Slow O'd for an hour, decanted for three; undrinkable at every point: oxidized (and brownish red, FWIW). I'd been looking forward to drinking this bottle since 8/2010, when I purchased it aftermarket from Cellaraiders. You takes your chances... I trust the bacteria in my septic system are enjoying the bottle's contents more than I did.
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Still a big forward facing shiraz but age has smoothed all the elements into a great bottle of wine. I can’t imagine it will get any better but still has many years of enjoyment for those opening a bottle in the years to come. Others have summarized flavor nuances of this wine well.
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If you have never had this wine the the better part of 2 decades old, you have not done it justice. Forrest, cigar box, and chocolate nose. Darker fruits, chocolate, and subtle richness on the medium plus body matched with velvety integrated tanning. Maturing very slowly. Suspect near its peak but will remain there for at least a decade.
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Very powerful and forward style of wine. Lots of chocolate, coffee, and roast red meat on the nose. Palate is similar and carries a bit more fruit on it. My biggest detraction on this bottle was it began to fade after 2 hours open in a narrow decanter (for sediment), and the sweetness of wine really took over too quickly. Fun one to try, but I would not buy this again.
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Last one. Good cork pop, stain on end deep purple, a slight cork softness at 17 years, but no infiltration, a good seal. Odd thing was the top part of cork, not the bottom which was in contact with wine, was slightly soft. Seemed sweet and active, fruit really held up. Different from a Saxum Booker consumed just prior. A real contrast in style. Very energetic, wine not turned, no tc, just different. Gives impression of youthful wine as result. Not acidic but powerful on sides of tongue. It gives impression of being 'bright' but from fruit, not acidity. Striving to describe. But nothing like what I had in 2017. It evened out after several days open, and the brightness fell back and became balanced with the other elements of wine. As this wine was so different from my tasting of 6 years ago, it's hard to say about aging. Leaning towards ability to age about 3 years more, but only from this taste, not the 2017 experience.
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Rustic bouquet with leather and dark fruits. On the palate full bodied and concentrated, chocolate, mild acidity and round, soft tannin. Ready now and no real hurry.
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Quick double decanted. Sharp and strong wine with a medium plus body. Very compact. Vacuumed half of the bottle and the next day it wasn’t that great but my GF liked it better. Go figure?
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Complex bouquet with beautiful oaky flavors, herbs and spices like clove. On the palate chocolate, full bodied, juicy dark berries, good acidity, round tannin and a good length. Although the tannin is starting to show some age it still offers some bite. This wine is fully mature, or maybe at the end of its drinking window. Anyway, this bottle was better than the one I tasted in Sept. 2020.
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Dark purplish red with a lighter rim and a nose of matured fruits infused with pronounced notes of wild game, red meat, old leather, and plenty of peppery spices, tobacco and modest vanilla oak. The palate is unapologetically full-bodied, concentrated, intense and powerful as one would expect from a centenary vine Barossa Valley Shiraz of this caliber yet not over the top such as the cheaper “fruit-bomb” versions of what one usually associates to this varietal from this region. There seems to be a considerable degree of refinement and quality in this bottling given that this is in its 16th year with the prospect of at least 8 to 10 more years of life in it. The flavor profile is pretty much the same since my last tasting 3 years ago except that it has become more refined and integrated with more gaminess, bloody meat, dark chocolate some tobacco characteristics with along fruity, loamy mineral finish. As I recalled when I first tried this back in 2010 it was quite good in a primary sense with lots of big ripe jamey fruits but a bit reserve, disjointed and austere when it comes to the “other things” that I was looking for, but nonetheless, it was promising to say the least. However, I didn’t expect it to turn out this good at this juncture. I’m glad that I still have several more of these to track it's development and hopefully enjoy over the next decade or so.
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Deep purplish ruby. When opened a great wave of eucalyptus. Tons of dark berry fruits. Then warm spices, dark chocolate, a fine balancing acidity. Long. Great almost elegant, for a Barossa Shiraz.
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First bottle, 3 months ago, was quite advanced in 👀👃👅 but with no other flaws (no oxidation/spoilage/or TCA taint)
This is my 2nd bottle:
DAY 1 Served with the Vinloq System 👀Dark ruby./purple. Youthful 👃Sweet fruit 👅Fruit forward with blurry flavors. Dry tannins with slight heat. Paired nicely with wagyu beef🥩
Remaining wine Slow Decanted in my refrigerator
DAY 14 👃Spicy blackberry, anise, chalk, & dried fruit 👅Purple fruit, anise & chocolate. Not complex but tasty. Finishes spicy with some heat. Balanced sweetness. Lowish acidity. Nice wine
This second bottle was what I expected. What caused the first bottle to be so advanced?
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Taking note of Goldstone's TN below I decanted this 20 hours or so before drinking, which, from tasting the dregs (there was a fair amount of sediment) was definitely a good idea.
Drinking this with roast lamb and veggies it's clearly a very big wine: ripe fruit on the nose, a little heat (but only light acidity - there was much more on first opening). It isn't a wine that is amenable to chugging - I get the comment someone made in an earlier TN that it bears some resemblance to a slightly lower alcohol port. I get the impression that this would be good for several days, although in a large-ish group this bottle was gone quickly.
It has to be said though that amongst a group of regular wine drinkers (although perhaps not connoisseurs) this was less preferred than the two other, cheaper, wines (a 2006 Pignolo, and a 2012 Brunello), so on that basis I'm not sure about the QPR at ~US$82 that I paid.
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Surprised how shallow it was for the first 3 hours, but in hour 4 it finally started to open up. Like other reviewers, I don't sense this will get any better with time at least with this vintage, so drink up!
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I love Australian Shiraz, especially with 10+ years of age. However, this bottle was advanced more than I expected
👀Purple color with clear browning 👃Dried cherries, anise, dark chocolate with a hint of volatility 👅Same dried cherries, maybe slightly stewed, and anise/allspice. Good acidity. Was generally drinking pretty well
I have a few bottles so I will check in on another one soon to see if this was an outlier. I was expecting this to be at the front of a long drinking window. Was this a volatile acidity issue?
Lots of ripe black cherry and plum with sweet spice throughout with very good density. This is a fleshy and flashy wine with all that comes with that. Nothing even close to fading here.
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Syrah night at Tasty Loong: Easy guess as a Barossa Valley Shiraz with its bold purple fruit and heavy spice, but it was not over the top as it still had the structure and acidity to back the ripe fruit up. Not my go-to type of wine but this was probably my favourite of the flight. Similar sentiments to Forceberry's note below.
Two 2006 Aussie Shiraz at home (Wellington, NZ): Under cork. Colour deeper, more purple-red than the Penfolds. Unfiltered, it threw a lot of sediment in decanting. Fresh aromatics - cedar, black cherry and some blueberry and boysenberry, vanilla pod and red liquorice. Dashes of black pepper and dark spices. Like the Penfolds, quite rich and opulent. Yet fresher and finer. Richer than the Penfolds, yet more precise, better focussed. Decent acidity but ideally I would have liked more. Black cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate, black plums and mochaccino. Lacking the nuance, layers and detail for a higher score. Tannic grip now loosened. Fine grained tannins. A little alcoholic burn on the moderately long finish (14.5% ABV). A good Syrah - with a little French Syrah character beside the Penfolds' Aussie Shiraz character. As with the Penfolds, I do not expect it to improve more with time. To drink by say 2028.
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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 15 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted in a 2015-2002 Amon-Ra vertical.
Dense, almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a moderately evolved pomegranate hue. Powerful, concentrated and very ripe nose of juicy blackberry-driven dark fruits, some peppery spice, a little bit of earth, light anise and licorice tones, a hint of inky character, a toasty touch of mocha oak and a whiff of wizened dark berries. The wine is dense, chewy and concentrated on the palate with a markedly full body and intense flavors of wizened black cherries and very ripe blackberries, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of mocha oak and a touch of licorice root. The acidity feels surprisingly high - even for a massive wine like Amon-Ra - and while ripe and relatively soft, the tannins are ample enough to lend good frame and firmness to the substantial body. The high alcohol lends some noticeable warmth to the palate. The finish is long, complex and quite powerful with gentle tannic grip and intense flavors of licorice, some ripe blackberry, a little bit of meaty umami, light oaky notes of savory wood spice, a hint of licorice and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine ends on a dry, concentrated and slightly warm note.
A noticeably ripe and concentrated vintage of Amon-Ra that seems to pack even a bit more power than is usual for this already rather opulent wine. Even though very big and surprisingly balanced - thanks to its fresh acidity - the wine doesn't manage to reach the impressive sense of harmony and complexity of the best vintages, even though this is nevertheless a terrific wine in its own right. Considering how the wine is 16 years old and some younger wines have felt already quite developed, this vintage is still going strong and most likely will continue to improve for another 10 years or even more. It's always possible that with enough age the wine might lose its most opulent, super-ripe fruit and replace it with finesse and additional complexity, but at the moment this wine feels a bit monolithic. A remarkably well-made and enjoyable for such, mind you. Priced somewhat according to its quality at approx. 75€.
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Christmas Day Family Lunch at Home (Our House, Hong Kong): On opening - Really impressively high quality cork, untouched by the wine except for the underside. Reddish-purple colour. Translucent. Slight sediment. Immediate nose of blueberries and tomato vine, anthracite, cold bitchumen and green peppercorn. Palate is very bitter 95% cocoa black chocolate, cold black tea, very bitter dried black Chinese medicine ingredients, gall bladder.
Xmas lunch - After overnight double decant....jeez, this is a stunner… stops you in your tracks. Tons of mellow fruit and a lot of complexity. Everyone loved this. 95
It remains in Runny's and my top place from some 20 wines we investigated as contenders for "The Next Grange?" 13-14 years ago. Hold.
Rich black fruit, flawless, and balanced with freshening acidity. Maybe I wasn’t paying sufficient attention, but there wasn’t anything that grabbed me beyond its enjoyability.
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From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 1 hour. Liqueur-like texture evident on decanting. Inexpressive from nose to finish, this monolithic, super-pure, black-fruited, über-concentrated monster is too fat even to purr, let alone actually move to accomodate any kind of food. Far too sweet to pair with salty, highly-spiced beef roulades in mustard sauce and rosemary potatoes, it finally seemed more or less OK with Stilton, indeed it worked with the cheese like a kind of young vintage Port (but without the tannins or complexity). Absolutely not my kind of wine, but the relatively high acidity suggests it might possibly be more palatable in 2035? 89-90P(?)
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Very smooth. But also a bit to much for me. Reminds me a little of South Italy wines. But super wellmade just not my style of wine. Great to taste it anyway. Still very much alive.
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Just about 3 years since the last bottle. Decided to pop another one. Decanted for 15 minutes.
Today we get the bright rich generous ruby red colour. On the nose, it’s more of the rich jammy red fruits, blueberries and other ripeness with oak nicely integrated. Hedonistic yet well balanced and mature. On the palette it’s what you would expect from the nose. More of the same and everything is in place and well integrated. With a long finish to boot. I always love Ben Glaetzer’s style and wine making prowess. If there’s one tiny blemish it’s the lack of complexity. But it’s expected from all new world regions. Regardless wonderfully made and pairs well on its own or with some of your favourite meals. Will easily last another decade. Enjoy to those who have a bottle to crack open.
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Decanted and showing moderate-plus sediment Showing the evolution and maturity on the nose. Notes of coffee rubbed dry aged red meats, earth, leather, herbs, cherry cola, dried blueberry, pepper, rendered double smoked bacon fat, dried violets, cocoa and lighter hints of innertube, blacktop and back olive notes.
On the palate tannins have fully integrated but are still firm. Acidity is moderate-plus as is the mid-palate density and alcohol of the wine. Flavors follow the nose and show evolved notes of earth, dried violets, dried herbs, leather, coffee, aged meats, cherry, plum, dried blueberry, cocoa, pepper and notes of rubber and creosote. The finish lingers.
Drinking well but past it's glory days in my opinion.
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Deep opaque Aubergine with slight bricking around the edges. Nose has cigar pencil cedar. Subtle perfume. Too hot on pop and pour but next day nice and silky. This Shiraz has a ton of fruit. Not jammy at all. Quite delicious but a bit too big with food. This is a sipper. Has life left to it
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Ultra rich black cherry and plum with roasted meat and sweet baking spice. Everything is powered by an intense old vine concentration that is the real star here. There is nothing subtle about this wine, and it will never be mistaken for Côte Rotie, but it’s so powerful and dense, while balanced (enough).
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Powerful expression of the terroir. Bouquet of dark berries, bitter chocolate and some XMas spices. Still structuring tannins with another decade of live left. Excellent Aussie Shiraz.
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Rich, high alcohol, very rich and ripe, certainly showing development, but the wine has depth, black berry and some aged strawberry notes. Good structure. I wonder if the alcohol might pop out as it ages, but currently this is outstanding, and may well improve.
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Mixed Wines Virtually (Home): Very dark purple color. PNP, poured into vessels for transport at 4:15pm and into glasses at 7pm. Drank a glass over 3.5 hours. The nose is very savory, blood and roasted meats, very dark, deep black fruits, blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, pepper. The palate is big, but well balanced, opulent and hedonistic fruits, blackberry liqueur, dark berries, pepper, round, long. This was even better the next day.
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Very deep garnet. Tiny amount of bricking. Nose of leather and earth. Very meaty wine. Very hot on first pop-n-pour. But mellowed out nicely on second day to show a wine with plenty of structure and fruit. Still a little too much alcohol for me. Notes of cedar and very dark berries. Next bottles I will let decant for at least 2 hours. This would go quite well with grilled beef
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J&C wedding at OneFarrer. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart. Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of chocolate, cassis, cedarwood, blueberry, black plum, black licorice, earth. Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), smooth high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of savoury earth, chocolate, cassis, creosote, black licorice, blueberry, black plum, black pepper. Big long finish. Very good quality. Very well-made, and nicely aged Barossa Shiraz. Prime drinking. Not for further cellaring (for my palate).
Pop and pour, some preferred out of standard syrah, most preferred the added strength and youth from a sommolier syrah. Tar, creosote and port-aged wood on the nosec, w a long, back-palate finish. 40 mins after opening (not decanted) This was stronger upon opening, and didn’t at all seem like a 14YO wine. Shows it’s age w a bit of air, but in an elegant way; finish just a bit softer
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Heavenly Barossa shiraz. Everything is there. It just delivers taste, velvet, body, length. I loved it from the first to the last drop. No hurry to drink it....
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Decanted to remove sediment, and to allow the wine to open. This bottle was purchased at auction (for $55 all-in) within the last 2 years. The cork was very slightly depressed, easily withdrawn, and wet to just under 1cm. Initial = on the nose there were only light whiffs of red fruit. The palate showed light red fruits that were overwhelmed by acidity. At 1 hr. & at 2 hrs. = increasing fruit on the nose and palate, but not ready yet. Began drinking at 3 1/2 hours = red fruits on the (not very exuberant) nose. More red fruits, some spice, balancing acidity, and just a touch of noticeable tannin on the medium bodied palate. Certainly a satisfying wine, but not nearly as much as the two bottles of 2004 enjoyed in late 2015/early 2016. This wine could hold for ?? years, but why wait.
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Drank a few weeks ago and did not take notes, so no proper tasting note here, but suffice to say that this has developed very nicely and is now much more balanced than in some years ago. Powerful and full bodied for sure, but surprisingly elegant with a nice acidity giving freshness to the wine. Great!
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Beautiful blackberry and licorice flavors. Nice acidity and great balance. Velvety tannins. Great density and saturation without any heaviness. This is still very young and vibrant without any noticable evolvement. Will be interesting to see how this will develop in the next 5-10 years.
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Delicious and beautiful? Absolutely, but a little tricky for me to rate. Defintiely a great example of the classic unapologetic Barossa Shiraz style; thick blue/black fruit on the nose (blueberry pie, plum, cassis, prunes) with echoes of maple syrup, pipe tobacco, and Kirsch. Nicely aromatic, I'd say it was gently wafting from the glass rather than exploding out. The palate was lovely if a little lacking in energy- the acidity thankfully increased over an hour or two in the decanter, but ultimately this didn't feel as alive/fresh on the palate as I'd hoped. Great texture and flavor, but lacking in verve. Despite the intensity/ripeness, it was very drinkable both with and without food.
If this was something like $50, I'd rate it a 94-95 easily, but at $80 (and that's a bit cheaper than the usual!) it was just a little out of balance, even if the fruit and oak were really lovely. Clearly well made, but for me it was in a similar ballpark as a Torbreck Struie or Mr. Riggs Shiraz from the same era (both similarly delicious but much cheaper) so not sure about QPR. Possible the bottle I bought wasn't kept in ideal conditions. Very curious to try another but not rushing to spend for it again just yet.
Raspberry and licorice notes. Superfine tannins. Still very young, fruity and vibrant. Not heavy or alcoholic at all. Nice complexity and nuanced flavors with prunes and olives on the finish. Very well crafted.
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Deep blackish orange red similar to the consistency of freshly drawn blood with a clear watery rim. The nose is clean, moderately intense with impressions of cool watery dark red, blue and black fruits with a touch of oxidation seamlessly integrated with mild tobacco and oak. The palate is unmistakably Australian, medium-bodied, extremely smooth and velvety which glides around the mouth effortlessly. It appears that the tannins have been entirely resolved and completely dissolved into the wine as testified by its silky texture and the abundance of residual tannin suspensions and on the bottom of the bottle; yet the wine still contains plenty of intensity to last for at least the midterm. The flavor components include luxurious aged fruits, moderate vanilla cream, tobacco, pepper, meat, blood, dried leaves and a bit of herbs. This iconic Barossa Shiraz has really come of age since the last two times I had it three years and six year ago. It’s really amazing to see how this wine has evolved from its early days when it still a big, bold tannic monster when I first tried it nine years ago back in ‘10. This is drinking at the peak of its prime now, a soft and graceful wine with plenty of power and intensity. Simply amazing!
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Cork was in perfect condition, slight bricking on the edge when poured; bottle not decanted.
Bit of black cherry on an otherwise non-descript nose. Very well balanced wine on the palate, and having a tough time discerning any particular flavors as well.
Originally sampled this out of regular Syrah stems and wasn’t quite sure if the wine was past its peak. Re-tried in sommelier Syrah glasses and concentration and structure both improved markedly; might be one of the most dramatic improvements I’ve had and side-by-side testing from regular and somm stems of the same varietal.
I’ve got two more bottles of this which I’ll drink over the next 6 to 12 months. Very impressive expression Sorock, whether new or old world.
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Massive shiraz, with a lot of savory characteristics. Surprising. Fruit gained weight as it got more air. Black fruit, earth, black olive, pepper and charcoal flavors. For 13 years old this was still drinking like a new wine. The drinking window is to be believed. Drink now - 2030.
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More Australian wine exploration in preparation for an upcoming trip. The Amon-Ra has a big fruity nose. On the palate this is more of the big fruited style of of Aussie Shiraz, there is acidity here so not gloppy but definitely fruit forward with some heat from the alcohol.
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Opened and decanted and then drank maybe an hour or so later. This was pretty intense given we had a Chateau des Tours Vacqueyras right before. Clearly from a warmer climate. More intense. Lots of fruit. Not totally overdone though. There's some backbone and acidity going. With even more time in the decanter it settled down even more and was in quite a nice place by the end of the night.
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First sip after popping the cork was a little tannic but revealed notes of brooding fruit and hints of secrets yet to be revealed.
After a restless wait of about an hour or so, we approached this liquid with hesitant anticipation, as our last encounter about 5 years earlier was not rewarding. (See previous tasting note.)
The nose was not very intense, but revealed ripe fruit, Coca Cola, and vanilla. In the mouth, super silky tannins, incredible balance, blueberry pie, and a symphony of expression with a little white pepper at the end.
Eleven years of cellaring this bottle was well worth the journey.
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The cork was well done, extra fat helped preserve the 12 years. Dark ruby color. Some heat on the nose. First sips were very syrupy! A big wine that covers your whole mouth with elegant feel. Getting lots of red fruit taste.Amazing!
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It’s been over 5 years since trying this. Popped and poured with a rib eye grilling steak. Decanted for 30min. The cork was black.
The nose is wonderfully integrated. Blueberries, cherries, tar, oak and some secondary notes. You can tell this wine is about quality and balance.
On the palette, same as the nose with still some grippy tannins. Everything is in a good place and most of all balanced!! Still many years of life ahead as this is built and structured with a solid foundation. A pleasure to open again.
Best final way to describe, its Thanos with his infinity gauntlet with the final stone to come :)
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Wonderfully textured, silky, slightly viscous, incredible concentration of dark red and purple Shiraz fruits, a long finish. Paired well w Asian tuna and fried rice.
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Number one wine of six syrahs at a blind high end tasting. Beautiful nose, taste, & finish. So smooth and velvety. Plenty of fruit with nicely resolved tannins & long finish. Black to red fruit, with forest floor, menthol, mocha, light pepper, etc. so glad I waited on this one!!
Australian icon wine: Big nose of dark fruit and coffee. Palate is sumptuous, with mouth coating texture, firm tannins, jammy, rich fruit, high acid, leading into a coffee and fruitcake spice finish. Should last another 10 years or so. Good drinking.
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Similar to my last notes. Again it surprises because it is a big powerful Barossa shiraz, but not a fruit bomb. The Amon Ra has structure and texture meaning you enjoy all the way to the end. I can't see any reason this will still be good in another decade.
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Be prepared for the big boy from Down Under. Lot's of everything. Big nose with cherry, blackberry and dried plum. Nice palate but to powerful for what I like. Big and tasty, screaming for roasted meat. Alcoholsharp finish. Parker loves it probably.
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A big wine with plenty of time still in the bottle. Deep, concentrated fruit. blackberries, dried plums, black cherries, blueberries, licorice and chocolate. Full bodied wine with a long finish.
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If you have this in your cellar now and are considering opening a bottle, I caution you WAIT. This was seriously closed down right now, even though I opened it 4 hours before and ran it through a vinturi twice. It did start to show some fruit only after 3 hours, so 7 in total after a double decant and double vinturi.
The oak and tannin have integrated well. The wine is unfiltered, so expect massive sediment that is silt like from charred oak. I have another bottle but I will wait another 5 years. I don’t have many wines from Oz down in the cellar, but have had my fair share of good and bad Shiraz. This has potential, but for now the most noticeable thing in the bouquet is ethanol, while the mouthfeel is quite silky and voluptuous, the fruit needs cellar time to re-emerge.
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Don's 50th: 14.5% alcohol but seemed like more; this probably summarizes my feelings best. This is a big wine, full of concentration and dark fruits. Would like to see more acidity to balance out the richness. Not particularly complex or nuanced.
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Awesome. Decanted for about an hour. Australian shiraz has historically been outside of my wheelhouse, but I've had great success with some of these higher end wines that have around 10 years of maturity. Opaque wine with vibrant red fruit and smooth but moderately-prominent tannins. Hold or drink now with decant.
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Christmas eve , very dark with mature Dark fruit in the nose. Licorice and vanilla , cigarbox and mint. When month go by without Shiraz , you love it for sure...
