of fruit. Notes sweet cherries, bbq spice and black raspberry. The nose is very complex, intoxicating really. In the mouth, perfect balance, long finish and absolutely begging to be consumed. I've certainly have had wines that did not come close to delivering what this wine has for the price, as far as qpr goes this is right there with the best I’ve had.
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4/12/2008 - Jazzman wrote:
Color: Dark red w/lighter edges
Nose: Raspberries, oak, cedar.
Taste: Big viscous mouth feel. Raspberry, plum, spice (clove, cinnamon). Caramelly taste.
Overall: Very nice wine. Great balance and structure. If anything it was a bit young, but there were no overpowering tannins to speak of. Quite simply I could find no faults with it other than the price.
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4/12/2008 - KellyM wrote: 92 Points
Disappointing given the price and the 98 given by RP. Good fruit, excellent balance, lush mouthfeel, reasonable length, but lacking in complexity. We had it alongside a 2003 Pio Cesare Fides, and everyone agreed that the Fides was a better wine, primarily because it was substantially more complex than the Amon-Ra. Perhaps RP is detecting some greatness that will come with time, but I won't be buying more to find out.
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3/30/2008 - ajaffee wrote: 97 Points
Decanted for 2 hours, poured it back into the bottle, and took it to the restaurant. The Amon-Ra was hugh, complex, and, simply stated, extraordinary. It had (again) a hugh velvety mouth feel of lush fruit in integrated layers that were perfectly balanced. This wine demonstrated the kind of complex harmony that's possible in a wine. It's Sunday, but tomorrow morning I'm calling the wine store and having them put the rest of this aside for me.
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3/19/2008 - gregsp wrote: 95 Points
This is really a fantastic young wine, with lots of legs. Balanced, and structure to give you that faraway stare on the finish. Will try again every six months over the next few years.
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2/19/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote:
French Bakery BYO SHIRAZ from OZ (French Bakery, Kane concourse, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida): Janet & Jorge's wine. pending 2/19.
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2/9/2008 - Melli wrote: 92 Points
Still too young for such a wine with great depth. Wait a few years to optimize experience
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2/3/2008 - deltacop wrote: 95 Points
Had at dinner with family for my daughters birthday. I didn't know how people would react with the Amon Ra so I had several others choices. I told my sister-in-law and her husband to taste this first to see if they liked it. They did and asked for a full glass each. When they finished they said that was delicious. can I have some more. So we finished it off. My brother-in-law said this is the best wine I ever had. It made it all worth it when someone likes it that much. Then my sister-in-law said the same thing. They fell in love with Amon-Ra. I don't blame them, as its likely to be one of my all time favorites as well. I had opened the bottle about two hours before dinner and re-corked for the ride. It's so rich and smooth, full of fruit. Nothing fake here, its all good.
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2/2/2008 - Scooter wrote: 98 Points
Wow what a monster this is. Out and back in the bottle seven hours earlier. Three of us who were doing the order for the annual wine dinner had a difficult time deciding whether to serve this before the 02 Ramey Jericho and the 04 L'Aventure Estate Cuvee. We decided to go with the Amon Ra first but doubted ourselves as this was clearly bigger than those bordeaux blend cabs. It really opened up and gave us different layers of rich fruit flavors. Can't wait for the 06.
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1/24/2008 - bwaverley wrote: 95 Points
Ben Glaetzer has differentiated himself (again) from many Aussie winemakers. THis is one of the best structured, balanced and complex Australian wines I've ever had the pleasure of drinking.
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1/16/2008 - Paul Lin wrote: 94 Points
Aussie Wines Offline (Canyon Lodge American Grill - Laguna, CA): This wine is clearly a child, but what a precocious child it is! Notes of black raspberry, plum, wet soil, and vanilla. Plush and creamy in the mouth and a 30+ second finish. This wine needs several more years in the cellar, but I think it is destined for greatness. 94-95 points.
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1/11/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 3 hours before dinner, and continued to evolve over the next hour. Ellen likened it to the 98 Jim Barry Armagh, one of or favorite wines. A rich opulent wine reflecting dark berrry confit with vanilla American oak, carrries its 14.5% alcohol well.It is a hedonists wine, that promises to evolve.
