Ruby red in the glass showing just a touch of age. On the nose, mostly bramble black fruit, fig jam, baking spice. On the palate, this is seemless. A real plush and textured wine. The alcohol peaks out just a touch as does the acidity. Tannin is lightly grippy. Overall, an awesome wine. I’m glad I held on to this and would recommend opwnijg now or holding for another 3-5 years.
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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 16 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted in a 2015-2002 Amon-Ra vertical.
Somewhat evolved, blackish rusty-red color that permits some light through. The appearance is somewhat more evolved compared to the surrounding vintages. The nose is robust, rather smoky and quite savory with aromas of gamey meat, some toasted wood spice, light sweet notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of tar, a subtly green hint of peppermint or eucalyptus and a touch of liquid smoke. The wine is ripe, juicy and full-bodied with rich, complex and somewhat evolved flavors of smoke and charred game, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of peppery spice, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of extracted woody bitterness and a touch of sweet dark plum. Although quite substantial, the rather high acidity and ample tannins that slowly grip your gums lend good sense of firmness and balance to the wine. The high alcohol shows a little, bringing some warmth to the palate. The lengthy finish is rich and juicy with ripe, slightly sweet-toned flavors of blackberries, extracted woody bitterness, some raisiny tones, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light peppery notes, a little bit of charred game and toasty oak spice, a hint of wizened black cherry and an evolved touch of savory earthiness.
A rich, substantial and moderately evolved vintage of Amon-Ra that is starting to show some age with its savory tertiary notes and dried-fruit aromatics. Structurally the wine hasn't softened up much, so in that sense it drinks more like a young wine with its relatively high acidity and ample tannins that coat your mouth, yet are ripe enough not to make the wine feel tough or aggressively grippy. Flavor-wise, however, the wine has lost the aggressive angularity of younger Amon-Ra wines, coming across as much more integrated and harmonious - up to the point that it feels like the wine doesn't really feel as long-lived as many surrounding vintages. Although the wine isn't on its peak yet, I suspect its apogee is getting close. Drink within the next 7-10 years or so. Feels a tad pricey at approx. 90€.
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Deep, clear red colour. Liquorice, a touch of aniseed and dark fruits on nose. Rounded and smooth in the mouth. Dark fruits, Chinese five spice and a bit of vanilla in flavour. Bright and rounded. Very nice and drinking well.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, a little dusty looking. Nose of monkey glue, Herbs du Provence, plums and currants. Flavors of black berries, black raspberries and black cherries. Tart acidity, drying tannin, full bodied. Drink now. Likely needs a little air before serving.
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This wine is absolutely rocking right now. Heavy weight, oily in the mouth. Tannins totally integrated . It’s obviously Aussie (the heat is there) but is reminiscent of Northern Rhone. Flowers, perfume, exotic spices, black and red fruit, eucalyptus, minerals... it’s all there and in balance. What a treat. Wish I had more.
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Dark blackish red with mild sedimentation. The nose is that of rich ripe black and blue fruits, a slight hint of peppery spice, oak, tobacco and oh so very, very inviting. The palate still intensely fruity but far from over the top, quite mellowed at 11 year age, full-bodied, very smooth and remarkably balanced despite its 14.5% alcohol content (although you can feel its effect in your head). The flavor profile is dominated by a rich core of slightly sweet black and blue dried fruits, accented by acacia flowers, a very faint touch of coriander seeds, black and green peppercorns, meat, mild vanilla oak, baker’s chocolate, old tobacco box, cedar, eucalyptus, and a very delightful watery mineral layer that seamlessly coats the mouth as the middle palate transitions and gives way to the delightfully long finish. An unapologetically big and bold Barossa Shiraz with big fruits and intense flavors. A lovely Amon Ra, reminiscent of the memorable ’03 version of this wine. A lovely and deep wine to enjoy on this silent and holy night.
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Big, bold, beef and grilled meat, tamed blueberry fruit, black cherry, lightly nuanced with pepper. This has matured and integrated since my previous bottle.
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Tasted Blind almost has a Cayuse like funk on the nose. Earthy. Meaty. Beef blood. Med acid. Med tannin. Super earthy. Dark red fruit. Med age, tannins are gone but fruit is there. Some pepper. With time the funk has blown off the nose. Pepper is still there. Blueberry and blackberry but tamed down.
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Deep dark purple. Full bodied Dark fruit. Meaty. Some hibiscus Dry. Some light oak. Heavy dark fruit. Long finish Wonderful well structured wine. Sophisticated. Very good
Smoking a CAO 660
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While the nose isn't as intense as I had hoped, this wine displays an interesting selection of aromas. Ripe and dried black fruits with alluring strawberry. Oak and underbrush form a cloak woven with menthol, thyme, earthy green bell pepper, nuts, dark chocolate, mocha and aniseed. There is also a smoked bloody meat character. Composed, complex and skillful.
The palate delivers just as well as the nose, if not better. The body is full, acidity fresh, tannins are well integrated/balanced and the flavours are full and cohesive. Intense blueberry with a herbal character at the forefront, licquorice, earth and violets add another dimension.