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Massive extraction, ripeness and lifted aromas. A nice amalgamation of old-school Barossa Shiraz, with its sweet, coconuty American oak and sweet and forward fruit, alongside an intense fruit purity, highish alcohol (14.5%) and a really strong tannic background that no doubt will give this wine an excellent ageing profile. Thick and intense. Pair this with simple food, such as grilled steak, and this will show vert well. Put it together with a more complicated dish, and the wine may easily compete. This will be lots of fun to follow. I have high hopes for improvement 92+
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Mixed Wines on a Smoldering Night (Irene's House, St. Paul): Very dark purple red color. Decanted for 2hrs, drank 1 glass over an hour. I've always like this wine and really all of Ben Glaetzer's wines. Despite a challenging ambient temperature, with just a cellar temp chill this was very lively and energetic on the palate. A somewhat hedonistic pleasure, the fruit is so lush and pretty, blackberries, blueberry, wood spices and mineral, and a savory top note on the nose. The palate is silky and structured, balanced well, no heat here, the same core of black and blue fruits layered and pretty, wood, graphite, and tar that lead into some pretty velvety tannins. My WOTN by a bit and group #2. 93+ to 94pts.
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Minneapolis Wine Club Comeback Tour: Excellent showing again. One of the most steady Aussie wines. Dark fruits, coffee, pepper and spice. Long finish and concentrated wine. Decanted 2 hours. Drink now or hold up to ten years.
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Dinner with Runny (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted 6 hours beforehand and drank over the next 3. Purple-red just starting to turn to crimson, densely opaque but just lightening a bit at the edges. Nose is discreet and muted - massive black/red brooding currant fruit, pencil lead and vegetable heap. Palate is "oh, wow!" - lovely medium acidic black/red cherry fruit freshness, fully integrated tannins, lots of structure and a wonderful linear purity. Lots of hauteur. Got sweeter and lusher with more time in the glass...got even more deeply plummy and lush, almost too lush. Still a baby in terms of its evolution. Hopefully it will tone down a little and harmonise between palate and nose over the next 10 years. It has been 2 years since I last drank this and its evolution has been glacially slow. It remains in Runny's and my top place from some 20 wines we investigated as contenders for "The Next Grange?" 9-10 years ago. Hold.
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Beautiful, lovely complex nose, of ripe black berries, blueberry, bramble-berry pie, mint, dry earth, decaying leaf, brine/salt, classic elements of a quality Barossa Shiraz. Palate has good repeats, again with the velvety consistency of fruits and earth elements typical of quality Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz. Almost a 4.5 star, I wouldn't want to see the tannins come down any further as they are just enough there to balance and back up the expectations set on the nose. Therefore, drink now!
The nose!
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I'm not entirely sure what I think about this. It's good, it's super concentrated, thick, and fruit driven (which I usually like), it's not over the top but it's still a bit jammy for sure. This is one of those wines where I feel like if you have more than a glass and a half you're asking for a massive hangover b/c of the sugar content.
Not as extracted as I'm afraid of. It's thick, big, muscular and silky with clear oak influence; but in general it's very polished and balanced with decent fruits and acidity. It will become better with time but I reckon it needs a decade to be significantly improved. A good Shiraz but need to be paired with foods.
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A wonderfully elegant wine that might just be coming to maturity. Had this over two days. First day. Cork was really stuck in there and had to be coaxed out. in fact, it destroyed my two prong extractor, turning it into a corkscrew. Deeply stained purple and almost black but no infiltration whatsoever. Nice aroma upon opening of richness and density. Poured through Vinturi and also dark in glass. Wonderful fruit and structure but not over extracted by any means. This wine looked like it was a good wine in the glass. I don't know how to explain that-how it looked like a high quality wine in the glass-but that was my impression. It just had that clean appearance and purity of color that it almost was radiant. Second day the fruit emerged even more and was even better with a taste of sweetness from perhaps the glycol. Last glass threw some small sediment. Other taster also remarked on how good a wine this was. WS states this should be drunk up to 2018 while WA indicates this is a 40 year wine. I agree with WA, as this showed no signs of fading or adverse falling off and the day old evolution of peak flavors. In fact, I wish I would have saved some for day 3 just to see if it was still maturing, but never made it. I think this might develop more but would venture no more than 10 years or so. Highly recommended.
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Deep ruby almost purple, pale rim, viscous legs. Pronounce complex aroma of eucalyptus, dried lavendar, sweet vanilla, blackberry, plum juice, mineral, cedar wood. Full body, high acidity and alcohol, quite obvious grainy tannins but ripe. On palate more prune, wood, red date, leather and black tea flavours noted. it has palate filling concentration but remains fine and quite focus, balanced, long. Finally at its drinking window now. Last taste 2 years ago when it was still a bit austere.
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I don't drink a lot of Aussie shiraz, but this was really good. Big but not over the top, deep fruit. I think it's in a really good place right now but you don't have to be in a hurry to open.
Day 2 review with spice, cedar, plums, graphite and blueberries. Very balanced effort and better on day 2 which means long life ahead on this one. Very tasty and not a fruit bomb. Drink now or cellar for 5 plus years. The 06 vintage is far superior to the 03 vintage which Parker gave 96-100. Also celebrating MN teacher of the Year candidate tonight. Will know in February if I am a finalist.
Had a quick taste at the Sampler. Huge and powerful nose with a bit of alcohol and lots of dark fruit. Very full bodied, powerful on the palate with ample fruit and a bit of heat. Not exactly my favourite type of wine these days, but I liked it a lot nevertheless. Still quite young so decant for hours or, better yet, cellar for a few more years. Would probably be a great match with barbecued meats or marinated ribs.
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Great Aussie shiraz. Full without being near to being over-extracted. Delicious clean black fruit with good acidity to provide balance. None of the savoury characteristics of a Rhone. Tannins strong but smooth and ripe. Delicious and drinking well now, though maybe even better in another 2 or 3 years.
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This will be a wine worth drinking in a two or three more years. It was full of flavor but it was still too young and has not peaked. The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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Nicely balanced rich Shiraz - this is entering its peak drinking window, dark fruit and spice on the nose, medium high acid, soft tannins, and a long finish. Fantastic now, but could easily go another 5 or more years in the cellar.
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I actually enjoed a few other vintages of Amon Ra but I thought the 2006 was rather flat and badly integrated. I did not enjoy this wine nor do I see much potential in it.
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Deep purple and ruby, big open nose with black current, dark cherry, full body, dark fruit, spice, perfect balance, long finish. Drinking very well, but will continue to develop.
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Drank along with a host of 1st class Shiraz (HOG, Grange, Astralis, Landonne, Runrig) and unfortunately didn't really stand up to them (to probably pipped the Landonne - my other wine :( )
Seemed a little volatile in terms of changed more than the others. Will sit on the last bottle.
Fascinating wine. Dark, teeth staining, juice. Strong menthol on the nose, menthol and cough syrup. After an hour, it mellowed considerably, nice, complex, and evolving. Enjoy.
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Dark purple red in appearance with a phenomenal and complex nose of dark red and blue fruits, menthol, peppery spice and a bit of cola. This wine is medium full, fresh candied fruits, rich but not overly thick or viscous whatsoever as in my previous experiences in 2013 & 2010 with this wine. The flavor profile ranges from young dark red and blue fruits, black pepper, a trace of freshly cut coriander and an inky, graphite finish that lingers on and on with hardly any impressions vanilla oak this time around. This top-notch Barossa Shiraz is drinking extremely well now and much more silky and refined than when I last tried it back in 2013. However the only flaw that I noticed then and now is the noticeable heat which is a bit excessive for my liking. In short, a wonderful and lively old-vine Aussie Shiraz with much power and elegance.
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This wine surprised me a bit. It is definitely powerful and concentrated, as any good Barossa Shiraz should be, but it also displays a level of refinement that is surprising. The palate has black fruits, cloves, and a little earthiness. It finishes very dry (after a decent length) which is really why I am enjoying it so much.
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High Scoring Aussies (Edina Country Club, Edina, MN): Very dark purple red color. Decanted for 2 hours, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. This was the hedonistic wine of the night for me. IT hit on the fruit cylinders for sure. Plenty of black fruit, cassis, blackberry, with nice savory notes with blood meal on top of the spice box. The palate flows with similarities, black fruits, cassis, black berry, glycerin, savory, charcoal, mint and amazing depth on a long finish. My #2 WOTN and group #3.
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Aussie's at Edina Country Club (Edina): Teeth staining dark. Not too giving on the palate at first. Rich, plush fruit cake and huge alcohol. Not much complexity. Oaky, sweet and quite long. The group's #3
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unfiltered wine with almost 10 years bottle aged. opened and bottle breathed for 7 hours. strong nosing and palate - red fruit, plum, cigar box, mushroom integrated with vanilla of american oak very high alcohol with medium + acidity and firm tannin give a balance structure. Classic Barossa Shiraz blend with Viognier. still years to go for wine development
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Decanted. Dark wine with no visible age signs. Blackberry and oak influence on the nose. Integrated and supple, oak and alcohol kept in check with a subdued quality and acidic backbone. Excellent, but I've had Amon-Ras in the past with more depth and complexity.
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This is a classic, well made Barossa Valley Shiraz. Big, dense and in your face, but really well balanced for this style. Drinking well after a couple of hours of double decanting with exceptional depth and length. This is in a very good place for me right now, and while I think this has many years ahead of it, I think I'll drink up my last bottle in the next few years, before the fruit starts taking a turn towards stewed. Excellent!
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Dinner with Friends (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted for 7 hours before serving to accompany four rich Italian cheeses. Colour is totally inpenetrable black-red. Nose defies specificity....rather like when drinking a First Growth from a great vintage......just a fugue of sensations like Miles Davis playing a trumpet on the theme of 'purple'. The palate has an immediate acid-fruit balance followed by an incredible tsunami wave of total capitulation. No subtlety but amazing harmony......An Awesome Wave. Runny and I uncovered this in our 'The Next Grange' hunt 6 or 7 years ago. Wow, wow..... I was blown away by this tonight. 96+
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Didn't take tasting notes, but it left an impression I still remember four days after consuming. Interesting gradation in the wine, at least 4 distinct hews from the center out to the rim, which is indicative of its age. While it has big, bold fruit, it also had distinct floral and earthy notes of violets, lavender, licorice and graphite. The tannins were well integrated when we started drinking it after a 4.5 hour decant. The wine is in a nice place right now and has a few years remaining before it starts going down hill. However, if you have time to decant for at least 3 hours before drinking I don't think there is a need to wait. There doesn't seem to be any aspects of the wine that haven't full evolved yet and there is nothing out of sorts about its profile. All time will do is thin things out. Overall a very nice wine and an especially complex one for a big Aussie Shiraz. That said, it does not warrant its price tag.
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Decanted for 6 hours and then drank slowly over the next 3 hours. Wine was better the longer it had been opened. Nicely layered plum, blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, thyme, mocha, and coffee aromas. Big, rich, elegant and dry.
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great aussie shiraz. this wine was lovely when young but now its even better. its gone from a fruit bomb with potential to pure charm & sophistication . will keep going. splendid
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Amazing purity of red fruit, balance and intensity! A marvellous effort!
Nose is very young, huge, with the richness of Oz Syrah but with restrained licorice/anise seed elements. Rich (!!!) with red berries, tobacco, black tea and a thyme-like herbal quality. Awesome! In the mouth this is YOUNG! However young it is, this is definitely a wine with everything accounted for, in place and with utter balance. Tannins M+, acids M++, M+ body and quite dramatic. Intense and other-worldly and not an old-school Aussie-extracted hefty gal. The rich aroma prophile fits the wine perfectly (as we knew the label bf tasting: pls don't take our word for it) and we enjoyed it with all dishes except the fois gras, where instead '89 Suduiraut saved the day. Long, lingering, hiding the EtOH well, carrying its immaturity with grace. I prefer the 2005, but that's more personal taste than quality. Wife: 97p. At stunning ** L'Effervescence (Tokyo).
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it has been 4 years since my last bottle, and this was really peaking, IMO. Bursting with blackberry and blueberry, there is grilled meat and cinnamon on the nose and finish when tasted. This style of wine was not for everyone but I loved it.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Huge Barossa blackberry and plum fruit, intensely juicy and hovering at the brim of ripeness, typical of Ben Glaetzer's wines, wet gravel, finishes with strong green tannins. Not a complex wine, but very good drinking. Drink now-2020.
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I had had this wine many times over the years - it has never knocked my socks off. I guess my expectation was high and its a little disappointing. Its certainly a good wine - just not great. Maybe needs more time?
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Pop and pour. This is a huge wine with tons of fruit and high alcohol. It has a ton of flavor, it hits you over the head. If you like this style, it is a winner.
Practically oozes out of the bottle. Can't see through the wine due to non-filtration, has gritty mouthfeel like turkish coffee. Rich and powerful flavors of tobacco and earth. A deep wine with a long finish. For the hedonist.
This is an OMG-I-shouldn't-open-this-on-a-weeknight wine. Very dark and opaque, still showing purple with bright red edges. Nose is developing with smoke, earth, thyme, every sweet black fruit ever grown, and a bit of cigar box. Palate is big and creamy with beautiful tannins and a bright acidity that gets lost behind all that action. Very long finish. This is true love!
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I opened this at our 6/20/14 smoked beef brisket dinner. It had a beautiful, deep, layered and expressive bouquet of plum, blackberry, boysenberry, smoked meat, licorice, thyme, herb, spice, mocha, cocoa and coffee aromas. The palate was big, rich, elegant and dry with flavors of plum, blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, herb, spice, mocha, cocoa and coffee...fabulous.
Huge concentration. Lots of oak and extracted fruit. Tannins still firm. This has lost some of the gloss from its youth, however there is no rush to drink.
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Lots of bitter notes that pushed my rating lower. Of course, abundant fruit as well, and substantial tannins. More time won't hurt. A couple more bottles in the cellar, so I hope for better opinions with the next bottle.
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I shouldn't have drunk the entire bottle on a Friday evening... but then again this was so good. This went beautifully with lamb / mustard sauce. Australian, concentrated, creamy. Highly recommended and still young.
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Decanted about 1,5 hours. Initially a bit tight but started to unwind with some more airtime.Decent nose of blackberries and cassis. Medium bodied, succulent and smooth palate, delivering vibrant dark berries (mainly blackberries) with firm acidity and smooth tannins as well as notes of licorice. Evolved into a seamless and balanced package. Awesome stuff!
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Decanted for 6 hours. Perfumed nose. Big wine with dark cherries, cocoa and earth. Tannin, fruit, and alcohol are perfectly integrated. This wine is in a perfect place. No need to wait any longer.
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This was a delicious wine that had us saying yum with every sip. Plenty of blackberry fruit but the wine never becomes jammy or over the top. The acidity on the midpalate somehow sweeps away the sweetness and leads into a long very tasty finish.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #086; Syrah/Shiraz worldwide. (By BS): Ruby red. Beautiful bouquet with ripe red and dark forest fruits and some sweetness. On the palate a concentrated wine with a lot of sweetness, ripe dark forest fruits, mint, sweet spices, cinnamon and also a very good amount of pleasant acidity and soft tannin. Overall a beautiful and harmonious wine with good complexity and finesse. Ready now and with a future of several years. Until 2018 at least.
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Dark purple, black. Nose and palate of dark unsweetened prunes and raisins, incredible concentration, a long finish. not too sweet or overdone - just a delicious wine.
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I can’t ever recall ever tasting a wine in this extroverted style with such balance and ….. grace(?) Yes, that’s the best word I can come up with. Unapologetically Barossa Shiraz, with powerful, dark blackberry fruit that leaves an immediate impact of enjoyment. But where a lessor wine would quickly burn out the taster with an excessive amount of a good thing, this wine somehow avoids that. I’m not sure how to be completely honest. But it did, it is very complex, multilayered, and just damn fun to drink. Sadly, I have yet to see Amon Ra fall the way of so many Australian Shiraz’s in the discount bin, which makes them an expensive acquisition for future purchases, but this is clearly some serious winemaking, and probably worth the current asking price.
This wine from Ben Glaetzer is really always amazing. Nicely balanced for a barossa Shiraz with some really attractive fruit hanging on a supple structure.
A little more developed than when I last had this back in July 2010. This time around, the fruit seems to be more integrated with the other components of the wine which gives it a more polished and sophisticated presence. This is still a big, brawny wine but it seems to be developing a refined, cultured side. Impressions of candied and dried black fruit, camphor, tobacco, moist soil, graphite and damp leaves were quite pronounce on the nose. On the first day, a delightful rich vanilla cream was present behind the fruit, however on the second day it seemed to have dissipated. Overall, a stunning, powerful yet feminine wine with plenty of life in it. Yes, very Northern Rhone indeed, but with a Barossa Valley Twist. The only draw back is the excessive alcohol which seems to be a wee bit too much.
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Decanted 3 hours and rebottled. Huge nose of ripe blueberry fruit. Very smooth mouthfeel with lots of black cherry and blueberry fruit on the palate. The fruit is quite concentrated but is not to the point of being jammy or over the top. Notes of white pepper, tobacco and spice. Long finish with moderate tannins. Came over as being quite primary to me and i felt like it needs a few more years to really come together although it is excellent now with a few hours of air time. This is a big wine and is built for the long haul. (92+ pts).
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Wow, WOTN. Dark maroon/ruby. Plenty of ripe (not overripe) cherries, rhubarb, wonderful acidity, perfectly balanced. 30+ second finish. This is in a restrained, thoughtful style, rather than an over the top style. Bravo!
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Incredible wine and for me WOTN. It is by far one of the better balanced wines I have had from Australia. Very delicious wine. Gripy tanins. I didn´t got a lot on the nose. Decanted 2 hrs and I think it needed 4 more...maybe! Among : Carnival of love 09, Elderton command 05, Bellas Garden 07, the Amon-Ra was either WOTN or #2. Elderton command is an incredible wine as well....Carnival of love is just a very very fun wine to drink, I loved it.
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One of the highly anticipated wines in my cellar I've been dying to try after buying it and aging over 5 years ago. It is now the greatest shiraz I've tasted. The colour is dark ruby with some light purple hues. The nose is of tar, cherries and cassis. Very concentrated. On the palette wow!! First impressions, Its so smooth and absolutely delicious. Sweet fruits with tons of complexities. Very refined and balanced. Tannins are still a little grippy. Gorgeous wine!! Not overripe or overpowering. I've had heartland director's cut, wallace, bishop and mitolo GAM. This one is in its own league. I love bordeauxs and this one is different but will be my go to shiraz for special occasions. Love it! And glad to still own many more bottles. Amazing shiraz. BTW - didn't decant. 97-98 points. 2003-2007 are probably the better Amon Ra vintages.
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very similar to the vintage of 2004, it's ready now. Bottle decanted for 4 hours, smells of black fruit, mint, a little bit oak and earthy. Smooth tannins with a bit high but nice acidity. Long after tasting.
it is nice but actually a bit boring.
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Dark red almost black; inviting nose with dark berries, a bit of vanilla, subtle; soft, silky, subtle black pepper, deep and profound, very accessible and despite high alcohol content (14.5%) no hint of jamminess - on the contrary quite refined almost feminine; long nice fruity aftertaste; excellent
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I have tasted this wine twice - back in 2008 and in 2012. In 2008 it needed 3 hours in decanter to open up and what a lovely complex wine showing multiple layers of dark fruit, spice, floral notes, vanilla, plum and tobacco on both nose and palate with a + 60 second finsih, rating 95-97.
In 2012 it seems to have closed down in a deep sleep that even a +4 hours decanting and additional +2 hours in glass cannot wake it from. It is far less complex revealing only dark fruit and some spice on the palate with an even lighter nose - medium finsh 20-30 sec. rating 91-92. There was a half bottle left which was recorked in put in the refrigerator for next day. On day 2 it was more open showing much more of the stuff from 2008.
My guess is, that Parker might not be completely wrong on this one, it just needs at least 10 years from now to evolve, as many other great wines which doesn't comes to their right if opened too early.
Extremely dark brooding color. Dark cherry, dark chocolate, some black pepper notes as well. Rich palate with more spice and super black fruit. Nice integration of tannins and a lively acidic finish. Could have more balance on the back end, but for a big Aussie Shiraz this is nice. Definitely way overrated by Parker and others, but still shows nice quality aromatics and flavors... BUT, wouldn't pay $100 for it.
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Might not have decanted this one long enough. A beautiful wine as always but noticed the bite of the tannins more than usual. As always this wine seems to blend beautiful red fruit with elegance, structure, and finish. This wine is drinking well now but continues to show that it has the legs to last a long time yet.
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popped and poured ,very red , green pepper taste to it , this guy needs more time i think , seemed nice but....... need to try this next day or another time
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30 minute decant. If you could gene sequence a perfect Barossa shiraz and then build it into a bottle of wine then this would be pretty close. Extremely big, rich and ripe fruit underpinned by a fine layer of tannins supporting a complex multi-layer structure. Extremely clean dark fruit, quality oak and an extremely glossy finish and mouth feel. Every facet is totally seemless.
If you are looking at this as a pedigree example of its kind you cannot fault it and it would win all the rosettes in the show. However there is the impression that this is so highly polished that even the smallest blemish sticks out like a sore thumb. But there aren't any. Objectively faultless, subjectively it feels just a little over-engineered and lacks some charisma.If you like to score on technical ability and outright quality it is hard to not to look towards 100. If you prefer a bit of excitement, character and personaity it's 90 at best. It's like a copy of the Mona Lisa with all the wrinkles removed. Certainly impressive
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Lamb Roast At The Lawrence House (Palo Alto, CA): Huge in the nose, huge in the mouth. Really rather overwhelming stuff. Not sure what I'd pair this with; probably best on its own. Didn't have a chance to explore flavors or nuances with this coming at the end of a long night. For me, even top notch Aussie Shiraz is wasted; like Joan Miro, I can appreciate the art and the quality, it's just not to my taste. But this is a very well made wine.
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Opened and decanted for an hour, consumed over the next two.
First things that come to mind is the wine’s amazing unctuousness and really the only word is density. This is a thick, mouth coating wine. Dark almost concord-grape skin purple in colour with tinges towards black. When I opened it and poured a little into a glass I thought “Okay, this will be a huge fruit bomb, probably nice, but a fruit bomb none the less. You just don’t get colour like that unless it’s a fruit bomb…”. I’m happy to say that I was pretty much wrong. Yes it’s huge, yes it’s fruity and juicy but it has so much more going on. It’s like a regular, medium bodied wine is a bowl of consommé, lots of nuance, but mild and you have to search your mouth for all the veiled flavours. The Amon-Ra is then a big spoonful of Hoisin sauce, or Marmite (maybe vegemite seeing as it’s Aussie…). I’m not saying there is a tonne of Umami (though there is quite a lot) it’s just the sheer volume, depth and amount of different flavours that is amazing. Almost overwhelming.