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1/10/2008 - plhew wrote: 94 Points
impressive. Better than the oliverhill which I had at the same time. Look out for more
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1/1/2008 - mimik wrote: 92 Points
Unmistakenably Australian, this teeth-staining battering ram of a wine shows lots of dark brooding fruit with coffee plum and ripe blackberry nose with some hints of licorice. Low acid, but decently structured. Would be exceptional with a nice bbq steak. Kinda over the top but not too much so. Long sweet plum finish
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12/23/2007 - PontetCanet wrote: 90 Points
Solid, but not showing as well as it did a year ago. I'm no sure how long this will last. Drank at Bonnie's with the tools.
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12/23/2007 - gogogo wrote: 96 Points
See last post by Donrad. Perfect description! I double decanted for 5 hours started to sip. Didn't open up until about 7 hours. Absolutely outstanding for the price.
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12/23/2007 - donrad wrote: 96 Points
Holy crap....Almost perfect. Great balance for its youth. Tons of crushed berries, little roasted meat (after hours opened), lush on the palate with explosive fruit that matches the nose. Silky smooth tannins....In balance now, will be in balance for years to come...Glaetzer wines are some of my new favorites. Absolutely amazing value for the money. Buy all you can...
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12/19/2007 - BeavisCC wrote: 95 Points
Lovely, balanced, huge. The class of an Australian flight that included 01 Oracle, 01 Dead Arm and 05 Carnival of Love. Primary, fun, and appealing now, but tonight, tasting group interests tended towards 1990 CdPs and 01 Brunello, raising the question (again) of how these massive wines from Oz will develop over the next 20 years?
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12/13/2007 - petitblanc wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple crimson. Nose of buttery wood, musk, smoke, ripe red fruit. In the mouth, persistent ripe, sweet, jammy red fruit, spices, and wood. Warm, but carries its alcohol fairly well for the style. Moderate tannins. Moderately long, warm, vinous finish. A lovely wine leaning toward the New World style. Nice now and for the next 10 years.
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12/8/2007 - shugmo wrote:
Decanted and drank over a couple of hours. Very concentrated primary fruit, but nonetheless well balanced. Oak present as an undertone, but this is really all about that dense, sweet fruit. Very fine indeed right now, no idea how it might develop with bottle age.
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12/5/2007 - winelovr2001 wrote: 92 Points
Not as good as before, but still killer. A little sweet, and a little over-oaked, but still a great young aussie shiraz.
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12/1/2007 - 8trigram wrote: 92 Points
I had a bottle about 8 months ago and it was gushing with big fruit and structure and it was a 95. I think its starting to close a bit as its now a bit muted. Glaetzer wines are certainly age worthy and I've had many over the years. This Amon Ra is a huge wine that will certainly evolve over the next 10 year and more.
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11/25/2007 - ml wrote:
Drinking great now, but in 10 years...?
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11/11/2007 - redpine42 wrote: 98 Points
Big fruit, nicely integrated. Wine isn't just what nature gives the wine maker to put in a bottle. This is a fine example of why that statement is dead wrong. This a well crafted wine.
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11/4/2007 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 93 Points
second time having this wine this month. definitely lots of fruit and nice indian spice coming from those >100 year old shiraz vines. tannins are young and showing on the finish.
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11/4/2007 - JOsgood wrote: 93 Points
Brought by Young Steve to our group dinner at Campanile - A massive, in your face Aussie Shiraz that has great balance.
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11/3/2007 - the godfather wrote: 91 Points
good Auusie wine, not overipe or jammy, pretty good balance
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10/28/2007 - PontetCanet wrote: 92 Points
Late night pop at Varmint's after the Ween show with all the tools. Black as night. Very unique smoky, caramel, toffee component on the nose. Seems to have settled down a bit since the last bottle I had. Very well balanced. No notice of alcohol on the nose or palate with gobs of pure fruit. Nothing fake about this wine.
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10/26/2007 - mos wrote: 94 Points
Yum! A super well balanced wine. Nice fruit on the front end with a vanilla finish.
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10/23/2007 - Wrighty wrote: 94 Points
Kedington Australian night (Fringe Club, Hong Kong): Closed nose, some chocolate coming through. Tight and concentrated berries but approachable. Great finish.
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10/22/2007 - sosgoodjhu wrote: 96 Points
Double decanted 3 hours. Darkly colored. Fragrant nose reveals mocha, blackberries, spice, vanilla, graphite. Absolutely coats your mouth...serious 10WD-40. Very subdued on the mid-palate, but a nice long finish. This is approachable now, but will improve with time.