Flavour wise, yes as said a lot of fruit. Mostly blueberry and blackberry. Some cherry (especially on the nose) as well as berry compote (though doesn’t quite get to cooked berry jaminess). Playing against the fruit is a lot of forest flavours. Some mushroom, a little wet earth loaminess, a fair amount of oak and the resulting vanilla (which is verging on sweet) and a little bit of toast. Playing above all of that (especially again on the nose) is a strong floral element. I’m not up on my distinct flower smells, but I wouldn’t call them either white flowers or roses. Finish is all coffee, cocoa and white pepper and very very long. There is enough acid and structure to stop the wine from being overly ponderous but it will never be a refreshing drink. In many ways (maybe not so much flavour profile but in other ways) it reminded me of a 2002 Harlan Maiden brought to an offline last summer (though the Amon-Ra wasn’t quite as heavy).
I’m very glad I have more of them. This is my 1st so I don’t know what it was like a few years ago but I don’t see it falling off anytime soon and I will drink the remainders anytime over the next decade.
I gave it a 95, a little less weight and a touch more acid potentially would have given it a point or two gain. This really is good stuff. My wife's palate gave it near perfection.
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This wine continues to amaze me at how smooth it is! We decanted for about 15 minutes and tasted how elegant it was on the palate. Silky, blueberry, cherry, long finish.
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Amon-Ra Vertical (Kevin's House): A very good showing and this wine will improve and might eclipse the 04 in quality. This is the third time trying this wine and always solid. Floral, spice, blueberries, wood and minerals. Picked up a white pepper note on the palate and long finish. Concentrated wine and the only wine that kept improving over the course of three plus hours. Hold.
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Amon Ra Vertical (2002-2006) (Kevin's House): 3 hour dbl. decant. Nose: Stone minerals and dark fruits. Fairly tight even after a healthy decant. Palate: Stone fruits with good minerality. Others really dug this but I felt it really didn't come out that much as it needs time. Solid wine but give it 2-4 years before thinking about opening, and when you do I think extended decanting would be in order, even then. 93+ point potential easily.
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Amon Ra Vertical 2002-2006 (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Very dark purple-red color. 3 hr decant. Drank 1+ glass over 2.5hrs. This was still tight and woody initially, so we aerated it again after about 30 minutes and that really calmed it down. The nose became much more vibrant with a lovely dusty, cedar quality, florals came out too, along with big black fruits of cassis, blackberry, some meat and scorched earth, and much later some of the earthy quality of the '04. The palate still shows some tannin, though they are not harsh, nice concentration, layered black fruits, lots of pepper on the long finish. This did not show nearly as well as the last bottle we had (that one had a 1 hr decant FWIW). Initially this seemed tight despite the long decant and not ready to fully play, the last aeration made a significant difference. Still this was outstanding, and I will update a day 2 note. Day 1, 93pts.
Ok, day 2 brought out what I saw in this wine the first time. The rich nose with depth and nuance was there. The palate evolved to show incredible depth, beautiful full fruit and impeccable balance and elegance that was not there on day 1. 95pts, still my #2 WOTN a hair behind the '04.
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This drinks as advertised with full-on fruit. I am going to wait 3 years before trying another just to see if it evolves into another type of experience.
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This is not about what you smell or taste but how much. How many grapes can be put in a bottle of wine? A big boy and I was afraid that it would not have finesse. Well, it has'nt but it is a very nice wine to drink. Very full bodied and a lot of everything. Also alcohol and that is a little annoying when you smell and in the finish. However... a great bottle of wine!
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For what it is, which is a big burly Aussie Shiraz, it's pretty damn good. Not for the weak-palated folks out there. If you like this style of wine, this will really be something you enjoy. For me, maybe not my cup of tea but even so, I still enjoyed it.
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OMG. *This* is why I'm a wine lover, and a lover of Aussie Shiraz from Barossa, and of Ben Glaetzer. What a wonderful experience. Complexity and fruit. Let's leave it at that. Outstanding! (91.5).
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This wine seems still a little young. Hoping that it would open up but didn't quit get there. The fruits tend to be a little bitter. I am going to let this wine cellar for a bit longer and try again. Not sure that this wine is going to live up to the expectations.
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Dark and brooding, and after a 2 hour decant earth, violet and cherry aromas are plentiful. Mushroom, plum and vanilla with touches of coffee and cocoa on the voluptuous palate. dark cherry, earth and cocoa finish with a creamy texture. Balanced, and elegant. Acidity and alcohol both keep pace with the tannins.
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This is still very young, but it drank very well with our ribeyes and amongst the other Syrahs. Dark in color, but the fruit is red/blue, with supporting tannins. Some tar and violets provide balance to the fruit. Withe NWA at Gulfstream.
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Opened this bottle thinking it would be a great "closer" after an afternoon of whites and reds with dinner. However, it seemed overpriced for what it delivered - dark, bitter fruit but not a whole lot else. Shiraz at lower price points seems to compare well with this, so I was a bit disappointed in light of the price.
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Jammy berry compote, prune, searing fuel aspect on the nose. Concentrated roasted plum, prune liqueur palate with an artificial plastic aspect as well. Decent acidity, a touch medicinal, and just too far off the rails on the concentration scale. Nothing subtle or restrained here.
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Favourite wine of the Amon Ra vertical we did. Very well structured with beautiful red fruit. I found this very open and approachable. Great depth of flavour but still had an elegant finish. Drinking really well right now but will obviously last for a long time to come.
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A very nice wine just missing that something special which kept it out of higher 90s. Very dark, fruit forward wine with tones of raw vanilla and velvety tannins that keep the aftertaste lasting a good minute. Lacked complexity and very dirty wine (left a good inch of wine in the bottle yet my last glass was a train wreck, tons of sediment left in the glass).
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I can't think of anything negative to say about this wine. (Except perhaps that this wine is heavier than those I typically seek out -- but one can hardly blame the wine for that!) Intensely perfumed nose with floral scents, blackberries, medicinal herbs and toast. On the palate, it is a full-on assault of fruit, but so plush it rather feels like I've been trampled on a red carpet. Still on the young side, but it is already complex and very approachable. I don't (or rather, can't) drink shiraz too often, but I'm sure I've stumbled on a very good example of it.
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Popped and poured. Dark purple color with an initial iodine nose that softened into blueberry, coffee and raspberry. Initial coffee and blueberry flavors with a hint of clove. Stunning complexity. Four of us liked this wine with similar notes. Needs minimally 5 more years of cellar time.
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Popped, filter-decanted and enjoyed over a few hours. Dark, opaque, purple in color. Inky. Currently, I recommend decanting for two hours before consuming. This is a great wine, but still a bit young, edgy and raw. Strong senses of blackberry, raspberry, some unripened green fruit, plumb and it evolves well with some breathing time. Fruit predominates the midpalate and it hits you firmly with more layers of dark fruit, espresso and dark chocolate. The finish is of good length and has a pleasing green, tannic bite. Well balenced and well built. Although approachable now, I would recommend a couple of more years of cellar time. Great Aussie Shiraz with a bright future!
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High Scoring Aussies Offline (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple color. Stunningly good wine. Absolutely beautiful. The nose just shines with lovely blueberries followed by creme de cassis, plum, mulberry, earth, oak, and spices. The palate is so plush and round in the mouth, full bodied with layers of fruit balanced by spices, oak and round well integrated tannins. Extraordinary finish. Decanted one hour prior and served at 64 degrees. This was head and shoulders above everthing else tonight and that says a lot. Hedonistic pleasure! My WOTN, group WOTN with 19 of 21 pts.
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Amazing Aussie Wines (Kevin's House): Very complex wine but the nose does not do the palate justice. Blueberries, coffee, spice and floral notes. Concentrated palate and medium to long finish. Really integrated wine and really no flaws. Impressive!
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Lots of blueberries and blackberries, some spice and vanilla flavors with lively acidity. Alcohol well integrated, but just did not live up to the RP hype, no WOW factor here.
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Aussie Gems (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): On the nose this was full and rich with blueberry jam, blackberry, baking spice and a hint of vanilla. There is a lot of material here but it is very primary. On the palate this is lush and broad, but with enough acid and a good tannic grip which I think will allow for a nice development over time. It is very young. The mouthfeel is both rich and velvety while the wine gives way to a long lingering finish. It is good right now if you're in the mood for a fruit bomb, but I think this wine has the stuffing to mature into something really interesting.
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Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): Dark, brooding nose of blueberries, black cherry jam, vanilla and warm spices. Incredibly pure tones of dark fruits and spice flow across the palate with silken texture. This is incredibly tightly woven, dense, and unforgiving. While the level of extraction is high here, the purity of the fruit keeps the wine palatable for me. Alcohol wasn't an issue for me here either, so that was good. Overall, I'd like to revisit this wine in 10 years as I think its density and tannin will soften and reveal some truly complex wine.
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Big fruity juicy bomb. Nose of leather, liquorice, Tobacco and obviously loads of dark fruit. Acidity good at killling some sweetness. Ok bomb, but not worth parkers 97 points.
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Bu après plusieurs bouteilles, alors mes papilles étaient possiblement fatiguées. Encore une fois, une splendide bouteille. Un ensemble de grande qualité. La robe est dense, très foncée. Le nez est sur les mûres, les petits fruits noirs, notes vanillées, épices, wow. En bouche, c'est soyeux, l'alcool ne ressort pas (15,7%), ça caresse le palais, la finale est très longue.
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This was muted with high alcohol heat upon opening, but after a couple of hours it really showed its pedigree. The alcohol is not disturbing, but let's remain serious, this bottle cannot hide the high voltage 15+% alc. That is simply not possible, or I am really sensitive to the perception of alc. in wine... Perhaps not entirely my thing (I like a cooler expression of shiraz more), but whoow this is some excellent aussie shiraz in its stylenand I am very glad to have a couple of bottles of this left. This is not a mere polished fruit bomb like let's say the hedonistic Clio monastrell (which I like frome time to time), but offers more complexity and more spicy,mocha, baconlike flavours,. lot's of tannins so this will be fine over te next 10 yrs I guess. Looong finish, with some heat (I concur with Bambam on this). I should buy a couple of these from other vintages as well.
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This has improved with another year in the cellar. The alcohol on the nose has subsided but it still leaves a shadow on the finish. It has a strong fruit component with Blueberries, Blackberries, Vanilla, and a touch of pepper. The texture on this wine has always been awesome and it just seems to be getting better. I am looking forward to opening another bottle a few years from now.
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Le vin est violet, très noir, robe impressionnante de part sa couleur profonde et de part sa densité à l'oeil. Au nez, on retrouve du gâteau aux fromages à l'ouverture qui s'estompe après quelques minutes pour faire place à un éclat de fruits noirs, framboises, cerises, moka. En bouche, c'est là que ça se passe, oufff!!! C'est grandiose. Malgré, 15.7% on ne ressent aucune présence de chaleur ou d'alcool dérangeante. C'est vif, à la fois très concentré et d'une telle précision, une fois avalé on dirait avoir affaire avec une queue de paon tellement ça explose de saveurs à ce moment tout en étant structuré et qui ne tombe pas dans la caricature des australiens confits (que je n'aime vraiment pas pour le préciser). Un vin immense qui passera l'âge adulte sans problème. Un choc gustatif pour ma part, j'ai adoré.
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Hard to score this wine. Quite dumb on opening, after 30 minutes, developed chilean style aromatics, after an hour developed significantly further. A slightly odd note at the back end of the nose - almost plastic like - an odd note to the oak. Gives a feeling of excitement on the tongue initially - a slight spritz. This continues to develop in the glass, gaining depth and richness - giving the overall impression of blueberry and custard danish - though the richness balanced - I guess by acidifaction. There is smokiness on the palate, but even this seems sweet. All integrated, but within this sweet context. After 5 hours, very interesting - retains its initial impression, but developing more spice notes - hard to put a finger on some of the flavours this is throwing up. It has also become much hotter on the nose. Obviously very well made, and an intriguing wine - though not to my taste, and somewhat wasted at this point. I see little point in opening my remaining bottle < 10 years. At the moment, this may pair well with Chinese food, I found it did magical things with intensely savoury food. Tasted this again the next day, and this has gained a lot of complexity - vegetal notes, which in the sweet context which is still present, reminds me of beetroot - also licorice and tar - a very interesting wine to drink. On day three - this has really come together - complexity was a t a peak on day two, but it is more integrated on day three - rich and unctuous (too much so for me), but a stunning wine all round and one of the most remarkable wines I have tasted. Upped the score based on day 2 and 3 tasting - but a good example of why style is much more inportant than points.
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Opened, decanted for 2 hrs. Dark velvety purple to the rim. Huge nose of blueberry, raspberry, vanilla-mocha and spicy notes that fills the room. Huge on the palate as well - blueberry the dominant fruit w cherry, mocha-chocolate, vanilla, peppery spice and some anise notes that i did not find in my last tasting. Big, big wine in the mouth but very smooth and well integrated. Long, long finish.
Tasted w several other Aussie Shiraz and scored it lower than my last bottle - just where it fit in the flight - kneecapped by a Grange & Hill of Grace. Still an extraordinary Shiraz and classic if you like this style - think i will pair it up with kindred spirits next time...
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Intense and complex. On the nose I get a surprising amount of menthol along with typical Shiraz aromas of ripe blackberries and raspberries. On the palate: Chocolate covered cherries and a little bit of heat. And more menthol. Evolves impressively in the glass- a new aroma or flavor reveals itself each sip. Not for the faint of heart- this is a big boy. Perhaps it will mellow with age.
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The Amon Ra ’06 is an incredibly thick, intense and concentrated monster of a wine. Its color is reddish black and viscosity is reminiscent of freshly drawn blood. Only after a 5 hour decant does its amazing complexity begin to emerge evoking the sensation of luscious blueberries, ripe boysenberries, menthol, dark chocolate and black pepper on the nose as well as the palate. At this juncture, the wine is still in its infancy with a lot of growing up to do. Perhaps another 5 to 10 years of cellar time to do wonders for this wine of great depth, power and balance. This is definitely a big, bold and beautiful old vine shiraz of massive proportions that will continue to develop over the next several decades.
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Decanter 3 hours. Darker and younger looking than anything Bottled we have seen. 95;95 and black. Coating the glass. Dark,black, roasted nose. On palate it is dense, concentrated, rich and incredibly intense. Sweet core but dark ashy backnotes. Almost like a liqueur in Intensity. Aftertaste, however, is not too sweet, it cleans up with some salt and bitterness, this is a serious wine! Does not change anything over 4hours. Maybe more complexities in 5more years? 96p.
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Three Blind Flights Dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Tasted blind but knowing it was one of two serious big Aussie Shiraz. Totally inpenetrably opaque purple/black colour. Huge nose of "velvet blackberries" and intense blueberries.....very powerful. Palate is not thick but is plush velvet, rounded, hugely mouthfilling and sweet, rounded and with incredibly pure intense blueberry and blackberry fruit. High alcohol and a very Californian fruit-driven richness but with the tones of leather and some green capiscum and eucalyptus that identify it as Aussie shiraz...... "but not as we know it, Jim". There is a fascinating intensity you would normally call jammy but in this case it comes with a jelly-like lightness. The length is all huge resounding bass notes like a church organ playing Bach. This is a very young wine and we put it hurriedly through a Vinturi two hours before drinking because our instruction to decant 8 hours in advance had been overlooked. Hard to score........I was toying with 91 or not to score at all when it suddenly blossomed and started to reveal its true whole self. Gosh.......
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Good, but not quite as good as I expected. I think the fact that it was only decanted 2 hours before drinking was not in it's favour. Definitely a beautifully made wine, and will grow in quality of experience over time. Good nose with fruit showing through, and a delightfully silky palate that lasts and lasts. I think 6 months at least before I approach the next bottle.
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Simply STUNNING,loaded with red berries that cascaded through my mouth and ended with a long finish of dusty chocolate covered fruits of the forest. These wines from Ben Glaetzer are some the best Shiraz we have ever had from down under.Had after the storms of the century in Maryland.
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Decanted 3 hours. Outstanding wine! The best Austraian wine I've ever tried. Lots and lots of fruit but exremely well balanced. Amazing long consistant finish.
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Color: Black Nose: Huge nose with black pepper, blackberries, smoke, oak Taste: Crushed rock, black pepper, blackberries, smoke, intense Finish: Long and concentrated wine Evaluation: With the exception of the Tim Smith Shiraz this is the best Australian Shiraz under $100 96 points
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P&P at a restaurant in Makati with Peter & Max. Dark purple black, looks as thick as motor oil in the glass and stains it all at the same time. Vapors of tar, licorice, vanilla, and just like smelling the old fashioned purple hard candy, sticking your head in the glass jar at the 5 &10, taking a Whiff. The palate is silky, rich but not heavy, layers of rich black, blue fruits, in a heavy syrup that is made from it's own juice. It is big, graceful, complex.
The bottle lasted lest than hour, my last sip before moving on to the 9 Bishops was smoky, developed the bright dark red fruits on the palate, and the tannins, the structure started to emerge. A very well made wine.
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Decanted for about two hours or so…this is the wine that started it all for us and we were reminded why last night.
The first snowfall of the season occurred last night and I thought it would be nice to pop something rather robust; my wife arrived home to a decanter full of Ra and produced a smile ear to ear.
So balanced for such a huge wine with all the fruit, smoke, spices, acid and tannin you could pack into a bottle...just fantastic.
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Did not decant but let it breathe for 1 hr. Nose was black licorice, blueberry, and alcohol. Texture was awesome. Surprising amount of acidity which helped maintain great balance for such a big wine. Wonderful finish. The wine is approachable now but will probably benefit from more time in the cellar. The alcohol on the nose is the ONLY thing that keeps me from giving this a classic score.
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Had to put my dog down this weekend so wanted something nice to make a toast to him. Shared by four of us it didn't last long. Upon open it was tight and the alcohol was noticable. About an hour later it was singing, and by two hours it was perfect. So much better then my last bottle of 2006 Amon ra. Paired up with a 2005 Schilds estate shiraz, which was also showing really well.
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This is an amzing Shiraz! It is loaded with fruit, but still balanced with great structure. I think it will only improve over the next couple of years, because it took a couple of hours before it really opened up. I still have two bottles remaining, but I will be looking to buy even more.
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Decanted for three hours and probably should have waited longer. Hints of vanilla on the nose, integrated fruit and nice mouthfeel and finish. All in all a really nice wine, but consumed too young. Will only improve.
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Opened and decanted for 90 minutes. Deep, deep purple to the edge; vanilla & blueberry on the nose initially, opening up over several hours. this is a big wine, even for Amon Ra; huge in the mouth, almost chewy. On the palate: Blueberry dominant, with vanilla, peppery spice and mocha, hints of oak early that faded.
Hard not to compare this to the '05; it seems bigger but far more youthful, somehow bigger than the '05 was at the same stage. It is missing some of the early smoothness of the '05, and does not have the same licorice and mineral notes showing but for all of that it is has a lot of complexity and is well integrated. After 4 hours of air the wine just begins to show it's potential - i just love the mocha-espresso notes. It may exceed the '05 over time. If you are a fan of big Aussie Shiraz this is a must-have
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Long finish, very dry, generous blend and extremely smooth. Bold, rich flavor and color, fantastic throughout and balanced. The legs are Slow. The body is Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Long.
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Regular dinner group (@ PZ): A lot of everything! Enormously concentrated. Ripe red as well as black fruits. Coffee, bacon etc. And behind of this there is elegance as well. But it is still so young. Although I will probably not manage, next bottle at least 5 years from now. The score can only go up.
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Über drei Tagen undekantiert aus der Flasche getrunken.
Am dritten Tag, so wie ich den 2005er in Erinnerung hatte.
Schwarz violette Farbe, viel Satz
Nase: Dunkle Frucht, Säure, Tannin,
Am dritten Tag, dunkle Frucht, sehr gute Konzentration, langer Abgang, wahnsinns Tanine.
Das letzte Glas ca. 96-97 Punkte (kenne mich in diesen Regionen nicht so aus
Sehr seriöser Geschmack, nur ein bischen Fruchtsüße
Am ersten und zweiten Tag war der Eindruck ein anderer. Ich nehme an wegen der undekantierten Flasche. Dort war der Wein fruchtig, blaubeerig, schien weniger konzentriert und lang im Abgang. Eindruck 92-94 ??
Die viele Frucht und Säure und Tanine werden ihm einlanges leben bescheren. Dekantieren, also in Karaffe und dann im Abstand von 1-2 h immer wieder probieren. Aus heutiger sicht würde ich ihn eine bis zwei Stunde vor dem Trinken in eine Karaffe füllen.
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Day one after a 12 hour decant, nice velvety texture, ripe red fruit 92-93. Day two, palate changing by the hour, complexities dancing around a grape jolly rancher, mouth smacking flavor. Excellent!
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Smoked pork and bacon, bold cherry, tight but it was just opened and I have been drinking FX Pichler. Now, the wine has always come across more acidic and structured than it should be. Which is to say better than I think it is. We shall explore.
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Pop and pour. Inky dark indigo color sets the stage. Notes of oak, smoke, and a whiff of tar on the nose. Be prepared for a monster heavy blackberry, blueberry, oak extravaganza on the taste. Beautiful velvet mouth feel. This continues to be one of my favorite wines.
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Really outclassed the Ojai Bien Nacido we side by side bigger more balanced, more nuanced. Smoke blueberry, road tar and just pure beauty. In the mouth smooth and lush, very well balanced. Wel worth the moeny b/c it didnot dissappoint. Very classy Shiraz!
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Quintessential shiraz. Decanted for 2.5 hours before dinner. Drank over 6 hours and kept some for the next day. Concentrated mulberry, blackcurrent, cassis, blueberry , milkchocolate, spice after a couple of hours and a very distinguished smokey note. Layers and layers of fruit, that cover the excellent tannins. Does not lack elegance. A true beauty. With a finish of practically one minute. Still so young but difficult to stay away right now.Day two consistent 94-96 pts
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ChTR vuosikokous 3.10.2008 (Ravintola Viinille ja Ravintola Aurora, Turku): Tasted double-blind. Decanted for an hour. Appearance: a dark violet red, almost black at the core, looking very young (4/5). Nose: whoa, a huge nose of oak, toasted oak, with a side whiff of rubber and some sweet fruits. Maybe the oak will integrate with time, but now it is overpowering and not exactly pleasurable for me (10/15). Palate: very fruity, but only slightly on the sweet side. There are tannins there despite the wall of fruit, also a bit of a smokey background. This seems a bit disjointed now, too young to be fully integrated (14/20). Overall: an interesting wine, but not quite my style. Too much of a fruit bomb for me. I was at a loss as to where this was from, and when it was revealed as Amon-Ra, I was quite surprised. So this is what a cult wine is like! Nope, don't have to get it for myself, thanks! (7/10).
New World Wine Experience 2008 (Crystal Wines): Purple black beauty. Classy style with an aristocratic air. Generously diffusing generous scents of plums, spice cake and caramelised dark soy sauce with drops of vanilla. The palate is rather tight though. It was really hard to get past the succulent black fruits but I did get some white pepper and the spicy finish. Definitely a big wine, it still shows restraint. Therefore, unlike some of its barossa cousins, it is big but possesses the royalty of stature to carry through without being in your face. Clean acid structure with firm tannins prove this as a keeper. 88 + ??? for me.
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Crystal Wines New World Experience 2008 (Valley Point, Singapore): This one really stood out from amongst all the other Aussie Shiraz in terms of quality and breed for me today - I'm glad that I have another bottle tucked away safely. Dark, dark purple. Really concentrated and intense on the nose, with plums, spiced cake, and caramelised dark soy notes with a little twist of bramble along with a wafting vanilla note. Just a whiff of alcohol mixed in there somewhere. Really concentrated and weighty on the palate, which showed lots of plum and super-ripe blackcurrant, but also meat, pepper and spice. Everything was in perfect balance though. This was by far the wine with the best structure amongst all those that we tasted. Superb structure in fact, with firm, yet super-well formed tannins and round, juicy acidity giving the wine a wonderful backbone. Finish was really, long with a nice savoury turn. Everything was just in the right place - very seamless and complete. In spite of the intense flavours, I still got a sense that there was a whole lot more coiled up tensely like a spring, waiting for time to unwind into a full panapoly of different smells and flavours. Not my usual style, but this was so good nonetheless, and will continue to get better with time.
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No score, impression only - this is the real deal. Excellent balance, acid to match the incredible fruit, long tannic finish. A little disjointed but we popped and poured so would likely have been different with a decent decant. On the nose, unmistakeable and strong tobacco note over almost everything else. On the palate, rich dark chocolate, spice on a long tannic finish.
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Decanted 1 hr. Black and dense as a full solar eclipse, both in color and in palate density, or fruit weight if you will. Wait, did I just really write that? Damn you Sparky P!!!! ;) Anyway, most tasting notes on this sucker have a common theme of “balance”, that somehow while being such a monstrosity of a wine it achieves a palate equilibrium of sorts, and pulls it off. Officially count me in as a believer: it does and it did. At this very early point in the wines evolution, we are of course treated to a wealth of Barossa fruit, blackberry galore in full regalia; paired finely with a smoky quality displaying the syrah / shiraz pedigree. The wines classy edge of French Oak is poking out a bit a present, but by no means a distraction, it’s a very skill full use of the wood. The tannins were actually a little more pronounced than I expected, and would favor holding this for a few years before enjoying again.
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I've never rated a bottle higher. This was a complete surprise. Shared at the beach with M&R. Decanted for 2 hours and drank over 2 more hours. Dark color and great black fruit aroma. This was not a big jammy fruit bomb that explodes in your face. This wine was supple with multi-layers that coat your mouth with blackberry, vanilla and sweet spice flavor. Long smooth finish. Yummy.
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another amazing vintage for the amon-ra shiraz. this wine needs some time to mellow out though, very dark and muted nose before decant. 3 hours started to open up to heavy asphalt, camphor, pepper and blackberry jam. left a glass in decanter for 24 hours and my god! this wine really needs time to open up to its full potential! it was delicious, with a great tannin structure. highly recommended.
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Fight night wines (my house): nose: this has taken a while to come around( it had been opened for nearly 8 hours) and this nose is deep and sumptuous. Not as fruit forward as the 05, but very deep that is filled with loads of blackberries, cranberries, camphor, smoke, anise, black cherries. a black hole of a nose with northern rhone-like qualities while still be aussie in style, this is just a massive nose that has come around and is insanely deep
taste: still very young as the tannins and acidity take away from the mid palate a bit, but this is just balanced black fruit down to its core. Blackberries, Black Cherry, cranberry, raspberry, smoke, camphor, and anise just give off greatly balanced
overall: this can and most likely will pass the 05. This has some serious aging possibility and will certainly get better. This needed a lot of time to open up, but when it did, it really became an awesome wine. Really long and big feel with an extremely long black fruited finish
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Purpura fechado. Aromas intensos de frutos negros, especiarias e baunilha. Na boca muito intenso, concentrado, 'doce', com boa acidez, taninos macios, muita fruta e final longo. Moderno, potente, deve evoluir bem. Não faz meu gênero, chega a ser enjoativo. Ótimo/Excelente.
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Not quite what I was expecting. My recollection of the '05 was one of a more approachable wine. The '06 comes across less developed wine, showing its youth a bit more. Brooding fruit and cassis on the nose. Palate coating fruit leads to a long finish, with acidity and tannins noticeably present. Unlike some "fruit bomb" shiraz, I don't find this in any way jammy, medicinal or "fake". Quite focused given it's depth. While I've not had the opportunity to follow an ageworthy Shiraz through it's 15-20+ year evolution, my sense is that the '06 Amon Ra, while "new world", is put together in the manner of a classic built for aging. My educated guess would be that the '05 shows better today, the '06 may very well show better in 15 years. Looking forward to reevaluating this evening after 6 or so hours in the decanter.
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Decanted for 5 hours. On opening the bottle the air was full of dark fruit aromas! Very dark in the glass - almost inky black. Nose of vanilla, pepper,blackcurrant, spices and chocolate with a touch of alcohol. Quite thick on the palate - medium tannins but smooth sweet black fruits coming through and a good hint of the alcohol. A good long finish but the oak is coming through quite strong. I prefer the 2005 but willing to give this more time in the bottle to see how it develops. Looks like other people have the same opinion that they prefer the 2005.
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I guess I was expecting more. I have enjoyed the 2005 and was just expecting more of the same. The alcohol was more upfront then the 05 and therefore the fruit was not as enjoyable. I decanted in the bottle for 4-5 hours prior to serving. It got better as I took sips along the way to see how it was progressing. I'm going to leave the balance of my 06's to age while I enjoy the 05's over the next few years. I'm just not sure why people have the 06 rated a notch above the 05 on this board. It's just not the case.
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Decanted for about 4 hours...needs much longer time in decanter. Nose of cherry cream, blueberry pie, little earth, oak and spice...mid palate was there and finish was very long with balanced tannins and just a slight bit of heat. We love this wine and will sit on these for a bit before trying another.
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The color is a deep, brick-red, almost opaque. On the nose, a rush of blackcurrant and rich berries. The nose intensity is overwhelming; I poured less than half an ounce into a glass when decanting the wine, and it almost knocked me over taking a short sniff from over the rim of the glass; I didn't even try to put my nose into the bowl. On the palate, the wine is indeed overwhelming in flavor. Notes include distinct cedar and oak notes, an overarching flavor of dark chocolate, red fruit, coconut, spice, and espresso. The mouthfeel is velvety. There's a richness to the flavor that's hard to put into words; it's mouth-coating, intense (even in a 1/2 oz tasting pour). The wine sets up camp in your mouth and stays there for seemingly ever. Truly amazing.
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Enjoyed on OTB night 2008. I decanted starting at 3 pm per others' suggestions. First tried it at 7 pm, then at 8 and 9. Very dark, very big -- jammy and full bodied. Poured the rest on night #2 and the wine had evolved nicely over the 24 hours, as other flavors started to emerge (sweet vanilla & spiced rum even) and the wine exhibited much more balance and had rounded out considerably. This is the first Amon-Ra I have ever tried, so I cannot compare it to past vintages, but I enjoyed the one I had and look forward to trying it again in several years.
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While (like other reviewers) I believe this wine will age for 20+ years, I purchased it on the basis of my experience with the 2005 vintage. Recognizing the '06 is VERY young, my first reaction is that the 2005 is a more balanced, better made wine. Tasted over a 24 hour period, the 2006 had a strong nose and finish of mocha/bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and dark berries. It's a very good bottle of wine, but a lack of patience will be met with disappointment - Mr. Parker was likely a bit too generous with his 97-100 score.
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Awesome - plenty written here already that I agree with. Excellent now, but more time will reward the patient collector. Didn't even decant much, but drank over two nights and enjoyed the evolution.
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Binny's Shiraz Tasting (St. Charles, Illinois): The best wine at this retailer tasting. 100% Shiraz. This is a WA 97-100 point wine. Blackish purple color. Full bodied and complex but not made in a full throttle style. Close though. This had a creamy mouth feel and was very expressive. Notes of l=black pepper, mocha and blackberry. 94 points.
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Lots of blackberries galore. Very concentrated, delicious, sexy wine – Australian without a doubt. Especially the day after – on day 1, here was enough tannin and structure to put (some) in doubt. Very well-made – if you like the style.
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Sorry to everybody in advance for the length of the note, but think of it as 4 tasting notes of the same wine....Braised Short Ribs with sherry reduction, carmelized spaghetti squash, and julienne of carrotts, zucchini, and pepper. Opened the bottle when the short ribs went in the oven.....Decanted most, left a generous two pour glass in the bottle, and poured a couple sips in a glass to celebrate successful braising prep.....a 48 hour adventure ensued.....
At opening I thought it was broodingly dark with an obvious huge body. The nose was pretty open from the start...berries, berries and more berries, as dark as they come, with oak showing off vanilla....Surprised and slightly disappointed with the lack of complexity. On the palate, utterly shut down.....You could tell the fruit was there, but it was overwhlemed by the structure. I knew it was going to be good later, but at this point I'd say 89.
At Dinner (4.5 hours later): Out of the decanter, with food. Nose is now pumping out the goods. Still dark berry fruit and oak, but they are now a bit more balanced and the berries are more defined as bluberry, also giving some graphite, pepper, and coffee. On the palate, still pretty closed, but the food cuts through some of the structure and you can taste the fruit. Very thick and dense, it makes the spare rib seem small. At this point I'm thinking quite tasty...Let's see what tomorrow brings....93.
Next Evening (open 28 hours): Poured out a small glass with another in reserve. Massive. Nose is now wide open yielding a corucopia of all of the above plus a spice I can't place, and wildflowers (violet?) added, but now is singing in harmony. Mouth watering. With this much time the palate finally matches the decandence and complexity of the nose. Almost perfectly balanced, its now showing that balance in its length....Now I'm thinking, this could go all the way....I could drink this at my daughters wedding, at my 30 year wedding anniversary, and I'm generally skeptical at Aussie Shiraz and long-term (decades) cellaring. So, let's put it to the test. Cork goes back in, and I resist the urge to drain the bottle...95
Next Evening (open 48 hours): Drained the remainder bottle. Still glass coating 10W40. Nose is pretty much the same (amazing) but not showing any signs of fading....but on the palate, now nearly perfect. Sings from the moment it touches my tongue, velvety texture, almost sweet tannins, structure and acid are still there to compliment and balance. Finish lasts over 40 second. 3 sips later....its gone....so sad.
I thought the 2005 was great, much more approachable, still complex, very well balanced, but this is another story entirely. This WILL go all the way. I have 5 more and will buy another 7. Will drink the case over the next 2 decades, but probably won't even bother opening another bottle for 5 years. Ben Glaetzer is the man.
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Nose of black fruits and chocolate. Palate is pretty nice load of berries, spices and balance with silky tannins telling you this wine is not ready for maybe another 3-5 years. But WA (97-100), I don't think so personally I think it's a good wine but having the magical score or even high 90s, i don't think so.
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Decanted 2 ½ hr’s. Mostly rich blueberry with a little spice on the otherwise muted nose. A very rich, thick and powerful palate delivering the goods of dark cassis, blueberry, light tar notes and black pepper, with hints of cream and some oak spice towards the long, and full finish. A power laden Amon-Ra, but doesn’t quite have the elegance and complexity of the ’05. Recommend 3-4 hr’s decant time now, this should cellar well for years.
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Wow! Had with spicy sausage appetizers and steak. This is monster of a wine, but so beautifully balanced. Opened 1/2 hour before pouring without decanting. Showed absolutely fantastic for being so young. Looking to get more.
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3/14/2024 - prism wrote: flawed
Slow O'd for an hour, decanted for three; undrinkable at every point: oxidized (and brownish red, FWIW). I'd been looking forward to drinking this bottle since 8/2010, when I purchased it aftermarket from Cellaraiders. You takes your chances... I trust the bacteria in my septic system are enjoying the bottle's contents more than I did.
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2/17/2024 - tgkswine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still a big forward facing shiraz but age has smoothed all the elements into a great bottle of wine. I can’t imagine it will get any better but still has many years of enjoyment for those opening a bottle in the years to come.
Others have summarized flavor nuances of this wine well.
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2/3/2024 - gteran76 wrote: 90 Points
A touch sweet after a bright 10 min double decant.
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1/28/2024 - spineguy Likes this wine: 94 Points
If you have never had this wine the the better part of 2 decades old, you have not done it justice. Forrest, cigar box, and chocolate nose. Darker fruits, chocolate, and subtle richness on the medium plus body matched with velvety integrated tanning. Maturing very slowly. Suspect near its peak but will remain there for at least a decade.
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12/24/2023 - gediminasbielskus wrote: 87 Points
Very powerful and forward style of wine. Lots of chocolate, coffee, and roast red meat on the nose. Palate is similar and carries a bit more fruit on it. My biggest detraction on this bottle was it began to fade after 2 hours open in a narrow decanter (for sediment), and the sweetness of wine really took over too quickly. Fun one to try, but I would not buy this again.
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11/22/2023 - chrispaw Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nase: fett, konfitierte Erdbeere/Kirsche, Speck, Mund: tolle Säure, noch gute Frucht, feines/moderates Tannin, mittlere Länge. Keine Alterungsnoten
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11/5/2023 - Volleyball wrote: flawed
Corked
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9/15/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last one. Good cork pop, stain on end deep purple, a slight cork softness at 17 years, but no infiltration, a good seal. Odd thing was the top part of cork, not the bottom which was in contact with wine, was slightly soft. Seemed sweet and active, fruit really held up. Different from a Saxum Booker consumed just prior. A real contrast in style. Very energetic, wine not turned, no tc, just different. Gives impression of youthful wine as result. Not acidic but powerful on sides of tongue. It gives impression of being 'bright' but from fruit, not acidity. Striving to describe. But nothing like what I had in 2017. It evened out after several days open, and the brightness fell back and became balanced with the other elements of wine. As this wine was so different from my tasting of 6 years ago, it's hard to say about aging. Leaning towards ability to age about 3 years more, but only from this taste, not the 2017 experience.
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6/10/2023 - Zweder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rustic bouquet with leather and dark fruits. On the palate full bodied and concentrated, chocolate, mild acidity and round, soft tannin. Ready now and no real hurry.
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4/21/2023 - gteran76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quick double decanted. Sharp and strong wine with a medium plus body. Very compact. Vacuumed half of the bottle and the next day it wasn’t that great but my GF liked it better. Go figure?
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3/17/2023 - rebvision wrote:
Enjoyed with family, Linda, Sean and Kaitlyn
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2/16/2023 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Complex bouquet with beautiful oaky flavors, herbs and spices like clove. On the palate chocolate, full bodied, juicy dark berries, good acidity, round tannin and a good length. Although the tannin is starting to show some age it still offers some bite. This wine is fully mature, or maybe at the end of its drinking window. Anyway, this bottle was better than the one I tasted in Sept. 2020.
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2/13/2023 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking really well. Full bodied but very smooth with beautiful fruit. Not at all overpowering and pairs well with food.
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2/7/2023 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still a monster of a wine. Lots of weight, alcohol and deep dark fruits. Saved some in the decanter for day 2, but it lost its appeal overnight.
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12/17/2022 - maxima wrote: flawed
Bouchonnée!
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11/26/2022 - ljl203 wrote: 93 Points
Blueberry, boysenberry notes. A solid core of fruit pectin, with the lime and integrated tannin to make it interesting.
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10/30/2022 - Praxis wrote: 96 Points
Dark purplish red with a lighter rim and a nose of matured fruits infused with pronounced notes of wild game, red meat, old leather, and plenty of peppery spices, tobacco and modest vanilla oak. The palate is unapologetically full-bodied, concentrated, intense and powerful as one would expect from a centenary vine Barossa Valley Shiraz of this caliber yet not over the top such as the cheaper “fruit-bomb” versions of what one usually associates to this varietal from this region. There seems to be a considerable degree of refinement and quality in this bottling given that this is in its 16th year with the prospect of at least 8 to 10 more years of life in it. The flavor profile is pretty much the same since my last tasting 3 years ago except that it has become more refined and integrated with more gaminess, bloody meat, dark chocolate some tobacco characteristics with along fruity, loamy mineral finish. As I recalled when I first tried this back in 2010 it was quite good in a primary sense with lots of big ripe jamey fruits but a bit reserve, disjointed and austere when it comes to the “other things” that I was looking for, but nonetheless, it was promising to say the least. However, I didn’t expect it to turn out this good at this juncture. I’m glad that I still have several more of these to track it's development and hopefully enjoy over the next decade or so.
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9/12/2022 - cannym Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep purplish ruby. When opened a great wave of eucalyptus. Tons of dark berry fruits. Then warm spices, dark chocolate, a fine balancing acidity. Long. Great almost elegant, for a Barossa Shiraz.
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7/23/2022 - byzero Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bottle Variation
First bottle, 3 months ago, was quite advanced in 👀👃👅 but with no other flaws (no oxidation/spoilage/or TCA taint)
This is my 2nd bottle:
DAY 1
Served with the Vinloq System
👀Dark ruby./purple. Youthful
👃Sweet fruit
👅Fruit forward with blurry flavors. Dry tannins with slight heat. Paired nicely with wagyu beef🥩
Remaining wine Slow Decanted in my refrigerator
DAY 14
👃Spicy blackberry, anise, chalk, & dried fruit
👅Purple fruit, anise & chocolate. Not complex but tasty.
Finishes spicy with some heat. Balanced sweetness. Lowish
acidity. Nice wine
This second bottle was what I expected. What caused the
first bottle to be so advanced?
Follow "Vinloq.notes" on Instagram
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6/12/2022 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Taking note of Goldstone's TN below I decanted this 20 hours or so before drinking, which, from tasting the dregs (there was a fair amount of sediment) was definitely a good idea.
Drinking this with roast lamb and veggies it's clearly a very big wine: ripe fruit on the nose, a little heat (but only light acidity - there was much more on first opening). It isn't a wine that is amenable to chugging - I get the comment someone made in an earlier TN that it bears some resemblance to a slightly lower alcohol port. I get the impression that this would be good for several days, although in a large-ish group this bottle was gone quickly.
It has to be said though that amongst a group of regular wine drinkers (although perhaps not connoisseurs) this was less preferred than the two other, cheaper, wines (a 2006 Pignolo, and a 2012 Brunello), so on that basis I'm not sure about the QPR at ~US$82 that I paid.
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6/6/2022 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Better on night two, not something I would have expected. Bold fruit, fairly complex, and smooth for an Oz wine.
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6/3/2022 - Magnolian Likes this wine: 91 Points
Has smoothed out nicely since last bottle, complex dark fruits and a mineral edge, but hot on the finish. Don’t see it improving from here.
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5/30/2022 - Paul Giamatti wrote: 92 Points
Surprised how shallow it was for the first 3 hours, but in hour 4 it finally started to open up. Like other reviewers, I don't sense this will get any better with time at least with this vintage, so drink up!
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4/21/2022 - byzero Likes this wine: 91 Points
I love Australian Shiraz, especially with 10+ years of age. However, this bottle was advanced more than I expected
👀Purple color with clear browning
👃Dried cherries, anise, dark chocolate with a hint of
volatility
👅Same dried cherries, maybe slightly stewed, and anise/allspice. Good acidity. Was generally drinking pretty well
I have a few bottles so I will check in on another one soon to
see if this was an outlier. I was expecting this to be at the
front of a long drinking window. Was this a volatile acidity
issue?
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4/17/2022 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Lots of ripe black cherry and plum with sweet spice throughout with very good density. This is a fleshy and flashy wine with all that comes with that. Nothing even close to fading here.
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4/15/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 92 Points
Syrah night at Tasty Loong: Easy guess as a Barossa Valley Shiraz with its bold purple fruit and heavy spice, but it was not over the top as it still had the structure and acidity to back the ripe fruit up. Not my go-to type of wine but this was probably my favourite of the flight. Similar sentiments to Forceberry's note below.
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2/17/2022 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Two 2006 Aussie Shiraz at home (Wellington, NZ): Under cork. Colour deeper, more purple-red than the Penfolds. Unfiltered, it threw a lot of sediment in decanting. Fresh aromatics - cedar, black cherry and some blueberry and boysenberry, vanilla pod and red liquorice. Dashes of black pepper and dark spices. Like the Penfolds, quite rich and opulent. Yet fresher and finer. Richer than the Penfolds, yet more precise, better focussed. Decent acidity but ideally I would have liked more. Black cherries, blackberries, dark chocolate, black plums and mochaccino. Lacking the nuance, layers and detail for a higher score. Tannic grip now loosened. Fine grained tannins. A little alcoholic burn on the moderately long finish (14.5% ABV). A good Syrah - with a little French Syrah character beside the Penfolds' Aussie Shiraz character. As with the Penfolds, I do not expect it to improve more with time. To drink by say 2028.
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1/31/2022 - jsebiri wrote:
Very nice , aged for sure. Fruit was best , nose was secondary. Drink up.
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1/27/2022 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 15 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted in a 2015-2002 Amon-Ra vertical.
Dense, almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a moderately evolved pomegranate hue. Powerful, concentrated and very ripe nose of juicy blackberry-driven dark fruits, some peppery spice, a little bit of earth, light anise and licorice tones, a hint of inky character, a toasty touch of mocha oak and a whiff of wizened dark berries. The wine is dense, chewy and concentrated on the palate with a markedly full body and intense flavors of wizened black cherries and very ripe blackberries, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of gravelly minerality, light savory notes of meaty umami, a hint of mocha oak and a touch of licorice root. The acidity feels surprisingly high - even for a massive wine like Amon-Ra - and while ripe and relatively soft, the tannins are ample enough to lend good frame and firmness to the substantial body. The high alcohol lends some noticeable warmth to the palate. The finish is long, complex and quite powerful with gentle tannic grip and intense flavors of licorice, some ripe blackberry, a little bit of meaty umami, light oaky notes of savory wood spice, a hint of licorice and a touch of gravelly minerality. The wine ends on a dry, concentrated and slightly warm note.
A noticeably ripe and concentrated vintage of Amon-Ra that seems to pack even a bit more power than is usual for this already rather opulent wine. Even though very big and surprisingly balanced - thanks to its fresh acidity - the wine doesn't manage to reach the impressive sense of harmony and complexity of the best vintages, even though this is nevertheless a terrific wine in its own right. Considering how the wine is 16 years old and some younger wines have felt already quite developed, this vintage is still going strong and most likely will continue to improve for another 10 years or even more. It's always possible that with enough age the wine might lose its most opulent, super-ripe fruit and replace it with finesse and additional complexity, but at the moment this wine feels a bit monolithic. A remarkably well-made and enjoyable for such, mind you. Priced somewhat according to its quality at approx. 75€.
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12/25/2021 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Christmas Day Family Lunch at Home (Our House, Hong Kong): On opening - Really impressively high quality cork, untouched by the wine except for the underside. Reddish-purple colour. Translucent. Slight sediment. Immediate nose of blueberries and tomato vine, anthracite, cold bitchumen and green peppercorn. Palate is very bitter 95% cocoa black chocolate, cold black tea, very bitter dried black Chinese medicine ingredients, gall bladder.
Xmas lunch - After overnight double decant....jeez, this is a stunner… stops you in your tracks. Tons of mellow fruit and a lot of complexity. Everyone loved this. 95
It remains in Runny's and my top place from some 20 wines we investigated as contenders for "The Next Grange?" 13-14 years ago. Hold.