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10/14/2007 - tonsta wrote:
Decanted 1 hr. Had alongside '91 Wolf Blass Black Label at Greedy Goose. Unfortunately, because the Black Label was such a brilliant wine and in its peak drinking window, it highlighted some of the flaws of the Amon Ra, namely its youth... I have no doubt that in time this will be an extrodinary wine, however, right now its just not that approachable. That's why I have elected not to give it a rating.
Drink 2012-2020
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9/29/2007 - davidandrose wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and allowed to sit for an hour. Consumed with a group so no detailed notes, but was rich, smooth, approachable and solid.
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9/24/2007 - Mike V wrote: 84 Points
Welch's concord grape juice with a shot of vodka. I hope it improves
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9/23/2007 - Highmountain wrote: 90 Points
Drack på en vinbar på DUlles flygplats i Washington DC. Fantastisk intensive nästan amarone liknanade doft. Mjuk och lång avslutning. MOgen och drickfärdig, Enastående och speciellt vin.
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9/18/2007 - Ombibulous wrote:
Tuesday tasting at Papa Joe's comparing Aussie Shirazes. This was easily the climax of the evening. What flavour! Indescribable. Here, talking about wine is like dancing about architecture. Outstanding.
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9/16/2007 - reichken wrote: 92 Points
taste as experiment for buying more
dark dark purple color, on the nose it was minty , dark fruits, jam and a little char....very Oz!!in the mouth it is alot of diff flavors, black fruits, plums casis, thick blackberry jam and some chocolate...really broad but not too far out of whack..long long finish...i would buy more of these
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9/9/2007 - 100pp wrote: 94 Points
Tasted during Masterclass by Ben Glaetzer in Amsterdam. A bit plummy/jammy in the nose. Also mint. Very concentrated an complex. Beautiful wine. Needs more time.
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9/9/2007 - good old ludwig van wrote: 93 Points
Decanted about an hour.
Bouquet of smoke and dark fruits, but flowery as well. The nose is fresh and lively--so much comes at you so fast, and it just smells expensive. Also got black currant and plum in the nose.
Now, on to the taste. SUBERB mouth feel. Blueberry, jammy strawberry, acidity to keep things in perfect balance. On these Aussie's, there's a tendency to assume that the higher the Parker score the bigger the fruit bomb it's going to be. Here, however, there is a lot of complexity also, and some Bordeaux elements (cherry, tobacco). Chocolate note developed in the finish toward the end of the bottle.
Good, strong 93.
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9/3/2007 - pgordon62 wrote: 92 Points
Creamy aromas of raspberry liqueur, blueberry, charcoal and white flowers. Surprisingly lithe in the mouth with blueberry fruit, mocha and a stony, talc note. A smooth, dense finish that shows minimal tannin. Seems ready to drink and very hedonistic. Hopefully a couple years with allow some more secondary elements and a little more structure to show through.
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8/31/2007 - danibus wrote: 95 Points
Hedonistic from beginning to end, but also the most complex and balanced Southern Aussie I've ever had. Silky smooth, with delicious ripe dark fruit, spice and cocoa. It's got the structure for cellaring, but drinking beautifully now, so why wait.
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8/18/2007 - groper1234 wrote: 96 Points
Best Wine I ever tasted. Really Smooth and complex. There is liqeur smell with dark chocolate and coffee. Very rich and sumptous. Extremely tasty. Disapointed after GAM 2004 and 2005. This is a outstanding wine!
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8/18/2007 - Ombibulous wrote: 89 Points
Sampled again at the wine tasting machinery at Papa Joe's. Dark and opaque colour. Fruity nose. However, the flavour is less fruity this time, for some reason. Maybe the bottle has been sitting too long in the machine. Not sure. Anyway, still excellent, nearly outstanding. I don't mean to low-ball an excellent wine, but the berry flavour was just less prominent this time. Still very well balanced, and a pleasure to experience.
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8/15/2007 - jcl5050 wrote: 97 Points
A spectacular Shiraz. Decanted for only 30 minutes and it was already exploding out of the bottle. This is the second bottle I have had and both have been extremely consistent.
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8/10/2007 - Ombibulous wrote: 92 Points
Sampled at the wine tasting bar at Papa Joe's. The colour is dark. The aroma is most pleasant. This was easily the best wine tasted of all. Very fruity and well balanced. Outstanding.