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11/27/2021 - CHarder Likes this wine: 92 Points
This really is nice. Big and bold. Fruity but remains fresh. Excellent shiraz
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11/18/2021 - pgm wrote: 92 Points
Rich black fruit, flawless, and balanced with freshening acidity. Maybe I wasn’t paying sufficient attention, but there wasn’t anything that grabbed me beyond its enjoyability.
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11/5/2021 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 1 hour. Liqueur-like texture evident on decanting. Inexpressive from nose to finish, this monolithic, super-pure, black-fruited, über-concentrated monster is too fat even to purr, let alone actually move to accomodate any kind of food. Far too sweet to pair with salty, highly-spiced beef roulades in mustard sauce and rosemary potatoes, it finally seemed more or less OK with Stilton, indeed it worked with the cheese like a kind of young vintage Port (but without the tannins or complexity). Absolutely not my kind of wine, but the relatively high acidity suggests it might possibly be more palatable in 2035? 89-90P(?)
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8/15/2021 - Leidersdorff Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very smooth. But also a bit to much for me. Reminds me a little of South Italy wines. But super wellmade just not my style of wine. Great to taste it anyway. Still very much alive.
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6/5/2021 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 96 Points
Just about 3 years since the last bottle. Decided to pop another one. Decanted for 15 minutes.
Today we get the bright rich generous ruby red colour. On the nose, it’s more of the rich jammy red fruits, blueberries and other ripeness with oak nicely integrated. Hedonistic yet well balanced and mature. On the palette it’s what you would expect from the nose. More of the same and everything is in place and well integrated. With a long finish to boot. I always love Ben Glaetzer’s style and wine making prowess. If there’s one tiny blemish it’s the lack of complexity. But it’s expected from all new world regions. Regardless wonderfully made and pairs well on its own or with some of your favourite meals. Will easily last another decade. Enjoy to those who have a bottle to crack open.
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4/10/2021 - bjamesclark wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and showing moderate-plus sediment
Showing the evolution and maturity on the nose. Notes of coffee rubbed dry aged red meats, earth, leather, herbs, cherry cola, dried blueberry, pepper, rendered double smoked bacon fat, dried violets, cocoa and lighter hints of innertube, blacktop and back olive notes.
On the palate tannins have fully integrated but are still firm. Acidity is moderate-plus as is the mid-palate density and alcohol of the wine. Flavors follow the nose and show evolved notes of earth, dried violets, dried herbs, leather, coffee, aged meats, cherry, plum, dried blueberry, cocoa, pepper and notes of rubber and creosote. The finish lingers.
Drinking well but past it's glory days in my opinion.
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4/10/2021 - Barsacpinci Likes this wine:
Deep opaque Aubergine with slight bricking around the edges. Nose has cigar pencil cedar. Subtle perfume. Too hot on pop and pour but next day nice and silky. This Shiraz has a ton of fruit. Not jammy at all. Quite delicious but a bit too big with food. This is a sipper. Has life left to it
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4/4/2021 - jsander Likes this wine: 93 Points
I served with Prime Rib Roast. Easter Sunday dinner. It was lovely. It is drinking well. Big bold wine.
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3/18/2021 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A big Barossa shiraz, dark fruit, liquorice, a hint of dark chocolate, multiple layers of spice. Sip slowly or enjoy with a rare ribeye.
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3/12/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Ultra rich black cherry and plum with roasted meat and sweet baking spice. Everything is powered by an intense old vine concentration that is the real star here. There is nothing subtle about this wine, and it will never be mistaken for Côte Rotie, but it’s so powerful and dense, while balanced (enough).
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2/11/2021 - Klugi Wine wrote: 93 Points
Powerful expression of the terroir. Bouquet of dark berries, bitter chocolate and some XMas spices. Still structuring tannins with another decade of live left. Excellent Aussie Shiraz.
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1/23/2021 - Marc wrote: 92 Points
Rich, high alcohol, very rich and ripe, certainly showing development, but the wine has depth, black berry and some aged strawberry notes. Good structure. I wonder if the alcohol might pop out as it ages, but currently this is outstanding, and may well improve.
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12/24/2020 - ljl203 wrote: 92 Points
Blueberry pie, with oregano. Smooth tannins. Long acidic finish Better on Day 2, give it air upfront.
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12/13/2020 - Roughl wrote: flawed
Corked big time
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12/12/2020 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Mixed Wines Virtually (Home): Very dark purple color. PNP, poured into vessels for transport at 4:15pm and into glasses at 7pm. Drank a glass over 3.5 hours. The nose is very savory, blood and roasted meats, very dark, deep black fruits, blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, pepper. The palate is big, but well balanced, opulent and hedonistic fruits, blackberry liqueur, dark berries, pepper, round, long. This was even better the next day.
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11/27/2020 - Volleyball wrote: 94 Points
Excellent quality, very characteristic full bodied Barossa shiraz
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11/21/2020 - Barsacpinci Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very deep garnet. Tiny amount of bricking. Nose of leather and earth. Very meaty wine. Very hot on first pop-n-pour. But mellowed out nicely on second day to show a wine with plenty of structure and fruit. Still a little too much alcohol for me. Notes of cedar and very dark berries. Next bottles I will let decant for at least 2 hours. This would go quite well with grilled beef
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11/9/2020 - Lars1974 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better on day two when the sweetness from the alcohol had setteld down. My guess this one need another 5+ years to shine.
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11/1/2020 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 93 Points
J&C wedding at OneFarrer. Tasted blind. Drank in Gabriel Standart.
Appearance is clear, deep intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, pronounced intensity, with aromas of chocolate, cassis, cedarwood, blueberry, black plum, black licorice, earth. Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (14.5%), smooth high tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of savoury earth, chocolate, cassis, creosote, black licorice, blueberry, black plum, black pepper. Big long finish.
Very good quality. Very well-made, and nicely aged Barossa Shiraz. Prime drinking. Not for further cellaring (for my palate).
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10/29/2020 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pop and pour, some preferred out of standard syrah, most preferred the added strength and youth from a sommolier syrah. Tar, creosote and port-aged wood on the nosec, w a long, back-palate finish. 40 mins after opening (not decanted) This was stronger upon opening, and didn’t at all seem like a 14YO wine. Shows it’s age w a bit of air, but in an elegant way; finish just a bit softer
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10/28/2020 - signotim Likes this wine: 94 Points
From magnum. Drinking beautifully
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10/2/2020 - CHarder wrote: 91 Points
Still nice
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9/22/2020 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tuesday group "The Dead Sparrow" #047:Shiraz/Syrah, Australia, France and South Africa. (By AG): In the bouquet chocolate, some stable smells, dark cherries and blackberries, but also some tertiary impressions of soy and celery. On the palate cherries leather, celery again, leather, mild acidity and round tannin. Probably wise not to wait too long anymore if this bottle is exemplary.
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8/24/2020 - rjpbath Likes this wine: 94 Points
Heavenly Barossa shiraz. Everything is there. It just delivers taste, velvet, body, length. I loved it from the first to the last drop. No hurry to drink it....
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8/22/2020 - rjpbath Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is sooo good. Great aussie shiraz, and tasting so brilliant... No hurry to drink.
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8/14/2020 - sfqwino wrote: 92 Points
New World shiraz. Big, bold yet well balanced. Silky tannins. Enjoyable now but perhaps still with some cellaring potential.
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7/15/2020 - chull Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fabulous Barossa shiraz.
purple color, dark fruit nose and flavor (cassis). Full body, smooth texture, long finish. medium to low acidity.
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6/6/2020 - VlgJeff wrote: 91 Points
Decanted to remove sediment, and to allow the wine to open. This bottle was purchased at auction (for $55 all-in) within the last 2 years. The cork was very slightly depressed, easily withdrawn, and wet to just under 1cm.
Initial = on the nose there were only light whiffs of red fruit. The palate showed light red fruits that were overwhelmed by acidity.
At 1 hr. & at 2 hrs. = increasing fruit on the nose and palate, but not ready yet.
Began drinking at 3 1/2 hours = red fruits on the (not very exuberant) nose. More red fruits, some spice, balancing acidity, and just a touch of noticeable tannin on the medium bodied palate.
Certainly a satisfying wine, but not nearly as much as the two bottles of 2004 enjoyed in late 2015/early 2016. This wine could hold for ?? years, but why wait.
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5/4/2020 - dexterng wrote:
Still needs a lot of air
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4/29/2020 - mmh wrote: 93 Points
Drank a few weeks ago and did not take notes, so no proper tasting note here, but suffice to say that this has developed very nicely and is now much more balanced than in some years ago. Powerful and full bodied for sure, but surprisingly elegant with a nice acidity giving freshness to the wine. Great!
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4/16/2020 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well now. A typical potent Barossa on the verge but without being over the top.
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4/1/2020 - FredericoWines wrote: 91 Points
This last bottle had soy sauce smell. Other than this, as good as previous bottles
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3/20/2020 - Alexroy wrote: 93 Points
Light, powerful blackberry hit, smooth, rich gorgeous.
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2/12/2020 - nschmidt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank at home with rack of lamb dinner. Enjoyed by both me and my wife. Full bodied but not overblown. Delicious.
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2/11/2020 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent aroma; long nose; flatter on the palate, but still a long, smooth finish.
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12/28/2019 - chull Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pop and pour. First taste. Fine tannins, fruity with good balance. Trying hard to be patient, this is great stuff.
+3 hrs. Structure more prominent now. I’m a Little bit disappointed. Reduced rating for weak aromatics.
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12/24/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful blackberry and licorice flavors. Nice acidity and great balance. Velvety tannins. Great density and saturation without any heaviness. This is still very young and vibrant without any noticable evolvement. Will be interesting to see how this will develop in the next 5-10 years.
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12/24/2019 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicious and beautiful? Absolutely, but a little tricky for me to rate. Defintiely a great example of the classic unapologetic Barossa Shiraz style; thick blue/black fruit on the nose (blueberry pie, plum, cassis, prunes) with echoes of maple syrup, pipe tobacco, and Kirsch. Nicely aromatic, I'd say it was gently wafting from the glass rather than exploding out. The palate was lovely if a little lacking in energy- the acidity thankfully increased over an hour or two in the decanter, but ultimately this didn't feel as alive/fresh on the palate as I'd hoped. Great texture and flavor, but lacking in verve. Despite the intensity/ripeness, it was very drinkable both with and without food.
If this was something like $50, I'd rate it a 94-95 easily, but at $80 (and that's a bit cheaper than the usual!) it was just a little out of balance, even if the fruit and oak were really lovely. Clearly well made, but for me it was in a similar ballpark as a Torbreck Struie or Mr. Riggs Shiraz from the same era (both similarly delicious but much cheaper) so not sure about QPR. Possible the bottle I bought wasn't kept in ideal conditions. Very curious to try another but not rushing to spend for it again just yet.
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12/23/2019 - mats13 wrote: flawed
Oxidized. Tragedy!
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10/21/2019 - spidersva Likes this wine: 94 Points
Won the night of a few big wines. Still really rich. What a pleasure.
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10/18/2019 - SlimShaney Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ageing beaurifully. Deep mix of raisin chocolate bronze with a luxurious coating.
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8/30/2019 - nywine68 wrote: 94 Points
Raspberry and licorice notes. Superfine tannins. Still very young, fruity and vibrant. Not heavy or alcoholic at all. Nice complexity and nuanced flavors with prunes and olives on the finish. Very well crafted.
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6/15/2019 - Praxis wrote: 96 Points
Deep blackish orange red similar to the consistency of freshly drawn blood with a clear watery rim. The nose is clean, moderately intense with impressions of cool watery dark red, blue and black fruits with a touch of oxidation seamlessly integrated with mild tobacco and oak. The palate is unmistakably Australian, medium-bodied, extremely smooth and velvety which glides around the mouth effortlessly. It appears that the tannins have been entirely resolved and completely dissolved into the wine as testified by its silky texture and the abundance of residual tannin suspensions and on the bottom of the bottle; yet the wine still contains plenty of intensity to last for at least the midterm. The flavor components include luxurious aged fruits, moderate vanilla cream, tobacco, pepper, meat, blood, dried leaves and a bit of herbs. This iconic Barossa Shiraz has really come of age since the last two times I had it three years and six year ago. It’s really amazing to see how this wine has evolved from its early days when it still a big, bold tannic monster when I first tried it nine years ago back in ‘10. This is drinking at the peak of its prime now, a soft and graceful wine with plenty of power and intensity. Simply amazing!
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5/19/2019 - davidandrose Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cork was in perfect condition, slight bricking on the edge when poured; bottle not decanted.
Bit of black cherry on an otherwise non-descript nose. Very well balanced wine on the palate, and having a tough time discerning any particular flavors as well.
Originally sampled this out of regular Syrah stems and wasn’t quite sure if the wine was past its peak. Re-tried in sommelier Syrah glasses and concentration and structure both improved markedly; might be one of the most dramatic improvements I’ve had and side-by-side testing from regular and somm stems of the same varietal.
I’ve got two more bottles of this which I’ll drink over the next 6 to 12 months. Very impressive expression Sorock, whether new or old world.
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4/19/2019 - RPerro Likes this wine: 93 Points
Massive shiraz, with a lot of savory characteristics. Surprising. Fruit gained weight as it got more air. Black fruit, earth, black olive, pepper and charcoal flavors. For 13 years old this was still drinking like a new wine. The drinking window is to be believed. Drink now - 2030.
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3/23/2019 - AllRed wrote:
4th Saturday group uptown tasting (R&D's): Double blind. Beef bouillon cubes on the nose and palate- so much so that this is undrinkable.
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2/23/2019 - maxima wrote: 89 Points
Hyper soyeux et gouteux.
Pas vraiment complexe mais avec les burgers de Wagyu aux
onions confits et sauce Diane, ce fut assez cochon!
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2/17/2019 - retired_and_roving wrote:
More Australian wine exploration in preparation for an upcoming trip. The Amon-Ra has a big fruity nose. On the palate this is more of the big fruited style of of Aussie Shiraz, there is acidity here so not gloppy but definitely fruit forward with some heat from the alcohol.
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2/17/2019 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Opened and decanted and then drank maybe an hour or so later. This was pretty intense given we had a Chateau des Tours Vacqueyras right before. Clearly from a warmer climate. More intense. Lots of fruit. Not totally overdone though. There's some backbone and acidity going. With even more time in the decanter it settled down even more and was in quite a nice place by the end of the night.
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1/28/2019 - timdrex wrote: 94 Points
First sip after popping the cork was a little tannic but revealed notes of brooding fruit and hints of secrets yet to be revealed.
After a restless wait of about an hour or so, we approached this liquid with hesitant anticipation, as our last encounter about 5 years earlier was not rewarding. (See previous tasting note.)
The nose was not very intense, but revealed ripe fruit, Coca Cola, and vanilla. In the mouth, super silky tannins, incredible balance, blueberry pie, and a symphony of expression with a little white pepper at the end.
Eleven years of cellaring this bottle was well worth the journey.
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1/21/2019 - Smithereens99 wrote: 93 Points
The cork was well done, extra fat helped preserve the 12 years. Dark ruby color. Some heat on the nose. First sips were very syrupy! A big wine that covers your whole mouth with elegant feel. Getting lots of red fruit taste.Amazing!
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12/25/2018 - Old Claret Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very big wine!
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12/1/2018 - CHarder wrote: 92 Points
This is very impressive with 1hr decant at minimum. Clearly big but not over the top. Smooth and rounded. Drink now and over the next 5-7 years
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11/3/2018 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 96 Points
consistent with notes of 12/31/2014 - still amazing
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10/13/2018 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 96 Points
It’s been over 5 years since trying this. Popped and poured with a rib eye grilling steak. Decanted for 30min. The cork was black.
The nose is wonderfully integrated. Blueberries, cherries, tar, oak and some secondary notes. You can tell this wine is about quality and balance.
On the palette, same as the nose with still some grippy tannins. Everything is in a good place and most of all balanced!! Still many years of life ahead as this is built and structured with a solid foundation. A pleasure to open again.
Best final way to describe, its Thanos with his infinity gauntlet with the final stone to come :)
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10/6/2018 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
Wonderfully textured, silky, slightly viscous, incredible concentration of dark red and purple Shiraz fruits, a long finish. Paired well w Asian tuna and fried rice.
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8/31/2018 - Tarpon222 wrote: 94 Points
WOW!
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8/24/2018 - papabluez wrote: 94 Points
Number one wine of six syrahs at a blind high end tasting. Beautiful nose, taste, & finish. So smooth and velvety. Plenty of fruit with nicely resolved tannins & long finish. Black to red fruit, with forest floor, menthol, mocha, light pepper, etc. so glad I waited on this one!!
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8/19/2018 - AnonymousCoward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Australian icon wine: Big nose of dark fruit and coffee. Palate is sumptuous, with mouth coating texture, firm tannins, jammy, rich fruit, high acid, leading into a coffee and fruitcake spice finish. Should last another 10 years or so. Good drinking.
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8/7/2018 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Similar to my last notes. Again it surprises because it is a big powerful Barossa shiraz, but not a fruit bomb. The Amon Ra has structure and texture meaning you enjoy all the way to the end. I can't see any reason this will still be good in another decade.
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7/23/2018 - Kriz wrote: 92 Points
Be prepared for the big boy from Down Under. Lot's of everything. Big nose with cherry, blackberry and dried plum. Nice palate but to powerful for what I like. Big and tasty, screaming for roasted meat. Alcoholsharp finish. Parker loves it probably.
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6/3/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A big wine with plenty of time still in the bottle. Deep, concentrated fruit. blackberries, dried plums, black cherries, blueberries, licorice and chocolate. Full bodied wine with a long finish.
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4/27/2018 - patwjr wrote: 93 Points
Pnp, drank over 1.5 hours. Became richer, some fruit emerged after 45 min. Smooth fruit & tannins.
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4/24/2018 - Champagneinhand Likes this wine:
If you have this in your cellar now and are considering opening a bottle, I caution you WAIT. This was seriously closed down right now, even though I opened it 4 hours before and ran it through a vinturi twice. It did start to show some fruit only after 3 hours, so 7 in total after a double decant and double vinturi.
The oak and tannin have integrated well. The wine is unfiltered, so expect massive sediment that is silt like from charred oak. I have another bottle but I will wait another 5 years. I don’t have many wines from Oz down in the cellar, but have had my fair share of good and bad Shiraz. This has potential, but for now the most noticeable thing in the bouquet is ethanol, while the mouthfeel is quite silky and voluptuous, the fruit needs cellar time to re-emerge.
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4/1/2018 - fontaine wrote: 91 Points
C'est big, c'est riche, concentré, mais à l'occasion une bouteille à 4 sur un steak, le match est très bon.
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3/17/2018 - djdaqm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Don's 50th: 14.5% alcohol but seemed like more; this probably summarizes my feelings best. This is a big wine, full of concentration and dark fruits. Would like to see more acidity to balance out the richness. Not particularly complex or nuanced.
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2/25/2018 - Cipivts Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lot of heat, concentration, vanilla, spices, jammy, good acidity, full body, great wine, but a bit too much heat for me
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2/3/2018 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Awesome. Decanted for about an hour. Australian shiraz has historically been outside of my wheelhouse, but I've had great success with some of these higher end wines that have around 10 years of maturity. Opaque wine with vibrant red fruit and smooth but moderately-prominent tannins. Hold or drink now with decant.
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1/20/2018 - patwjr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp, drank over 1 hour. Opened up better after 30 min. Smooth fruit & tannins.
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12/29/2017 - carstenf wrote: 94 Points
Christmas eve , very dark with mature Dark fruit in the nose. Licorice and vanilla , cigarbox and mint. When month go by without Shiraz , you love it for sure...
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12/24/2017 - familydoc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decant: big nose, a little sediment, color is deep
Nose: lavendar, big fruit, cherry, very extracted
Taste: licorice, fruit, essence of black olive, herbs, delicious and super food enhancing.
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12/23/2017 - KCC320 wrote: 91 Points
Nose: meaty, vanilla, minty
Palate: a bit alcoholic attack, vanilla, quite smooth, full body, alcoholic/ tannic finished, needs food.
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10/8/2017 - cjmueller9288 Likes this wine: 98 Points
(Magnum) drinking absolutely beautifully.
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7/30/2017 - Marc wrote: 92 Points
Massive extraction, ripeness and lifted aromas. A nice amalgamation of old-school Barossa Shiraz, with its sweet, coconuty American oak and sweet and forward fruit, alongside an intense fruit purity, highish alcohol (14.5%) and a really strong tannic background that no doubt will give this wine an excellent ageing profile. Thick and intense. Pair this with simple food, such as grilled steak, and this will show vert well. Put it together with a more complicated dish, and the wine may easily compete. This will be lots of fun to follow. I have high hopes for improvement 92+
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7/22/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Mixed Wines on a Smoldering Night (Irene's House, St. Paul): Very dark purple red color. Decanted for 2hrs, drank 1 glass over an hour. I've always like this wine and really all of Ben Glaetzer's wines. Despite a challenging ambient temperature, with just a cellar temp chill this was very lively and energetic on the palate. A somewhat hedonistic pleasure, the fruit is so lush and pretty, blackberries, blueberry, wood spices and mineral, and a savory top note on the nose. The palate is silky and structured, balanced well, no heat here, the same core of black and blue fruits layered and pretty, wood, graphite, and tar that lead into some pretty velvety tannins. My WOTN by a bit and group #2. 93+ to 94pts.
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7/22/2017 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club Comeback Tour: Excellent showing again. One of the most steady Aussie wines. Dark fruits, coffee, pepper and spice. Long finish and concentrated wine. Decanted 2 hours. Drink now or hold up to ten years.
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6/18/2017 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Very black color. Beautiful nose. Tannin integrated. Very smooth. Blueberry in spades. Thick and rich. I would drink bottles I have left soon.
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5/18/2017 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dinner with Runny (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted 6 hours beforehand and drank over the next 3. Purple-red just starting to turn to crimson, densely opaque but just lightening a bit at the edges. Nose is discreet and muted - massive black/red brooding currant fruit, pencil lead and vegetable heap. Palate is "oh, wow!" - lovely medium acidic black/red cherry fruit freshness, fully integrated tannins, lots of structure and a wonderful linear purity. Lots of hauteur. Got sweeter and lusher with more time in the glass...got even more deeply plummy and lush, almost too lush. Still a baby in terms of its evolution. Hopefully it will tone down a little and harmonise between palate and nose over the next 10 years. It has been 2 years since I last drank this and its evolution has been glacially slow. It remains in Runny's and my top place from some 20 wines we investigated as contenders for "The Next Grange?" 9-10 years ago. Hold.
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5/6/2017 - CAQC wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful, lovely complex nose, of ripe black berries, blueberry, bramble-berry pie, mint, dry earth, decaying leaf, brine/salt, classic elements of a quality Barossa Shiraz. Palate has good repeats, again with the velvety consistency of fruits and earth elements typical of quality Barossa or McLaren Vale Shiraz. Almost a 4.5 star, I wouldn't want to see the tannins come down any further as they are just enough there to balance and back up the expectations set on the nose. Therefore, drink now!
The nose!
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4/26/2017 - oncocyte wrote: flawed
Bad bottle. Brett 800 ppm imho.
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3/10/2017 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 92 Points
I'm not entirely sure what I think about this. It's good, it's super concentrated, thick, and fruit driven (which I usually like), it's not over the top but it's still a bit jammy for sure. This is one of those wines where I feel like if you have more than a glass and a half you're asking for a massive hangover b/c of the sugar content.
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3/3/2017 - burgburgburg wrote: 91 Points
Not as extracted as I'm afraid of. It's thick, big, muscular and silky with clear oak influence; but in general it's very polished and balanced with decent fruits and acidity. It will become better with time but I reckon it needs a decade to be significantly improved. A good Shiraz but need to be paired with foods.
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2/19/2017 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 95 Points
A wonderfully elegant wine that might just be coming to maturity. Had this over two days. First day. Cork was really stuck in there and had to be coaxed out. in fact, it destroyed my two prong extractor, turning it into a corkscrew. Deeply stained purple and almost black but no infiltration whatsoever. Nice aroma upon opening of richness and density. Poured through Vinturi and also dark in glass. Wonderful fruit and structure but not over extracted by any means. This wine looked like it was a good wine in the glass. I don't know how to explain that-how it looked like a high quality wine in the glass-but that was my impression. It just had that clean appearance and purity of color that it almost was radiant. Second day the fruit emerged even more and was even better with a taste of sweetness from perhaps the glycol. Last glass threw some small sediment. Other taster also remarked on how good a wine this was. WS states this should be drunk up to 2018 while WA indicates this is a 40 year wine. I agree with WA, as this showed no signs of fading or adverse falling off and the day old evolution of peak flavors. In fact, I wish I would have saved some for day 3 just to see if it was still maturing, but never made it. I think this might develop more but would venture no more than 10 years or so. Highly recommended.
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2/18/2017 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep ruby almost purple, pale rim, viscous legs. Pronounce complex aroma of eucalyptus, dried lavendar, sweet vanilla, blackberry, plum juice, mineral, cedar wood. Full body, high acidity and alcohol, quite obvious grainy tannins but ripe. On palate more prune, wood, red date, leather and black tea flavours noted. it has palate filling concentration but remains fine and quite focus, balanced, long. Finally at its drinking window now. Last taste 2 years ago when it was still a bit austere.
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2/4/2017 - yasha Likes this wine: 95 Points
last bottle of ,06 just great!
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2/1/2017 - ruchottalex Likes this wine: 94 Points
I don't drink a lot of Aussie shiraz, but this was really good. Big but not over the top, deep fruit. I think it's in a really good place right now but you don't have to be in a hurry to open.
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1/27/2017 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Day 2 review with spice, cedar, plums, graphite and blueberries. Very balanced effort and better on day 2 which means long life ahead on this one. Very tasty and not a fruit bomb. Drink now or cellar for 5 plus years. The 06 vintage is far superior to the 03 vintage which Parker gave 96-100. Also celebrating MN teacher of the Year candidate tonight. Will know in February if I am a finalist.
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1/23/2017 - mmh wrote:
Had a quick taste at the Sampler. Huge and powerful nose with a bit of alcohol and lots of dark fruit. Very full bodied, powerful on the palate with ample fruit and a bit of heat. Not exactly my favourite type of wine these days, but I liked it a lot nevertheless. Still quite young so decant for hours or, better yet, cellar for a few more years. Would probably be a great match with barbecued meats or marinated ribs.
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1/15/2017 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great Aussie shiraz. Full without being near to being over-extracted. Delicious clean black fruit with good acidity to provide balance. None of the savoury characteristics of a Rhone. Tannins strong but smooth and ripe. Delicious and drinking well now, though maybe even better in another 2 or 3 years.
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12/16/2016 - jsherdc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Huge. Brooding. Very tasty but no finesse at the moment.
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12/7/2016 - Stephen518 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This will be a wine worth drinking in a two or three more years. It was full of flavor but it was still too young and has not peaked.
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. The body is full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes medium. The wine has medium acidity.
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12/7/2016 - MVO Wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nicely balanced rich Shiraz - this is entering its peak drinking window, dark fruit and spice on the nose, medium high acid, soft tannins, and a long finish. Fantastic now, but could easily go another 5 or more years in the cellar.
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12/3/2016 - TWSA Does not like this wine: 86 Points
I actually enjoed a few other vintages of Amon Ra but I thought the 2006 was rather flat and badly integrated. I did not enjoy this wine nor do I see much potential in it.
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11/27/2016 - Jnihols7 wrote: 95 Points
Very plummy nose, full body but very smooth, rich taste, wonderful with beef tenderloin
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10/30/2016 - Wine4Life Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep purple and ruby, big open nose with black current, dark cherry, full body, dark fruit, spice, perfect balance, long finish. Drinking very well, but will continue to develop.
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10/15/2016 - wdlohr wrote: 91 Points
Deep and robust aroma and body will terrifically long finish. Age gives it a little limp in the middle
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9/22/2016 - Wrighty wrote:
Drank along with a host of 1st class Shiraz (HOG, Grange, Astralis, Landonne, Runrig) and unfortunately didn't really stand up to them (to probably pipped the Landonne - my other wine :( )
Seemed a little volatile in terms of changed more than the others. Will sit on the last bottle.
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8/23/2016 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
Drank at 67
Quite a young nose with dark cherries and primary fruit. Mellow smooth palate. Food makes it a little bit more subdued.
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8/22/2016 - redknife Likes this wine: 94 Points
at le provencale months ago
Showed beautifully
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6/23/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine:
Old note, remember this being fruit forward and modern
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6/18/2016 - bluedog Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fascinating wine. Dark, teeth staining, juice. Strong menthol on the nose, menthol and cough syrup. After an hour, it mellowed considerably, nice, complex, and evolving. Enjoy.
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3/27/2016 - Knicksfan wrote: 92 Points
I expected a powerhouse but it was restrained and tasty. Would not have guesses "Aussie".
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3/13/2016 - Praxis wrote: 95 Points
Dark purple red in appearance with a phenomenal and complex nose of dark red and blue fruits, menthol, peppery spice and a bit of cola. This wine is medium full, fresh candied fruits, rich but not overly thick or viscous whatsoever as in my previous experiences in 2013 & 2010 with this wine. The flavor profile ranges from young dark red and blue fruits, black pepper, a trace of freshly cut coriander and an inky, graphite finish that lingers on and on with hardly any impressions vanilla oak this time around. This top-notch Barossa Shiraz is drinking extremely well now and much more silky and refined than when I last tried it back in 2013. However the only flaw that I noticed then and now is the noticeable heat which is a bit excessive for my liking. In short, a wonderful and lively old-vine Aussie Shiraz with much power and elegance.
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3/3/2016 - Andrew67 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine surprised me a bit. It is definitely powerful and concentrated, as any good Barossa Shiraz should be, but it also displays a level of refinement that is surprising. The palate has black fruits, cloves, and a little earthiness. It finishes very dry (after a decent length) which is really why I am enjoying it so much.
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11/25/2015 - tim m wrote: 93 Points
Really big, but long. Will overpower most food. Needs to be last wine of the night.
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10/9/2015 - broadband013 wrote: 91 Points
ouvert 2.5h avant de le boire. peut etre une erreur, meilleur a l'ouverture que après... tres bons, très riche très jeune
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9/21/2015 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Aussie Shiraz; 9/20/2015-10/3/2015 (Edina Country Club): 2 hour decant - consisent with previous note. Big, in your face, if you like this style, this is a great choice.
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9/20/2015 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Good but followed the 98 Grange and 01 Run Rig. Blackberries, spices and floral notes. Medium to long finish. Wonderful wine.
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9/20/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
High Scoring Aussies (Edina Country Club, Edina, MN): Very dark purple red color. Decanted for 2 hours, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. This was the hedonistic wine of the night for me. IT hit on the fruit cylinders for sure. Plenty of black fruit, cassis, blackberry, with nice savory notes with blood meal on top of the spice box. The palate flows with similarities, black fruits, cassis, black berry, glycerin, savory, charcoal, mint and amazing depth on a long finish. My #2 WOTN and group #3.
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9/20/2015 - mzimberg wrote: 93 Points
Aussie's at Edina Country Club (Edina): Teeth staining dark. Not too giving on the palate at first. Rich, plush fruit cake and huge alcohol. Not much complexity. Oaky, sweet and quite long. The group's #3
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8/8/2015 - comfycat wrote:
unfiltered wine with almost 10 years bottle aged.
opened and bottle breathed for 7 hours.
strong nosing and palate - red fruit, plum, cigar box, mushroom integrated with vanilla of american oak
very high alcohol with medium + acidity and firm tannin give a balance structure. Classic Barossa Shiraz blend with Viognier.
still years to go for wine development
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5/24/2015 - gmbdds wrote: 91 Points
Decanted. Dark wine with no visible age signs. Blackberry and oak influence on the nose. Integrated and supple, oak and alcohol kept in check with a subdued quality and acidic backbone. Excellent, but I've had Amon-Ras in the past with more depth and complexity.
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5/8/2015 - mmcdds Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a classic, well made Barossa Valley Shiraz. Big, dense and in your face, but really well balanced for this style. Drinking well after a couple of hours of double decanting with exceptional depth and length. This is in a very good place for me right now, and while I think this has many years ahead of it, I think I'll drink up my last bottle in the next few years, before the fruit starts taking a turn towards stewed. Excellent!
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4/27/2015 - pc2006mg wrote: 94 Points
Very good!
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4/25/2015 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 96 Points
Dinner with Friends (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted for 7 hours before serving to accompany four rich Italian cheeses. Colour is totally inpenetrable black-red. Nose defies specificity....rather like when drinking a First Growth from a great vintage......just a fugue of sensations like Miles Davis playing a trumpet on the theme of 'purple'. The palate has an immediate acid-fruit balance followed by an incredible tsunami wave of total capitulation. No subtlety but amazing harmony......An Awesome Wave. Runny and I uncovered this in our 'The Next Grange' hunt 6 or 7 years ago. Wow, wow..... I was blown away by this tonight. 96+
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4/25/2015 - WDK Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last one. Dark fruit, big extract, bright flavors and firm tannins.
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4/20/2015 - goodvitis.com wrote: 92 Points
Didn't take tasting notes, but it left an impression I still remember four days after consuming. Interesting gradation in the wine, at least 4 distinct hews from the center out to the rim, which is indicative of its age. While it has big, bold fruit, it also had distinct floral and earthy notes of violets, lavender, licorice and graphite. The tannins were well integrated when we started drinking it after a 4.5 hour decant. The wine is in a nice place right now and has a few years remaining before it starts going down hill. However, if you have time to decant for at least 3 hours before drinking I don't think there is a need to wait. There doesn't seem to be any aspects of the wine that haven't full evolved yet and there is nothing out of sorts about its profile. All time will do is thin things out. Overall a very nice wine and an especially complex one for a big Aussie Shiraz. That said, it does not warrant its price tag.
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3/24/2015 - Miceri Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very dark, almost black; dense rich concentrated dark fruit; very well balanced; excellent
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3/23/2015 - Dvogt wrote: 96 Points
Decanted for 6 hours and then drank slowly over the next 3 hours. Wine was better the longer it had been opened. Nicely layered plum, blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, thyme, mocha, and coffee aromas. Big, rich, elegant and dry.
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2/20/2015 - jonanator wrote: 92 Points
Another stellar wine from Glaetzer. This showed very well but will need some time to sleep. While good now, it has the potential for greatness
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1/31/2015 - kernel Likes this wine: 94 Points
great aussie shiraz. this wine was lovely when young but now its even better.
its gone from a fruit bomb with potential to pure charm & sophistication . will keep going. splendid
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1/13/2015 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 96 Points
Amazing purity of red fruit, balance and intensity! A marvellous effort!
Nose is very young, huge, with the richness of Oz Syrah but with restrained licorice/anise seed elements. Rich (!!!) with red berries, tobacco, black tea and a thyme-like herbal quality. Awesome!
In the mouth this is YOUNG! However young it is, this is definitely a wine with everything accounted for, in place and with utter balance. Tannins M+, acids M++, M+ body and quite dramatic. Intense and other-worldly and not an old-school Aussie-extracted hefty gal. The rich aroma prophile fits the wine perfectly (as we knew the label bf tasting: pls don't take our word for it) and we enjoyed it with all dishes except the fois gras, where instead '89 Suduiraut saved the day. Long, lingering, hiding the EtOH well, carrying its immaturity with grace.
I prefer the 2005, but that's more personal taste than quality.
Wife: 97p.
At stunning ** L'Effervescence (Tokyo).
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12/31/2014 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 96 Points
it has been 4 years since my last bottle, and this was really peaking, IMO. Bursting with blackberry and blueberry, there is grilled meat and cinnamon on the nose and finish when tasted. This style of wine was not for everyone but I loved it.
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12/28/2014 - Giggs wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Huge Barossa blackberry and plum fruit, intensely juicy and hovering at the brim of ripeness, typical of Ben Glaetzer's wines, wet gravel, finishes with strong green tannins. Not a complex wine, but very good drinking. Drink now-2020.
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12/26/2014 - Bob & Sue Atlanta wrote: 92 Points
I had had this wine many times over the years - it has never knocked my socks off. I guess my expectation was high and its a little disappointing. Its certainly a good wine - just not great. Maybe needs more time?
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10/11/2014 - benny wrote: 94 Points
This is Outstanding. Shiraz to enjoy.
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10/6/2014 - galewskj wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour. This is a huge wine with tons of fruit and high alcohol. It has a ton of flavor, it hits you over the head. If you like this style, it is a winner.
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9/13/2014 - Nprzybylo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Practically oozes out of the bottle. Can't see through the wine due to non-filtration, has gritty mouthfeel like turkish coffee. Rich and powerful flavors of tobacco and earth. A deep wine with a long finish. For the hedonist.
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7/29/2014 - Lobonick Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is an OMG-I-shouldn't-open-this-on-a-weeknight wine. Very dark and opaque, still showing purple with bright red edges. Nose is developing with smoke, earth, thyme, every sweet black fruit ever grown, and a bit of cigar box. Palate is big and creamy with beautiful tannins and a bright acidity that gets lost behind all that action. Very long finish. This is true love!
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6/20/2014 - garambler Likes this wine: 95 Points
I opened this at our 6/20/14 smoked beef brisket dinner. It had a beautiful, deep, layered and expressive bouquet of plum, blackberry, boysenberry, smoked meat, licorice, thyme, herb, spice, mocha, cocoa and coffee aromas. The palate was big, rich, elegant and dry with flavors of plum, blackberry, boysenberry, licorice, herb, spice, mocha, cocoa and coffee...fabulous.
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5/24/2014 - mphatic wrote:
Huge concentration. Lots of oak and extracted fruit. Tannins still firm.
This has lost some of the gloss from its youth, however there is no rush to drink.
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4/28/2014 - timdrex wrote: 89 Points
Lots of bitter notes that pushed my rating lower. Of course, abundant fruit as well, and substantial tannins. More time won't hurt. A couple more bottles in the cellar, so I hope for better opinions with the next bottle.
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4/16/2014 - Roughl wrote: 93 Points
I shouldn't have drunk the entire bottle on a Friday evening... but then again this was so good. This went beautifully with lamb / mustard sauce. Australian, concentrated, creamy. Highly recommended and still young.
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4/4/2014 - Henman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted about 1,5 hours. Initially a bit tight but started to unwind with some more airtime.Decent nose of blackberries and cassis. Medium bodied, succulent and smooth palate, delivering vibrant dark berries (mainly blackberries) with firm acidity and smooth tannins as well as notes of licorice. Evolved into a seamless and balanced package. Awesome stuff!
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3/29/2014 - SoccerMark wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine, strong showing, but not a blow the doors off you high 90's
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3/16/2014 - peterk Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 6 hours. Perfumed nose. Big wine with dark cherries, cocoa and earth. Tannin, fruit, and alcohol are perfectly integrated. This wine is in a perfect place. No need to wait any longer.
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3/11/2014 - mreinitz Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a delicious wine that had us saying yum with every sip. Plenty of blackberry fruit but the wine never becomes jammy or over the top. The acidity on the midpalate somehow sweeps away the sweetness and leads into a long very tasty finish.
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2/12/2014 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #086; Syrah/Shiraz worldwide. (By BS): Ruby red. Beautiful bouquet with ripe red and dark forest fruits and some sweetness. On the palate a concentrated wine with a lot of sweetness, ripe dark forest fruits, mint, sweet spices, cinnamon and also a very good amount of pleasant acidity and soft tannin. Overall a beautiful and harmonious wine with good complexity and finesse. Ready now and with a future of several years. Until 2018 at least.
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2/2/2014 - weekers Likes this wine: 80 Points
Rich in flavours. Quite refined.
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12/8/2013 - curtispomeroy Likes this wine: 92 Points
A big Aussie shiraz but it came across as being very well balanced with miles still to go.
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11/30/2013 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
Dark purple, black. Nose and palate of dark unsweetened prunes and raisins, incredible concentration, a long finish. not too sweet or overdone - just a delicious wine.
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10/26/2013 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
I can’t ever recall ever tasting a wine in this extroverted style with such balance and ….. grace(?) Yes, that’s the best word I can come up with. Unapologetically Barossa Shiraz, with powerful, dark blackberry fruit that leaves an immediate impact of enjoyment. But where a lessor wine would quickly burn out the taster with an excessive amount of a good thing, this wine somehow avoids that. I’m not sure how to be completely honest. But it did, it is very complex, multilayered, and just damn fun to drink. Sadly, I have yet to see Amon Ra fall the way of so many Australian Shiraz’s in the discount bin, which makes them an expensive acquisition for future purchases, but this is clearly some serious winemaking, and probably worth the current asking price.
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9/24/2013 - bonedocnine Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine from Ben Glaetzer is really always amazing. Nicely balanced for a barossa Shiraz with some really attractive fruit hanging on a supple structure.
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6/13/2013 - Knicksfan wrote: 92 Points
Very nice, somewhat "subdued" compared to last tasting. In a nice place and enjoyable
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6/6/2013 - Praxis wrote: 94 Points
A little more developed than when I last had this back in July 2010. This time around, the fruit seems to be more integrated with the other components of the wine which gives it a more polished and sophisticated presence. This is still a big, brawny wine but it seems to be developing a refined, cultured side. Impressions of candied and dried black fruit, camphor, tobacco, moist soil, graphite and damp leaves were quite pronounce on the nose. On the first day, a delightful rich vanilla cream was present behind the fruit, however on the second day it seemed to have dissipated. Overall, a stunning, powerful yet feminine wine with plenty of life in it. Yes, very Northern Rhone indeed, but with a Barossa Valley Twist. The only draw back is the excessive alcohol which seems to be a wee bit too much.
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5/28/2013 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 94 Points
Pretty kick ass bottle of Barossa Juice. Way young.
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4/27/2013 - Mlyles wrote: 95 Points
Wow- great wine - definitely Aussie , but a northern rhone note
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3/16/2013 - Yamadori wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours and rebottled. Huge nose of ripe blueberry fruit. Very smooth mouthfeel with lots of black cherry and blueberry fruit on the palate. The fruit is quite concentrated but is not to the point of being jammy or over the top. Notes of white pepper, tobacco and spice. Long finish with moderate tannins. Came over as being quite primary to me and i felt like it needs a few more years to really come together although it is excellent now with a few hours of air time. This is a big wine and is built for the long haul. (92+ pts).
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3/8/2013 - bonedoc wrote: 95 Points
Wow, WOTN. Dark maroon/ruby. Plenty of ripe (not overripe) cherries, rhubarb, wonderful acidity, perfectly balanced. 30+ second finish. This is in a restrained, thoughtful style, rather than an over the top style. Bravo!
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3/6/2013 - benny wrote: 97 Points
Nothing but the best here. More years to go.
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1/27/2013 - WillersC wrote: 91 Points
Full bodied, nice long finish. Chock full of fruit but nicely balanced. Very good, and drinking well
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1/10/2013 - wren460 wrote: 94 Points
Incredible wine and for me WOTN. It is by far one of the better balanced wines I have had from Australia. Very delicious wine. Gripy tanins. I didn´t got a lot on the nose. Decanted 2 hrs and I think it needed 4 more...maybe!
Among : Carnival of love 09, Elderton command 05, Bellas Garden 07, the Amon-Ra was either WOTN or #2. Elderton command is an incredible wine as well....Carnival of love is just a very very fun wine to drink, I loved it.
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1/9/2013 - winemanintheden Likes this wine: 97 Points
One of the highly anticipated wines in my cellar I've been dying to try after buying it and aging over 5 years ago. It is now the greatest shiraz I've tasted. The colour is dark ruby with some light purple hues. The nose is of tar, cherries and cassis. Very concentrated. On the palette wow!! First impressions, Its so smooth and absolutely delicious. Sweet fruits with tons of complexities. Very refined and balanced. Tannins are still a little grippy. Gorgeous wine!! Not overripe or overpowering. I've had heartland director's cut, wallace, bishop and mitolo GAM. This one is in its own league. I love bordeauxs and this one is different but will be my go to shiraz for special occasions. Love it! And glad to still own many more bottles. Amazing shiraz. BTW - didn't decant. 97-98 points. 2003-2007 are probably the better Amon Ra vintages.
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1/2/2013 - Sunny10 wrote: 88 Points
very similar to the vintage of 2004, it's ready now. Bottle decanted for 4 hours, smells of black fruit, mint, a little bit oak and earthy. Smooth tannins with a bit high but nice acidity. Long after tasting.
it is nice but actually a bit boring.
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12/20/2012 - anonymoose12345 Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Borrrrring.
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11/18/2012 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Drinking beautifully.
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10/21/2012 - Miceri wrote: 96 Points
Dark red almost black; inviting nose with dark berries, a bit of vanilla, subtle; soft, silky, subtle black pepper, deep and profound, very accessible and despite high alcohol content (14.5%) no hint of jamminess - on the contrary quite refined almost feminine; long nice fruity aftertaste; excellent
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10/13/2012 - rnyrny79 wrote: 92 Points
I have tasted this wine twice - back in 2008 and in 2012. In 2008 it needed 3 hours in decanter to open up and what a lovely complex wine showing multiple layers of dark fruit, spice, floral notes, vanilla, plum and tobacco on both nose and palate with a + 60 second finsih, rating 95-97.
In 2012 it seems to have closed down in a deep sleep that even a +4 hours decanting and additional +2 hours in glass cannot wake it from. It is far less complex revealing only dark fruit and some spice on the palate with an even lighter nose - medium finsh 20-30 sec. rating 91-92. There was a half bottle left which was recorked in put in the refrigerator for next day. On day 2 it was more open showing much more of the stuff from 2008.
My guess is, that Parker might not be completely wrong on this one, it just needs at least 10 years from now to evolve, as many other great wines which doesn't comes to their right if opened too early.
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10/4/2012 - beezer6 wrote: 92 Points
Extremely dark brooding color.
Dark cherry, dark chocolate, some black pepper notes as well.
Rich palate with more spice and super black fruit.
Nice integration of tannins and a lively acidic finish.
Could have more balance on the back end, but for a big Aussie Shiraz this is nice.