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8/6/2007 - Faryan wrote: 95 Points
I decanted for 4.5 hours, consumed over dinner and with the oscars (2 hours). Left one glass for another 24 hours for a final take. Here's my impression:
A voluptuous nose. Absolutely breathtaking. Covering presence of tar, with soft and shy notes of eucalyptus and buried fruit. The nose intoxicated my nostrils until I got a headache! The wine contacts the palette with silky eucalyptus and cassis but quickly stiffens into the mid-palette. The direction of the wine was shocking to me, absolutely resolved...The tannic backbone really gets you towards the finish and the heat/acidity is definitely overriding the hidden black fruits and secondary cassis profiles that were nuanced on the front. The glass that I have consumed 24 hours later has relinquished much of that heat and the fruit is more explosive than ever...The seething tinge of acidity finishes potently, more potently than many drinkers would choose to relish. I don't have much experience with tasting the same wines over long periods of time (hey I'm only 21) so I can't give a drinking window, but rudimentary I will say it needs years
95+ with a potential, if the acidity and heat integrates and the fruit comes to the table more inclusively, that this wine could yeild that 98 that Parker alluded to.
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7/28/2007 - lorenzo wrote: 97 Points
Grilled Lamb with Friends (MI): Extraordinary showing. Has everything in spades. Incredibly rich and sexy. Sweet, plush palate but some Horsepower also. Great Balance. Drank with an hour+ of air. So good now, hard to imagine it getting better with much age. And I dont think I'm going to let the majority of my bottles make the journey to find out.
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7/9/2007 - EricFromMD wrote: 93 Points
This was my first time trying this wine (thanks bro!). It had a huge dark, dark color. I was expecting an overextracted Aussie Shiraz, New World fruit bomb. But I was pleasantly surprised. The wine had balance and elegance. Flavors of blueberry and redfruit with a hint of spice (and possibly mint). Smooth with a long finish. Probabaly could do with a few more years in the cellar. Overall an outstanding wine.
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7/8/2007 - shiraz guy wrote: 94 Points
Well put together, quality wine. It was balanced and smooth. I decanted it, but it didn't really need much time. Over about a 90 minute period, it smoothed out even more and the fruit came out. Nose was phenomenal, classic Barossa. However, the thing that was missing here for me to give it a higher score was the complexity. Perhaps it was my mood, environment, etc., but this didn't have the layers of complexity that I was expecting based on everything I've read. Was it good, absolutely. But, for the price? Not right now. I have 3 more, so I'll wait another year or so on the next one to see if a more complex profile emerges.
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7/2/2007 - ljl203 wrote: 91 Points
On Block Island with London Broil. Should have decanted longer. Long and sensuous finish.
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7/1/2007 - ijayb wrote: 93 Points
poured into decanter and drank after only 20 minutes (suggest at least 2 hours). Nose of licorice, violets, oak & blackberries. This is a monster of a wine with a lot of complexity. Loads and loads of black fruit that is very dense. Very minimal acid and a decent amount of tannins currently. The oak comes out quite a bit on the palate. Finish is long and a distinct vanilla flavor that lingers on and on.
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6/24/2007 - DuncanSalmon wrote: 92 Points
Lovely nose, definitely Aussie shiraz with a hint of medicinal spice. Deep black to nearly the rim, still too young. Nice balance, good acidity at the end. Tannins are fine and sweet. Loads of fruit, a touch of bitterness at the close. A fine shiraz, but will be at its best in 5+ years.
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6/11/2007 - sinebubble wrote:
Drank at Le Gourmand. Beautiful thick Shiraz. Lots of plum and raisin to chew on. Amazing wine, but tricky to justify the 2x difference from the also beautiful Bishop. Well, tricky, but not impossible.
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6/5/2007 - Medo wrote: 97 Points
After 7 hours in the decanter this wine shows everything he has. Exceptional fruit/balance/power/harmony - nearly the perfect wine.
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6/4/2007 - King Cab wrote: 89 Points
The color on this wine is crazy. Super dark and concentrated. The nose showed a little sweetness alongside some boysenberries, and a black and white cookie. This was a little restrained for what was expected. It was big and extrated, but kept graceful. The palate revealed some blueberry,blackberry, boysenberries, and red cherries. A fruit medley. This wine kept changing as the night went on. I like this type of wine, I just find my palate tires quicky if it is the only wine on the table. Alongside others wines this turns a conversation piece. There is alot happening that seems to evolve minute by minute to alot more. The finish was long and vibrant. I enjoyed this better than the 2004 Amon-Ra tasted last summer.