Definitely way overrated by Parker and others, but still shows nice quality aromatics and flavors...
BUT, wouldn't pay $100 for it.
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8/19/2012 - LSussman wrote: 92 Points
Very dark inky color with serious nose. THis wine was wonderful to drink. Long with still just enough tannins to cut through acidic foods.
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7/16/2012 - Rolster72 wrote: 93 Points
Might not have decanted this one long enough. A beautiful wine as always but noticed the bite of the tannins more than usual. As always this wine seems to blend beautiful red fruit with elegance, structure, and finish. This wine is drinking well now but continues to show that it has the legs to last a long time yet.
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6/24/2012 - jsebiri wrote:
popped and poured ,very red , green pepper taste to it , this guy needs more time i think , seemed nice but....... need to try this next day or another time
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6/18/2012 - Khamen wrote: 92 Points
30 minute decant. If you could gene sequence a perfect Barossa shiraz and then build it into a bottle of wine then this would be pretty close. Extremely big, rich and ripe fruit underpinned by a fine layer of tannins supporting a complex multi-layer structure. Extremely clean dark fruit, quality oak and an extremely glossy finish and mouth feel. Every facet is totally seemless.
If you are looking at this as a pedigree example of its kind you cannot fault it and it would win all the rosettes in the show. However there is the impression that this is so highly polished that even the smallest blemish sticks out like a sore thumb. But there aren't any. Objectively faultless, subjectively it feels just a little over-engineered and lacks some charisma.If you like to score on technical ability and outright quality it is hard to not to look towards 100. If you prefer a bit of excitement, character and personaity it's 90 at best. It's like a copy of the Mona Lisa with all the wrinkles removed. Certainly impressive
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5/6/2012 - Jflawrence wrote: 93 Points
Amazing, but still loo much tannin. One of two Stand out wines of an amazing wine night. Very very bold, but still needs a few more years to mellow.
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5/5/2012 - oropeza wrote: 93 Points
Lamb Roast At The Lawrence House (Palo Alto, CA): Huge in the nose, huge in the mouth. Really rather overwhelming stuff. Not sure what I'd pair this with; probably best on its own. Didn't have a chance to explore flavors or nuances with this coming at the end of a long night. For me, even top notch Aussie Shiraz is wasted; like Joan Miro, I can appreciate the art and the quality, it's just not to my taste. But this is a very well made wine.
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4/30/2012 - Rob_Sutherland wrote: 95 Points
Opened and decanted for an hour, consumed over the next two.
First things that come to mind is the wine’s amazing unctuousness and really the only word is density. This is a thick, mouth coating wine. Dark almost concord-grape skin purple in colour with tinges towards black. When I opened it and poured a little into a glass I thought “Okay, this will be a huge fruit bomb, probably nice, but a fruit bomb none the less. You just don’t get colour like that unless it’s a fruit bomb…”. I’m happy to say that I was pretty much wrong. Yes it’s huge, yes it’s fruity and juicy but it has so much more going on. It’s like a regular, medium bodied wine is a bowl of consommé, lots of nuance, but mild and you have to search your mouth for all the veiled flavours. The Amon-Ra is then a big spoonful of Hoisin sauce, or Marmite (maybe vegemite seeing as it’s Aussie…). I’m not saying there is a tonne of Umami (though there is quite a lot) it’s just the sheer volume, depth and amount of different flavours that is amazing. Almost overwhelming.
Flavour wise, yes as said a lot of fruit. Mostly blueberry and blackberry. Some cherry (especially on the nose) as well as berry compote (though doesn’t quite get to cooked berry jaminess). Playing against the fruit is a lot of forest flavours. Some mushroom, a little wet earth loaminess, a fair amount of oak and the resulting vanilla (which is verging on sweet) and a little bit of toast. Playing above all of that (especially again on the nose) is a strong floral element. I’m not up on my distinct flower smells, but I wouldn’t call them either white flowers or roses. Finish is all coffee, cocoa and white pepper and very very long. There is enough acid and structure to stop the wine from being overly ponderous but it will never be a refreshing drink. In many ways (maybe not so much flavour profile but in other ways) it reminded me of a 2002 Harlan Maiden brought to an offline last summer (though the Amon-Ra wasn’t quite as heavy).
I’m very glad I have more of them. This is my 1st so I don’t know what it was like a few years ago but I don’t see it falling off anytime soon and I will drink the remainders anytime over the next decade.
I gave it a 95, a little less weight and a touch more acid potentially would have given it a point or two gain. This really is good stuff. My wife's palate gave it near perfection.
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3/30/2012 - Nothumbleyet wrote: 93 Points
Dark fruit, deep tannins, clean finish, very nice
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3/25/2012 - exawb wrote: 96 Points
This wine continues to amaze me at how smooth it is! We decanted for about 15 minutes and tasted how elegant it was on the palate. Silky, blueberry, cherry, long finish.
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2/12/2012 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Amon-Ra Vertical (Kevin's House): A very good showing and this wine will improve and might eclipse the 04 in quality. This is the third time trying this wine and always solid. Floral, spice, blueberries, wood and minerals. Picked up a white pepper note on the palate and long finish. Concentrated wine and the only wine that kept improving over the course of three plus hours. Hold.
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2/4/2012 - Mattshank wrote: 92 Points
Amon Ra Vertical (2002-2006) (Kevin's House): 3 hour dbl. decant. Nose: Stone minerals and dark fruits. Fairly tight even after a healthy decant. Palate: Stone fruits with good minerality. Others really dug this but I felt it really didn't come out that much as it needs time. Solid wine but give it 2-4 years before thinking about opening, and when you do I think extended decanting would be in order, even then. 93+ point potential easily.
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2/4/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Amon Ra Vertical 2002-2006 (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Very dark purple-red color. 3 hr decant. Drank 1+ glass over 2.5hrs. This was still tight and woody initially, so we aerated it again after about 30 minutes and that really calmed it down. The nose became much more vibrant with a lovely dusty, cedar quality, florals came out too, along with big black fruits of cassis, blackberry, some meat and scorched earth, and much later some of the earthy quality of the '04. The palate still shows some tannin, though they are not harsh, nice concentration, layered black fruits, lots of pepper on the long finish. This did not show nearly as well as the last bottle we had (that one had a 1 hr decant FWIW). Initially this seemed tight despite the long decant and not ready to fully play, the last aeration made a significant difference. Still this was outstanding, and I will update a day 2 note. Day 1, 93pts.
Ok, day 2 brought out what I saw in this wine the first time. The rich nose with depth and nuance was there. The palate evolved to show incredible depth, beautiful full fruit and impeccable balance and elegance that was not there on day 1. 95pts, still my #2 WOTN a hair behind the '04.
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1/21/2012 - Lessthanzero wrote:
Dense big scale wine. Keep for a decade. Revisit
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1/12/2012 - curtispomeroy wrote: 89 Points
This drinks as advertised with full-on fruit. I am going to wait 3 years before trying another just to see if it evolves into another type of experience.
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1/2/2012 - Kriz wrote: 93 Points
This is not about what you smell or taste but how much. How many grapes can be put in a bottle of wine? A big boy and I was afraid that it would not have finesse. Well, it has'nt but it is a very nice wine to drink. Very full bodied and a lot of everything. Also alcohol and that is a little annoying when you smell and in the finish. However... a great bottle of wine!
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12/25/2011 - Rob MacKay wrote: 93 Points
For what it is, which is a big burly Aussie Shiraz, it's pretty damn good. Not for the weak-palated folks out there. If you like this style of wine, this will really be something you enjoy. For me, maybe not my cup of tea but even so, I still enjoyed it.
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12/10/2011 - Ombibulous wrote: 91 Points
OMG. *This* is why I'm a wine lover, and a lover of Aussie Shiraz from Barossa, and of Ben Glaetzer. What a wonderful experience. Complexity and fruit. Let's leave it at that. Outstanding! (91.5).
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12/5/2011 - AWB7BAR wrote: 89 Points
This wine seems still a little young. Hoping that it would open up but didn't quit get there. The fruits tend to be a little bitter. I am going to let this wine cellar for a bit longer and try again. Not sure that this wine is going to live up to the expectations.
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11/20/2011 - Rolster72 wrote: 95 Points
Stood out among a strong group of red wines we consumed that night. Very elegant with a beautiful finish.
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10/23/2011 - bjamesclark wrote: 93 Points
Dark and brooding, and after a 2 hour decant earth, violet and cherry aromas are plentiful.
Mushroom, plum and vanilla with touches of coffee and cocoa on the voluptuous palate. dark cherry, earth and cocoa finish with a creamy texture. Balanced, and elegant. Acidity and alcohol both keep pace with the tannins.
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9/30/2011 - Colima74 wrote: 93 Points
This is still very young, but it drank very well with our ribeyes and amongst the other Syrahs. Dark in color, but the fruit is red/blue, with supporting tannins. Some tar and violets provide balance to the fruit. Withe NWA at Gulfstream.
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9/4/2011 - wirelesswine wrote: 89 Points
Opened this bottle thinking it would be a great "closer" after an afternoon of whites and reds with dinner. However, it seemed overpriced for what it delivered - dark, bitter fruit but not a whole lot else. Shiraz at lower price points seems to compare well with this, so I was a bit disappointed in light of the price.
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9/2/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 87 Points
Jammy berry compote, prune, searing fuel aspect on the nose. Concentrated roasted plum, prune liqueur palate with an artificial plastic aspect as well. Decent acidity, a touch medicinal, and just too far off the rails on the concentration scale. Nothing subtle or restrained here.
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6/28/2011 - Rolster72 wrote: 95 Points
Favourite wine of the Amon Ra vertical we did. Very well structured with beautiful red fruit. I found this very open and approachable. Great depth of flavour but still had an elegant finish. Drinking really well right now but will obviously last for a long time to come.
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5/23/2011 - mkubow wrote: 94 Points
Opened, decanted, and poured - it was wonderful. All the fruit and spice you could want but very nice layered finish.
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4/18/2011 - jaxpaj wrote: 94 Points
A very nice wine just missing that something special which kept it out of higher 90s. Very dark, fruit forward wine with tones of raw vanilla and velvety tannins that keep the aftertaste lasting a good minute. Lacked complexity and very dirty wine (left a good inch of wine in the bottle yet my last glass was a train wreck, tons of sediment left in the glass).
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4/8/2011 - ilee wrote: 94 Points
I can't think of anything negative to say about this wine. (Except perhaps that this wine is heavier than those I typically seek out -- but one can hardly blame the wine for that!) Intensely perfumed nose with floral scents, blackberries, medicinal herbs and toast. On the palate, it is a full-on assault of fruit, but so plush it rather feels like I've been trampled on a red carpet. Still on the young side, but it is already complex and very approachable. I don't (or rather, can't) drink shiraz too often, but I'm sure I've stumbled on a very good example of it.
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3/28/2011 - rwstorer wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Dark purple color with an initial iodine nose that softened into blueberry, coffee and raspberry. Initial coffee and blueberry flavors with a hint of clove. Stunning complexity. Four of us liked this wine with similar notes. Needs minimally 5 more years of cellar time.
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3/27/2011 - B Dub wrote: 95 Points
Popped, filter-decanted and enjoyed over a few hours. Dark, opaque, purple in color. Inky. Currently, I recommend decanting for two hours before consuming. This is a great wine, but still a bit young, edgy and raw. Strong senses of blackberry, raspberry, some unripened green fruit, plumb and it evolves well with some breathing time. Fruit predominates the midpalate and it hits you firmly with more layers of dark fruit, espresso and dark chocolate. The finish is of good length and has a pleasing green, tannic bite. Well balenced and well built. Although approachable now, I would recommend a couple of more years of cellar time. Great Aussie Shiraz with a bright future!
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3/26/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
High Scoring Aussies Offline (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple color. Stunningly good wine. Absolutely beautiful. The nose just shines with lovely blueberries followed by creme de cassis, plum, mulberry, earth, oak, and spices. The palate is so plush and round in the mouth, full bodied with layers of fruit balanced by spices, oak and round well integrated tannins. Extraordinary finish. Decanted one hour prior and served at 64 degrees. This was head and shoulders above everthing else tonight and that says a lot. Hedonistic pleasure! My WOTN, group WOTN with 19 of 21 pts.
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3/26/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Amazing Aussie Wines (Kevin's House): Very complex wine but the nose does not do the palate justice. Blueberries, coffee, spice and floral notes. Concentrated palate and medium to long finish. Really integrated wine and really no flaws. Impressive!
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3/24/2011 - wineotim wrote: 91 Points
Lots of blueberries and blackberries, some spice and vanilla flavors with lively acidity. Alcohol well integrated, but just did not live up to the RP hype, no WOW factor here.
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3/16/2011 - gblacave Likes this wine: 87 Points
Aussie Gems (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): On the nose this was full and rich with blueberry jam, blackberry, baking spice and a hint of vanilla. There is a lot of material here but it is very primary. On the palate this is lush and broad, but with enough acid and a good tannic grip which I think will allow for a nice development over time. It is very young. The mouthfeel is both rich and velvety while the wine gives way to a long lingering finish. It is good right now if you're in the mood for a fruit bomb, but I think this wine has the stuffing to mature into something really interesting.
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3/16/2011 - tooch wrote: 88 Points
Australian Gem Tasting (Smith & Wollensky - Washington, DC): Dark, brooding nose of blueberries, black cherry jam, vanilla and warm spices. Incredibly pure tones of dark fruits and spice flow across the palate with silken texture. This is incredibly tightly woven, dense, and unforgiving. While the level of extraction is high here, the purity of the fruit keeps the wine palatable for me. Alcohol wasn't an issue for me here either, so that was good. Overall, I'd like to revisit this wine in 10 years as I think its density and tannin will soften and reveal some truly complex wine.
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2/7/2011 - pc2006mg wrote: 95 Points
Amazing on day 1 and incredible on day 2. Needs lots of time to open up!!
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2/4/2011 - TAE wrote: 94 Points
Big fruity juicy bomb. Nose of leather, liquorice, Tobacco and obviously loads of dark fruit. Acidity good at killling some sweetness. Ok bomb, but not worth parkers 97 points.
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1/16/2011 - deltacop wrote: 92 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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12/17/2010 - danielbleier wrote: 95 Points
a massive fruit bomb...blueberry and blackberry pie, sweet and tart at the same time. Lacks some the the structure of the Amon-Ra.
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11/30/2010 - Opusone99 wrote: 95 Points
Bu après plusieurs bouteilles, alors mes papilles étaient possiblement fatiguées. Encore une fois, une splendide bouteille. Un ensemble de grande qualité. La robe est dense, très foncée. Le nez est sur les mûres, les petits fruits noirs, notes vanillées, épices, wow. En bouche, c'est soyeux, l'alcool ne ressort pas (15,7%), ça caresse le palais, la finale est très longue.
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11/28/2010 - Roughl wrote: 92 Points
This was muted with high alcohol heat upon opening, but after a couple of hours it really showed its pedigree. The alcohol is not disturbing, but let's remain serious, this bottle cannot hide the high voltage 15+% alc. That is simply not possible, or I am really sensitive to the perception of alc. in wine... Perhaps not entirely my thing (I like a cooler expression of shiraz more), but whoow this is some excellent aussie shiraz in its stylenand I am very glad to have a couple of bottles of this left. This is not a mere polished fruit bomb like let's say the hedonistic Clio monastrell (which I like frome time to time), but offers more complexity and more spicy,mocha, baconlike flavours,. lot's of tannins so this will be fine over te next 10 yrs I guess. Looong finish, with some heat (I concur with Bambam on this). I should buy a couple of these from other vintages as well.
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10/18/2010 - bambam wrote: 95 Points
This has improved with another year in the cellar. The alcohol on the nose has subsided but it still leaves a shadow on the finish. It has a strong fruit component with Blueberries, Blackberries, Vanilla, and a touch of pepper. The texture on this wine has always been awesome and it just seems to be getting better. I am looking forward to opening another bottle a few years from now.
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10/18/2010 - Opusone99 wrote: 96 Points
Le vin est violet, très noir, robe impressionnante de part sa couleur profonde et de part sa densité à l'oeil. Au nez, on retrouve du gâteau aux fromages à l'ouverture qui s'estompe après quelques minutes pour faire place à un éclat de fruits noirs, framboises, cerises, moka. En bouche, c'est là que ça se passe, oufff!!! C'est grandiose. Malgré, 15.7% on ne ressent aucune présence de chaleur ou d'alcool dérangeante. C'est vif, à la fois très concentré et d'une telle précision, une fois avalé on dirait avoir affaire avec une queue de paon tellement ça explose de saveurs à ce moment tout en étant structuré et qui ne tombe pas dans la caricature des australiens confits (que je n'aime vraiment pas pour le préciser). Un vin immense qui passera l'âge adulte sans problème. Un choc gustatif pour ma part, j'ai adoré.
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8/24/2010 - dannyk8232 wrote: 93 Points
Big and ridiculous. A monster. Needs more time to settle down.
However...
Absolutely delicious and really fun to drink under the right circumstances.
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8/20/2010 - Smahlatz wrote: 95 Points
Hard to score this wine. Quite dumb on opening, after 30 minutes, developed chilean style aromatics, after an hour developed significantly further. A slightly odd note at the back end of the nose - almost plastic like - an odd note to the oak. Gives a feeling of excitement on the tongue initially - a slight spritz. This continues to develop in the glass, gaining depth and richness - giving the overall impression of blueberry and custard danish - though the richness balanced - I guess by acidifaction. There is smokiness on the palate, but even this seems sweet. All integrated, but within this sweet context. After 5 hours, very interesting - retains its initial impression, but developing more spice notes - hard to put a finger on some of the flavours this is throwing up. It has also become much hotter on the nose. Obviously very well made, and an intriguing wine - though not to my taste, and somewhat wasted at this point. I see little point in opening my remaining bottle < 10 years. At the moment, this may pair well with Chinese food, I found it did magical things with intensely savoury food. Tasted this again the next day, and this has gained a lot of complexity - vegetal notes, which in the sweet context which is still present, reminds me of beetroot - also licorice and tar - a very interesting wine to drink. On day three - this has really come together - complexity was a t a peak on day two, but it is more integrated on day three - rich and unctuous (too much so for me), but a stunning wine all round and one of the most remarkable wines I have tasted. Upped the score based on day 2 and 3 tasting - but a good example of why style is much more inportant than points.
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8/19/2010 - CMz wrote: 96 Points
Opened, decanted for 2 hrs. Dark velvety purple to the rim. Huge nose of blueberry, raspberry, vanilla-mocha and spicy notes that fills the room. Huge on the palate as well - blueberry the dominant fruit w cherry, mocha-chocolate, vanilla, peppery spice and some anise notes that i did not find in my last tasting. Big, big wine in the mouth but very smooth and well integrated. Long, long finish.
Tasted w several other Aussie Shiraz and scored it lower than my last bottle - just where it fit in the flight - kneecapped by a Grange & Hill of Grace. Still an extraordinary Shiraz and classic if you like this style - think i will pair it up with kindred spirits next time...
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8/13/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 92 Points
Intense and complex. On the nose I get a surprising amount of menthol along with typical Shiraz aromas of ripe blackberries and raspberries. On the palate: Chocolate covered cherries and a little bit of heat. And more menthol. Evolves impressively in the glass- a new aroma or flavor reveals itself each sip. Not for the faint of heart- this is a big boy. Perhaps it will mellow with age.
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7/18/2010 - Praxis wrote: 92 Points
The Amon Ra ’06 is an incredibly thick, intense and concentrated monster of a wine. Its color is reddish black and viscosity is reminiscent of freshly drawn blood. Only after a 5 hour decant does its amazing complexity begin to emerge evoking the sensation of luscious blueberries, ripe boysenberries, menthol, dark chocolate and black pepper on the nose as well as the palate. At this juncture, the wine is still in its infancy with a lot of growing up to do. Perhaps another 5 to 10 years of cellar time to do wonders for this wine of great depth, power and balance. This is definitely a big, bold and beautiful old vine shiraz of massive proportions that will continue to develop over the next several decades.
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5/14/2010 - phenricsson wrote: 96 Points
Decanter 3 hours. Darker and younger looking than anything
Bottled we have seen. 95;95 and black. Coating the glass. Dark,black, roasted nose. On palate it is dense, concentrated, rich and incredibly intense. Sweet core but dark ashy backnotes. Almost like a liqueur in Intensity. Aftertaste, however, is not too sweet, it cleans up with some salt and bitterness, this is a serious wine! Does not change anything over 4hours. Maybe more complexities in 5more years? 96p.
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3/20/2010 - Goldstone wrote: 95 Points
Three Blind Flights Dinner (Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Tasted blind but knowing it was one of two serious big Aussie Shiraz. Totally inpenetrably opaque purple/black colour. Huge nose of "velvet blackberries" and intense blueberries.....very powerful. Palate is not thick but is plush velvet, rounded, hugely mouthfilling and sweet, rounded and with incredibly pure intense blueberry and blackberry fruit. High alcohol and a very Californian fruit-driven richness but with the tones of leather and some green capiscum and eucalyptus that identify it as Aussie shiraz...... "but not as we know it, Jim". There is a fascinating intensity you would normally call jammy but in this case it comes with a jelly-like lightness. The length is all huge resounding bass notes like a church organ playing Bach. This is a very young wine and we put it hurriedly through a Vinturi two hours before drinking because our instruction to decant 8 hours in advance had been overlooked. Hard to score........I was toying with 91 or not to score at all when it suddenly blossomed and started to reveal its true whole self. Gosh.......
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3/20/2010 - runny wrote: 92 Points
Good, but not quite as good as I expected. I think the fact that it was only decanted 2 hours before drinking was not in it's favour. Definitely a beautifully made wine, and will grow in quality of experience over time. Good nose with fruit showing through, and a delightfully silky palate that lasts and lasts. I think 6 months at least before I approach the next bottle.
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3/20/2010 - curtispomeroy wrote: 92 Points
Starter wine at Patrick's art exhibit. Too distracted to really concentrate.
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2/16/2010 - ShannonGroomes wrote: 95 Points
Simply STUNNING,loaded with red berries that cascaded through my mouth and ended with a long finish of dusty chocolate covered fruits of the forest. These wines from Ben Glaetzer are some the best Shiraz we have ever had from down under.Had after the storms of the century in Maryland.
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1/17/2010 - deltacop wrote: 95 Points
Never disapointed. This is getting better and better. Really in a good place right now. As the night went on, this just got better.
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1/16/2010 - thomaslangberg wrote: 97 Points
What more can you ask for? Maybe more maturity and integration of alcohol to fit better to food . This is wine making on a extremely high level.
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1/11/2010 - jimyc wrote: 97 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Outstanding wine! The best Austraian wine I've ever tried. Lots and lots of fruit but exremely well balanced. Amazing long consistant finish.
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1/11/2010 - redderthanred wrote:
Just a great wine...had with friends, no notes this time. Please see prior notes.
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12/23/2009 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 96 Points
Color: Black
Nose: Huge nose with black pepper, blackberries, smoke, oak
Taste: Crushed rock, black pepper, blackberries, smoke, intense
Finish: Long and concentrated wine
Evaluation: With the exception of the Tim Smith Shiraz this is the best Australian Shiraz under $100 96 points
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10/30/2009 - tplskylrk wrote: 93 Points
P&P at a restaurant in Makati with Peter & Max. Dark purple black, looks as thick as motor oil in the glass and stains it all at the same time. Vapors of tar, licorice, vanilla, and just like smelling the old fashioned purple hard candy, sticking your head in the glass jar at the 5 &10, taking a Whiff. The palate is silky, rich but not heavy, layers of rich black, blue fruits, in a heavy syrup that is made from it's own juice. It is big, graceful, complex.
The bottle lasted lest than hour, my last sip before moving on to the 9 Bishops was smoky, developed the bright dark red fruits on the palate, and the tannins, the structure started to emerge. A very well made wine.
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10/9/2009 - redderthanred wrote:
Decanted for about two hours or so…this is the wine that started it all for us and we were reminded why last night.
The first snowfall of the season occurred last night and I thought it would be nice to pop something rather robust; my wife arrived home to a decanter full of Ra and produced a smile ear to ear.
So balanced for such a huge wine with all the fruit, smoke, spices, acid and tannin you could pack into a bottle...just fantastic.
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9/7/2009 - bambam wrote: 94 Points
Did not decant but let it breathe for 1 hr. Nose was black licorice, blueberry, and alcohol. Texture was awesome. Surprising amount of acidity which helped maintain great balance for such a big wine. Wonderful finish. The wine is approachable now but will probably benefit from more time in the cellar. The alcohol on the nose is the ONLY thing that keeps me from giving this a classic score.
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9/7/2009 - deltacop wrote: 96 Points
Had to put my dog down this weekend so wanted something nice to make a toast to him. Shared by four of us it didn't last long. Upon open it was tight and the alcohol was noticable. About an hour later it was singing, and by two hours it was perfect. So much better then my last bottle of 2006 Amon ra. Paired up with a 2005 Schilds estate shiraz, which was also showing really well.
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9/6/2009 - dpohlman wrote: 97 Points
This is an amzing Shiraz! It is loaded with fruit, but still balanced with great structure. I think it will only improve over the next couple of years, because it took a couple of hours before it really opened up. I still have two bottles remaining, but I will be looking to buy even more.
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8/15/2009 - mbenz wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for three hours and probably should have waited longer. Hints of vanilla on the nose, integrated fruit and nice mouthfeel and finish. All in all a really nice wine, but consumed too young. Will only improve.
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7/20/2009 - CMz wrote: 98 Points
Opened and decanted for 90 minutes. Deep, deep purple to the edge; vanilla & blueberry on the nose initially, opening up over several hours. this is a big wine, even for Amon Ra; huge in the mouth, almost chewy. On the palate: Blueberry dominant, with vanilla, peppery spice and mocha, hints of oak early that faded.
Hard not to compare this to the '05; it seems bigger but far more youthful, somehow bigger than the '05 was at the same stage. It is missing some of the early smoothness of the '05, and does not have the same licorice and mineral notes showing but for all of that it is has a lot of complexity and is well integrated. After 4 hours of air the wine just begins to show it's potential - i just love the mocha-espresso notes. It may exceed the '05 over time. If you are a fan of big Aussie Shiraz this is a must-have
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7/11/2009 - Eurocave wrote: 92 Points
Long finish, very dry, generous blend and extremely smooth. Bold, rich flavor and color, fantastic throughout and balanced.
The legs are Slow. The body is Full. The wine has Smooth texture. The wine finishes Long.
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7/11/2009 - Zweder wrote: 95 Points
Regular dinner group (@ PZ): A lot of everything! Enormously concentrated. Ripe red as well as black fruits. Coffee, bacon etc. And behind of this there is elegance as well. But it is still so young. Although I will probably not manage, next bottle at least 5 years from now. The score can only go up.
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6/9/2009 - rjayson wrote: 94 Points
While extremely young this wine was delicious. Great nose, finish went on forever. This can only get better
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5/1/2009 - GETRENNT wrote: 95 Points
Fourty Min decant (dumb), black, warlike purple, hi opacity
N: Hi intensity melted black licorice, anise cordial, black berry liquer, spiced oak, spiced vanilla
P: Huge body, M buried acid, M hidden tannin, 80 pound body... huge extraction.
Blackberry liquer, anise jam, dark mint leaf, vanilla sauce, spicey cedar
Insane finish (85 sec?) incredible concentration. Revisit in '12
aegisepolis@hotmail.com
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4/4/2009 - gregsp wrote: 90 Points
Big wine with personality but I think it needs a couple of years to smooth out the rough edges.
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4/4/2009 - redderthanred wrote:
Decanted for about 6 hours.
Wow...this is huge! Rich palate with a finish that lasts for at least a minute.
Please see prior notes as this wine has been covered pretty well here at CT
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3/18/2009 - Vinophil2000 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Über drei Tagen undekantiert aus der Flasche getrunken.
Am dritten Tag, so wie ich den 2005er in Erinnerung hatte.
Schwarz violette Farbe, viel Satz
Nase: Dunkle Frucht, Säure, Tannin,
Am dritten Tag, dunkle Frucht, sehr gute Konzentration, langer Abgang, wahnsinns Tanine.
Das letzte Glas ca. 96-97 Punkte (kenne mich in diesen Regionen nicht so aus
Sehr seriöser Geschmack, nur ein bischen Fruchtsüße
Am ersten und zweiten Tag war der Eindruck ein anderer. Ich nehme an wegen der undekantierten Flasche. Dort war der Wein fruchtig, blaubeerig, schien weniger konzentriert und lang im Abgang. Eindruck 92-94 ??
Die viele Frucht und Säure und Tanine werden ihm einlanges leben bescheren.
Dekantieren, also in Karaffe und dann im Abstand von 1-2 h immer wieder probieren. Aus heutiger sicht würde ich ihn eine bis zwei Stunde vor dem Trinken in eine Karaffe füllen.
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3/1/2009 - Namaste wrote: 94 Points
Day one after a 12 hour decant, nice velvety texture, ripe red fruit 92-93. Day two, palate changing by the hour, complexities dancing around a grape jolly rancher, mouth smacking flavor. Excellent!
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2/17/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Tasty goodness the second time.
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2/17/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smoked pork and bacon, bold cherry, tight but it was just opened and I have been drinking FX Pichler. Now, the wine has always come across more acidic and structured than it should be. Which is to say better than I think it is. We shall explore.
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2/15/2009 - redderthanred wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for over 12 hours.
Nose: wow, this wine never stops amazing us...so many things going on...most trackers have covered it...also see prior notes.
Palate: just amazing, see prior notes and tracker's notes.
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1/1/2009 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 88 Points
Solid, typical, large, over the top, Aussie wine. The fruit here is pretty tasty.
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12/17/2008 - fergus12 wrote: 96 Points
Wonderful, even young. huge wine with a finish that lasts a full minute. Great balance.
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11/23/2008 - mos wrote: 94 Points
Pop and pour. Inky dark indigo color sets the stage. Notes of oak, smoke, and a whiff of tar on the nose. Be prepared for a monster heavy blackberry, blueberry, oak extravaganza on the taste. Beautiful velvet mouth feel. This continues to be one of my favorite wines.
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11/15/2008 - bubbachumps wrote: 94 Points
Really outclassed the Ojai Bien Nacido we side by side bigger more balanced, more nuanced. Smoke blueberry, road tar and just pure beauty. In the mouth smooth and lush, very well balanced. Wel worth the moeny b/c it didnot dissappoint. Very classy Shiraz!
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11/6/2008 - redderthanred wrote: 95 Points
Great stuff as always...can't really add anything that everyone else has covered...so glad we have a 6 pack left!
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11/1/2008 - Roughl wrote: 94 Points
Quintessential shiraz. Decanted for 2.5 hours before dinner. Drank over 6 hours and kept some for the next day. Concentrated mulberry, blackcurrent, cassis, blueberry , milkchocolate, spice after a couple of hours and a very distinguished smokey note. Layers and layers of fruit, that cover the excellent tannins. Does not lack elegance. A true beauty. With a finish of practically one minute. Still so young but difficult to stay away right now.Day two consistent 94-96 pts
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10/13/2008 - bigdogflow wrote: 95 Points
Popped and poured. Big, massive Shiraz! Tons of fruit and the taste goes on and on. Wonderful long finish.
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10/3/2008 - NiklasW wrote: 85 Points
ChTR vuosikokous 3.10.2008 (Ravintola Viinille ja Ravintola Aurora, Turku): Tasted double-blind. Decanted for an hour. Appearance: a dark violet red, almost black at the core, looking very young (4/5). Nose: whoa, a huge nose of oak, toasted oak, with a side whiff of rubber and some sweet fruits. Maybe the oak will integrate with time, but now it is overpowering and not exactly pleasurable for me (10/15). Palate: very fruity, but only slightly on the sweet side. There are tannins there despite the wall of fruit, also a bit of a smokey background. This seems a bit disjointed now, too young to be fully integrated (14/20). Overall: an interesting wine, but not quite my style. Too much of a fruit bomb for me. I was at a loss as to where this was from, and when it was revealed as Amon-Ra, I was quite surprised. So this is what a cult wine is like! Nope, don't have to get it for myself, thanks! (7/10).
Click here if you have any questions, I'll be happy to discuss this wine on the CT Forum
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9/27/2008 - Alex H wrote: 88 Points
New World Wine Experience 2008 (Crystal Wines): Purple black beauty. Classy style with an aristocratic air. Generously diffusing generous scents of plums, spice cake and caramelised dark soy sauce with drops of vanilla. The palate is rather tight though. It was really hard to get past the succulent black fruits but I did get some white pepper and the spicy finish. Definitely a big wine, it still shows restraint. Therefore, unlike some of its barossa cousins, it is big but possesses the royalty of stature to carry through without being in your face. Clean acid structure with firm tannins prove this as a keeper. 88 + ??? for me.
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9/27/2008 - Paul S wrote: 94 Points
Crystal Wines New World Experience 2008 (Valley Point, Singapore): This one really stood out from amongst all the other Aussie Shiraz in terms of quality and breed for me today - I'm glad that I have another bottle tucked away safely. Dark, dark purple. Really concentrated and intense on the nose, with plums, spiced cake, and caramelised dark soy notes with a little twist of bramble along with a wafting vanilla note. Just a whiff of alcohol mixed in there somewhere. Really concentrated and weighty on the palate, which showed lots of plum and super-ripe blackcurrant, but also meat, pepper and spice. Everything was in perfect balance though. This was by far the wine with the best structure amongst all those that we tasted. Superb structure in fact, with firm, yet super-well formed tannins and round, juicy acidity giving the wine a wonderful backbone. Finish was really, long with a nice savoury turn. Everything was just in the right place - very seamless and complete. In spite of the intense flavours, I still got a sense that there was a whole lot more coiled up tensely like a spring, waiting for time to unwind into a full panapoly of different smells and flavours. Not my usual style, but this was so good nonetheless, and will continue to get better with time.
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9/26/2008 - budman wrote: 95 Points
Silky smooth dark fruit. Endless finish.
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9/13/2008 - Squirreljam wrote:
No score, impression only - this is the real deal. Excellent balance, acid to match the incredible fruit, long tannic finish. A little disjointed but we popped and poured so would likely have been different with a decent decant. On the nose, unmistakeable and strong tobacco note over almost everything else. On the palate, rich dark chocolate, spice on a long tannic finish.
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8/30/2008 - Dale M wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 1 hr. Black and dense as a full solar eclipse, both in color and in palate density, or fruit weight if you will. Wait, did I just really write that? Damn you Sparky P!!!! ;) Anyway, most tasting notes on this sucker have a common theme of “balance”, that somehow while being such a monstrosity of a wine it achieves a palate equilibrium of sorts, and pulls it off. Officially count me in as a believer: it does and it did. At this very early point in the wines evolution, we are of course treated to a wealth of Barossa fruit, blackberry galore in full regalia; paired finely with a smoky quality displaying the syrah / shiraz pedigree. The wines classy edge of French Oak is poking out a bit a present, but by no means a distraction, it’s a very skill full use of the wood. The tannins were actually a little more pronounced than I expected, and would favor holding this for a few years before enjoying again.
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8/5/2008 - rfras wrote: 95 Points
I've never rated a bottle higher. This was a complete surprise. Shared at the beach with M&R. Decanted for 2 hours and drank over 2 more hours. Dark color and great black fruit aroma. This was not a big jammy fruit bomb that explodes in your face. This wine was supple with multi-layers that coat your mouth with blackberry, vanilla and sweet spice flavor. Long smooth finish. Yummy.
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6/22/2008 - mos wrote: 94 Points
Inky dark red color and robust body.
Front end loaded with blackberries, blueberries, and currant. A hint of earthy undertones with a gorgeous velvety smooth finish.
This still stands as one of my favorite wines.
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6/17/2008 - happynothing wrote: 96 Points
another amazing vintage for the amon-ra shiraz. this wine needs some time to mellow out though, very dark and muted nose before decant. 3 hours started to open up to heavy asphalt, camphor, pepper and blackberry jam. left a glass in decanter for 24 hours and my god! this wine really needs time to open up to its full potential! it was delicious, with a great tannin structure. highly recommended.
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6/7/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 95 Points
Fight night wines (my house): nose: this has taken a while to come around( it had been opened for nearly 8 hours) and this nose is deep and sumptuous. Not as fruit forward as the 05, but very deep that is filled with loads of blackberries, cranberries, camphor, smoke, anise, black cherries. a black hole of a nose with northern rhone-like qualities while still be aussie in style, this is just a massive nose that has come around and is insanely deep
taste: still very young as the tannins and acidity take away from the mid palate a bit, but this is just balanced black fruit down to its core. Blackberries, Black Cherry, cranberry, raspberry, smoke, camphor, and anise just give off greatly balanced
overall: this can and most likely will pass the 05. This has some serious aging possibility and will certainly get better. This needed a lot of time to open up, but when it did, it really became an awesome wine. Really long and big feel with an extremely long black fruited finish
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5/23/2008 - redderthanred wrote: 93 Points
Please see prior notes, we love this one!
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5/16/2008 - losvinhos wrote: 93 Points
Purpura fechado. Aromas intensos de frutos negros, especiarias e baunilha. Na boca muito intenso, concentrado, 'doce', com boa acidez, taninos macios, muita fruta e final longo. Moderno, potente, deve evoluir bem. Não faz meu gênero, chega a ser enjoativo. Ótimo/Excelente.
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5/11/2008 - tarheel17 wrote:
Smooth vanilla and spice at tail end of finish. Nice mouthfeel. Not sure it's worth the price, though. ONly if someone else is buying....
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4/27/2008 - gellie wrote: 95 Points
Excellent. Drinking much earlier than the 05.
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4/16/2008 - vanpe003 wrote: 95 Points
Not quite what I was expecting. My recollection of the '05 was one of a more approachable wine. The '06 comes across less developed wine, showing its youth a bit more. Brooding fruit and cassis on the nose. Palate coating fruit leads to a long finish, with acidity and tannins noticeably present. Unlike some "fruit bomb" shiraz, I don't find this in any way jammy, medicinal or "fake". Quite focused given it's depth. While I've not had the opportunity to follow an ageworthy Shiraz through it's 15-20+ year evolution, my sense is that the '06 Amon Ra, while "new world", is put together in the manner of a classic built for aging. My educated guess would be that the '05 shows better today, the '06 may very well show better in 15 years. Looking forward to reevaluating this evening after 6 or so hours in the decanter.
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3/24/2008 - CAS wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 5 hours. On opening the bottle the air was full of dark fruit aromas! Very dark in the glass - almost inky black. Nose of vanilla, pepper,blackcurrant, spices and chocolate with a touch of alcohol. Quite thick on the palate - medium tannins but smooth sweet black fruits coming through and a good hint of the alcohol. A good long finish but the oak is coming through quite strong. I prefer the 2005 but willing to give this more time in the bottle to see how it develops. Looks like other people have the same opinion that they prefer the 2005.
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3/24/2008 - deltacop wrote: 92 Points
I guess I was expecting more. I have enjoyed the 2005 and was just expecting more of the same. The alcohol was more upfront then the 05 and therefore the fruit was not as enjoyable. I decanted in the bottle for 4-5 hours prior to serving. It got better as I took sips along the way to see how it was progressing. I'm going to leave the balance of my 06's to age while I enjoy the 05's over the next few years. I'm just not sure why people have the 06 rated a notch above the 05 on this board. It's just not the case.
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3/8/2008 - redderthanred wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for about 4 hours...needs much longer time in decanter. Nose of cherry cream, blueberry pie, little earth, oak and spice...mid palate was there and finish was very long with balanced tannins and just a slight bit of heat. We love this wine and will sit on these for a bit before trying another.
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2/24/2008 - THaas wrote: 99 Points
The color is a deep, brick-red, almost opaque. On the nose, a rush of blackcurrant and rich berries. The nose intensity is overwhelming; I poured less than half an ounce into a glass when decanting the wine, and it almost knocked me over taking a short sniff from over the rim of the glass; I didn't even try to put my nose into the bowl. On the palate, the wine is indeed overwhelming in flavor. Notes include distinct cedar and oak notes, an overarching flavor of dark chocolate, red fruit, coconut, spice, and espresso. The mouthfeel is velvety. There's a richness to the flavor that's hard to put into words; it's mouth-coating, intense (even in a 1/2 oz tasting pour). The wine sets up camp in your mouth and stays there for seemingly ever. Truly amazing.
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2/23/2008 - dionysis wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyed on OTB night 2008. I decanted starting at 3 pm per others' suggestions. First tried it at 7 pm, then at 8 and 9. Very dark, very big -- jammy and full bodied. Poured the rest on night #2 and the wine had evolved nicely over the 24 hours, as other flavors started to emerge (sweet vanilla & spiced rum even) and the wine exhibited much more balance and had rounded out considerably. This is the first Amon-Ra I have ever tried, so I cannot compare it to past vintages, but I enjoyed the one I had and look forward to trying it again in several years.
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2/7/2008 - bwaverley wrote: 92 Points
While (like other reviewers) I believe this wine will age for 20+ years, I purchased it on the basis of my experience with the 2005 vintage. Recognizing the '06 is VERY young, my first reaction is that the 2005 is a more balanced, better made wine. Tasted over a 24 hour period, the 2006 had a strong nose and finish of mocha/bittersweet chocolate, vanilla, and dark berries. It's a very good bottle of wine, but a lack of patience will be met with disappointment - Mr. Parker was likely a bit too generous with his 97-100 score.
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1/28/2008 - California Cape wrote: 95 Points
Awesome - plenty written here already that I agree with. Excellent now, but more time will reward the patient collector. Didn't even decant much, but drank over two nights and enjoyed the evolution.
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1/28/2008 - Vino Me wrote: 94 Points
Binny's Shiraz Tasting (St. Charles, Illinois): The best wine at this retailer tasting. 100% Shiraz. This is a WA 97-100 point wine. Blackish purple color. Full bodied and complex but not made in a full throttle style. Close though. This had a creamy mouth feel and was very expressive. Notes of l=black pepper, mocha and blackberry. 94 points.
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1/15/2008 - beatles wrote: 92 Points
Lots of blackberries galore. Very concentrated, delicious, sexy wine – Australian without a doubt. Especially the day after – on day 1, here was enough tannin and structure to put (some) in doubt. Very well-made – if you like the style.
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1/7/2008 - donrad wrote: 97 Points
Sorry to everybody in advance for the length of the note, but think of it as 4 tasting notes of the same wine....Braised Short Ribs with sherry reduction, carmelized spaghetti squash, and julienne of carrotts, zucchini, and pepper. Opened the bottle when the short ribs went in the oven.....Decanted most, left a generous two pour glass in the bottle, and poured a couple sips in a glass to celebrate successful braising prep.....a 48 hour adventure ensued.....
At opening I thought it was broodingly dark with an obvious huge body. The nose was pretty open from the start...berries, berries and more berries, as dark as they come, with oak showing off vanilla....Surprised and slightly disappointed with the lack of complexity. On the palate, utterly shut down.....You could tell the fruit was there, but it was overwhlemed by the structure. I knew it was going to be good later, but at this point I'd say 89.
At Dinner (4.5 hours later): Out of the decanter, with food. Nose is now pumping out the goods. Still dark berry fruit and oak, but they are now a bit more balanced and the berries are more defined as bluberry, also giving some graphite, pepper, and coffee. On the palate, still pretty closed, but the food cuts through some of the structure and you can taste the fruit. Very thick and dense, it makes the spare rib seem small. At this point I'm thinking quite tasty...Let's see what tomorrow brings....93.
Next Evening (open 28 hours): Poured out a small glass with another in reserve. Massive. Nose is now wide open yielding a corucopia of all of the above plus a spice I can't place, and wildflowers (violet?) added, but now is singing in harmony. Mouth watering. With this much time the palate finally matches the decandence and complexity of the nose. Almost perfectly balanced, its now showing that balance in its length....Now I'm thinking, this could go all the way....I could drink this at my daughters wedding, at my 30 year wedding anniversary, and I'm generally skeptical at Aussie Shiraz and long-term (decades) cellaring. So, let's put it to the test. Cork goes back in, and I resist the urge to drain the bottle...95
Next Evening (open 48 hours): Drained the remainder bottle. Still glass coating 10W40. Nose is pretty much the same (amazing) but not showing any signs of fading....but on the palate, now nearly perfect. Sings from the moment it touches my tongue, velvety texture, almost sweet tannins, structure and acid are still there to compliment and balance. Finish lasts over 40 second. 3 sips later....its gone....so sad.
I thought the 2005 was great, much more approachable, still complex, very well balanced, but this is another story entirely. This WILL go all the way. I have 5 more and will buy another 7. Will drink the case over the next 2 decades, but probably won't even bother opening another bottle for 5 years. Ben Glaetzer is the man.
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12/20/2007 - yeoman wrote:
Nose of black fruits and chocolate. Palate is pretty nice load of berries, spices and balance with silky tannins telling you this wine is not ready for maybe another 3-5 years. But WA (97-100), I don't think so personally I think it's a good wine but having the magical score or even high 90s, i don't think so.
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12/16/2007 - WStucker wrote: 94 Points
Monster of a wine, but let it breath atleast 6 hours. Go away and leave these for atleat another 5 to 8 years.
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12/15/2007 - GreenDrazi wrote: 94 Points
Decanted 2 ½ hr’s. Mostly rich blueberry with a little spice on the otherwise muted nose. A very rich, thick and powerful palate delivering the goods of dark cassis, blueberry, light tar notes and black pepper, with hints of cream and some oak spice towards the long, and full finish. A power laden Amon-Ra, but doesn’t quite have the elegance and complexity of the ’05. Recommend 3-4 hr’s decant time now, this should cellar well for years.
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11/15/2007 - gotapex wrote: 94 Points
Thick and mouth coating. A huge wine, with blueberry, chocolate, and vanilla flavors. Not for the timid.
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11/9/2007 - Red Mountain Man wrote: 96 Points
Wow! Had with spicy sausage appetizers and steak. This is monster of a wine, but so beautifully balanced. Opened 1/2 hour before pouring without decanting. Showed absolutely fantastic for being so young. Looking to get more.
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