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6/4/2007 - paulst wrote: 92 Points
Loads of blackberry and currant and raisen with great structure.
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6/3/2007 - djs wrote: 96 Points
Manual note written
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6/3/2007 - idrinkvino wrote: 97 Points
Huge, bright flavours of fruit and spice. Exceptional.
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6/1/2007 - caldwell wrote:
Drank a bottle of this; wasn't as complex/spicy as the 2004 GAM was at this stage. Fine juice if not a breaker.
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5/30/2007 - gellie wrote: 98 Points
does not get much better than this
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5/28/2007 - magnord wrote: 95 Points
Hear, hear!
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5/22/2007 - Tad GW wrote: 93 Points
Lovely to drink now but for my taste I will wait for several years to drink any more. I had this at a friends' and enjoyed this teeth-staining, chewy, concentrated Shiraz that had fruit enough to mask the tannins. My score is for what it is now, but I fully expect it to score much higher in 5 to 10 years.
50+5+12+17+9=93
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5/13/2007 - CAS wrote: 94 Points
So dark in the glass and thck as treacle. Very expressive nose bursting with no end of fruit including chocolate, cassis, spice and liquorice. Wow - what a wine - the palate is silky smooth with big tannins but they are matched with bigger fruits and it's so complex on the palate I can hardly think where to begin! There is everything in here - spices, vanilla, pepper, cassis, blackcurrant jam, chocolate, mocha, minerals and more. The finish goes on forever - what a satisfying wine.
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5/6/2007 - burg72 wrote: flawed
Only 80 % filled, too young but this is the future
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5/4/2007 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
A huge, powerful wine but with so much restraint that it can be called exceptionally elegant, as well. Much brighter and lighter color in the glass than I anticipated. Especially initially, the nose was meaty, like game with berries and juniper. Later it gave way to more pronounced blueberry and spice. In the mouth, it was very dense with red fruit, blackcurrant, spices, and more blueberry, but the density in the palate was counterbalanced by a really nice level of acidity. The spreading finish was long, long, and lovely with a further expansion of the range of fruit. Great wine. 95-96
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4/28/2007 - Jack wrote: 94 Points
Very nice tonight and definitely has some upside potential. Very rich and smooth fruit with decent balance but a lttile flabby (to be expected this early in life).
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4/28/2007 - baja wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for 2hrs. Dense dark purple almost black color. Beautiful slightly sweet aromas of raspberry, cassis, blackberry and liquorice. Full bodied with a complex palate of dark fruit, tobacco and spice, big but very rounded sweet tannins, extremely balanced leading to a very long lush finish. This wine is drinking absolutely beautiful right now. I was weary to open it so early but after reading many reviews on EBob I figured I should give it a try....and glad I did. Everything here is already in sync, how nice to drink a class act Shiraz that isn't a alcohol fruit bomb like many others. No need to wait on this....enjoy! This completely blows away the 05 Mollydooker COL. 95
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4/22/2007 - DuckfaninMT wrote: 97 Points
The third or fourth bottle I've had in the past few months and each one has been a gem. I love to drink Shiraz more than any other type of wine and in the past couple year's I've had my share... this one's in my Top Five for sure.
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4/22/2007 - JeffnCin wrote:
Opened 12 hours earlier, decanted 3 hours.
Wow, what a wonderfully sophisticated wine. This is really the first time we felt that word 'polished' applied to a wine, it was silky and luxurious with a really complex flavor with lots of fruit and hints of tobacco and chocolate and a touch of earthiness. The tannin structure and finish were really intriguing...the tannins were mellow and just a little grippy, but continued to evolve for 10-15 seconds after a sip, making my mouth water like crazy, and then the finish lingered for another 30+ seconds after.
We took a break in the middle and came back (by which time it had been open for 16 hours, decanted for 7) and we felt that some of the complexity had faded.
Cin says "When I drank this wine I really felt that it was _made_ well".
On taste alone, this is definitely a 4 out of 4 (="Open another bottle right now"). It is a little pricey at $70-$80, but even still we're going to go out and get a few more bottles to keep around and lay down. The price nudges the score down a little, but I can't bring myself to give it a 3.5.
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4/20/2007 - pinotwinelover wrote: 92 Points
Nice wine, doesn't have structure that I appreciate. Fruit is wonderful, acid is in balance as is the alcohol. I would describe it as a smooth wine
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4/14/2007 - MattJ wrote: 96 Points
Not just another ozzie fruit bomb, while the wine is highly extracted there's depth here. Not overly sweet as often found with others of this ilk and balanced with just the right level of acidity. On the nose there are blueberries, cassis and notes of oak. The wine spreads beautifully across the palate with silky smoothness and a medium finish. Looking forward to drinking this in a few years as while it has good complexity now I believe this will develop more with age. Had alongside Kaesler Old Vine and Two Hands Angel's Share and this was a big step up.
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4/14/2007 - Alex G. wrote:
Superior to the 2003 and 2004, which I also enjoyed. This wine straddles Australia and Northern Rhone, it's more subtle and balanced than prior years, but still has a hint of the Aussie character of "turn the volume up to 11." Bacon fat on the nose, and blueberries on the palate. The best of the Aussie '05's I have yet to taste.
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4/9/2007 - CamWheeler wrote: 92 Points
Full on aromas of spice, blackberry, florals, tar, licorice and tobacco on the nose. Sweetly fruited, ripe and intense on the palate with good length, but a bit of alcohol evident when swallowing throws things off a bit. I really loved this, every sniff revealed something different, but one glass is entirely enough for me.
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4/6/2007 - last chance wrote: 96 Points
This bottle was decanted for at least 3 hours prior to tasting. Huge nose of blueberries and blackberries and licorice. Flavors of blackberries, cherries, vanilla, and licorice. Full bodied, blockbuster of a wine with a great velvety mouthfeel and a finish that lasts a very long time. Regretfully, we did not purchase any of these when they were readily available at retail, so we will have to rely on the kindness of friends to taste these in the future or take some down at auction. Really great stuff, and a clear WOTN.
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3/18/2007 - gellie wrote: 95 Points
outstanding,lives up to the hype
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3/18/2007 - WStucker wrote: 95 Points
Beautiful wine, after 3 hours in the decantur. A little left this morning in a glass, still powerpacked black fruit. Give it 5 years more to calm down (so 2012 or so).
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3/11/2007 - PontetCanet wrote: 93 Points
Really good stuff. I drank the Godolphin the week before and actually may have liked it better. Huge nose of blueberries, though not near the level of the 2005 Enchanted Path. Long layered finish. Will give the remaining bottles some time. Decanted three to four hours prior to drinking. Better than the Mitolo GAM from 2005.
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2/25/2007 - redpine42 wrote: 97 Points
Drank side by side with MollyDooker Carnival of Love. This was the better wine, primarily because of the lower alcohol. Very good wine, with a great nose and lots of depth.
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2/23/2007 - EMichels wrote: 93 Points
Very dark, inky color; Soft, soft, soft; Very good; 50+5+13+17+8
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2/19/2007 - ths wrote: 95 Points
Deep and dark. Day one showed a weak nose and a brutish tannic but fruit filled palette. By day two it'd opened up with all sorts of red fruits, licorice and sweet wood with an excellent tannin and acid driven finish. Day three was just as fine, still big and rich. Extraordinary indeed 5+12+18+10=95
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2/17/2007 - budman wrote: 94 Points
A monster in the making. I bought 3 of these. The other 2 will wait about 5 years before trying again. Front-loaded with red fruits, this will only get better with age.
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2/13/2007 - TomH wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for an hour and half - rich red fruit and toasty oak on the nose, with amazing richness and lush, velvety texture. A paradigm of its type. The only thing that prevents me from rating it higher it is the lack of complexity, which hopefully will change with time. Spectacular, stunning wine.
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2/8/2007 - Dave Dalluge wrote: flawed
Winestreet Tasting of Mostly Rhones (Delas Freres, La Vieille Julienne, Bosquet des Papes and others): Corked.
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2/4/2007 - aes0300 wrote: 94 Points
Decanted for 2.5 hours and consumed over two nights. Expressive nose of vanilla, blueberry, blackberry, and oak all nicely meshed with some mint in the background. The purity of fruit in this wine is amazing. Full body and very intense. Rich blueberry and blackberry at first followed by chocolate and subtle vanilla oak. The finish is silky long with more pure blackberries, black licorice, and cherries. I hope to cellar my remaining bottles, but the wine is so good right now.
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1/7/2007 - GreenDrazi wrote: 98 Points
Decanted 4.5 hr’s. Thick and powerful nose of blueberry and blackberry with light tar notes and eucalyptus. A tremendous wine with rich and lusty blueberry and cassis flavors that are well balanced and accented with light minerals and faint black pepper. Broadens nicely on the mid-palate with chocolate notes and a touch of eucalyptus increasing towards the finish. Has good acidity along with supple, silky, and mouth coating tannins and a lengthy, blockbuster finish.
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1/5/2007 - godx wrote:
Decanted for 3hrs. Ruby in colour. Sweet nose of caramel, strawberry jam, chocolate cherry blossoms with hints of pepper and mint. This silky smooth wine coats the palate with flavors of mocha, sweet cherries and sugarcoated strawberries. Nice acidity on the mid palate, firm tannins and a long finish. This should improve with 5 years of cellaring.
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12/30/2006 - rael007 wrote: 96 Points
Very dense purple color. Rich, deep nose of black fruits. Initial taste seems to be saline in its intensity, with hints of oak and tannins. The fruit is huge, and this is indeed a very fine wine, but I'm not sure it's quite as complex as it is made out to be. The 1997 Drouhin Clos de la Roche I had early this year seemed, for example, to have a richer set of aromas. This seemed a bit more single-dimensioned, but much more powerful. It also seems to be a young wine, in need of a few years to settle. All in all, this was a delicious wine.
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12/9/2006 - tbdman wrote: 95 Points
Couldnt wait to open up a bottle. It is everything I read. Great wine that will just get better.
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12/5/2006 - caboychuck wrote: 93 Points
Color is inky black purple. Nose was huge right away. Blackberries, blue berry, some jam. After 2 hours of decanting, nose was still blackberry and blue berry. Beautiful, but I couldn't get much more on nose other than the berries. Palate is full, very young, dusty tannin mixes well with the black fruit, lively acidity makes for a long finish. Wouldn't guess shiraz - best I've had. Hint of chocolate. Glad I have more.
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11/28/2006 - CamWheeler wrote: 94 Points
I could happily smell this wine all night long. Entirely captivating just like the Chapoutier, but in a totally opposite manner - totally saturates your nose with aromas of licorice, chocolate, raspberry, cherry, tobacco, blueberries and floral notes. So luscious and ripe, and with velvet like texture on the palate. Firm tannins and background classy use of oak provide much needed structure for this immense wine. I doubt my one bottle will last anywhere near long enough for me to find out how this will age as it is just so approachable and pleasurable right now.
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11/9/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 98 Points
Now that this wine is on retail shelves here we had to commit a crime and open one up. This is a bigger Amon-Ra than the past vintages and it wouldn't surprise me if it needs more time than past vintages to really open up. Huge, raw flavours even after being opened for several hours. Should be improving for some time to come.
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11/5/2006 - sinebubble wrote:
We just couldn't wait on this one. Had this with steak at Jak's. Wonderful nose with just a hint of oak surrounded by fruit. Smooth with a some acid. Oak, cherry, sugar... It was extremely impressive. Just for fun, we had a glass of the Boxer to compare and hands down the Amon-Ra tromped the syrupy Boxer.
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11/3/2006 - win wrote: 95 Points
This is one of the smoothest young wines I have ever tried, and the best Australian Shiraz I have had (up to this point). Very refined, not in your face, but a myriad of flavors involving red currant, raspberries and a bit of subtle earthiness. Amazing wine--how will it age?
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9/26/2006 - idrinkvino wrote: 99 Points
Amon-Ra 02, 03, 04 and 05 with Ben Glaetzer (Denver): An exceptional wine, equal in intensity to the 03, but not as mature, leaving the question about just how fast these wines will mature and what will they become? These are generally from 85-90 year old vines, but what will that mean for the future?
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7/27/2006 - mphatic wrote:
Glaetzer/Heartland tasting 2006 (Brisbane): {Barrel sample} Supposedly RPJ was the only one to taste these barrel samples before us - I wonder what he thought of this? More powerful, tannic, and muscular than the 04. Black in colour. Deep, strong flavoured fruit. Still retains elegance, but not as graceful or perfumed as the 04. I’m guessing he liked it?
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