A great wine, it has developed well over the last 8 years and surely will continue to do so over the next 5 or so years.
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Have to re-align my previous tasting notes - adding two more points - 93/100
+ Preparation : first 1/2 from decanter, second 1/2 straight from bottle. Consumed over period of 4 hrs. + Colour : as it was bottles yesterday, very dark, intense, exotic, sexy, vibrant + Nose : a lovely "stank" when rolling the glass. Something you keep wanting to smell. When not moving in glass, a very refined and delicate bouquet emerged. + Flavour : shiny, round, very herbal and spicy ( difficult to identify ), succulent, sharp, crispy + Finish : explosion on your taste buds, complete, long, well integrated, simply lovely.
Only issue is to keep the wine at constant temperature ( 18°C ) during a heat wave. Struggling a bit to keep it around that, as with heat the wine falls flat ( which is normal ).
Great wine - at this stage, can benefit from decanting, but believe much more enjoyment if pop and pour.
Mathijs
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Opened AM to enjoy PM - this is a bomb in the glass ... wow. Dried spices, very buttery nose, explosion in the mouth .... Drink now ( with decanting ) or keep for quite some time.
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Excellent Shiraz, with gobs of black fruit and a cool refreshing menthol aroma. This is a beast...you can either enjoy it now or keep it for many many years. Don't buy if your not a fan of big full-bodied Australian Shiraz.
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Very dark red. Spicey dark fruit, tart black cherry, lively, and drinking really well now. For Aussie Shiraz this is really well done, balanced and nothing is over the top in my opinion
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Food: Australian Grill Duration: 2 hours Condition: perfect Aroma: coffee, blackberry, spices, pepper Notes: decanted right away. My occasional visit to Australia brought me to a little wineshop and found this bottle. The comic made a big introduction on this wine so I thought it would be interesting for me to try. Very thick and dense, very intensive aroma. The unfiltered approach definitely makes the wine smoother and more approachable. Quite a strong coffee nose, aftertaste lasts for more than 40 seconds. Very elegant wine comparing to other Australian ones. Drink 2018+.
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Lots of wood spices in the nose, along with dark fruits, fresh mints, and violets; quite jammy on the palate, stewed fruits, dark chocolate, and wood spices again; very long finish and also rather jammy; overall, 91-92 points at this stage; opened this bottle to compare with Alpha Crucis 2010 from Chalk Hill tasted 2 days ago; well, the score showed which one I preferred.
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Needed a day to fully open up. But, wow was it ever good. Amazing full and concentrated with a finish that lingered for well over a minute. The wine looks inky colored. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, blueberry and strawberry jam. The body is full.
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This is the first Amon Ra for us, and the first bottle of a case of 6. We couldn't resist trying a bottle even though given our household preference for some tertiary development the notes here suggest that this will almost certainly get better (for us) with more time
Not disappointed at all though.....this is a wine that demands your full attention...a wine for a quiet evening where you have the time and space to follow the bottle over the course of the evening. Great straight out of the bottle, better still after 5+ hours of air. Big and slightly brooding, yes, but not at all over the top, and although the fruit (and oak) are still dominant they are also delicious and there are already more savoury layers underneath that keep you sipping the moment the (extremely long) finish from the prior taste is finally fading. Nice acidity and tannin balance (esp with a bit more air)...not ferocious, more a gentle giant, ultimately more cuddly than I expected.
Can't wait to see what happens to this over the years ahead.
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Maybe in a dumb phase, or perhaps I was in a dumb phase as I'd drunk too much and had some palate fatigue by this point. Falls short of my grandiose memories of this wine, sadly. Offers a rich jammy aroma laced with coconut-y oak, a thick biscuity palate, and medium length aftertaste. Decanted for an hour. Maybe needs more time.
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Deep, dark, black, full bodied Prunes, dark stewed fruit off the nose Sweet prunes, medium finish, dry with persistent tannins and balanced acidity-well put together wine for sure Lots of bitter chocolate, black currant, and hints of tobacco through the end.
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Many a Shiraz can be too harsh and over powering for my tastes. This one does not fit that mold. Thick, complex, luscious, brooding, asking you to go deep to truly understand it. Soft tannins and 30 second finish. Highly recommended.
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Vin carafé deux heures et bu sur un Tbone steak Robe rouge sombre avec des reflets violets, nez discret evoquant le poivre, des herbes aromatiques et la mûre. Bouche relativement souple avec des arômes de cerise et de mûre , et une pointe de poivre mais une finale un peu rêche. C'est une très belle surprise et un très beau vin : j'avais peur de me trouver face à un vin "du nouveau monde" trop puissant alors qu'il m'a rappelé un pignan 2001 bu recemment. un très beau vin , fin mais encore trop jeune
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Deep inky color. This had a complex array of flavors ranging from spice - red fruits - wood/vanilla/pencil - some stems/herbaceous in the background. Even though this finished a little hot I did like this wine.
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Lovely complex aromas of dark berries, cocoa, spice that keep evolving in the glass. Dense layers of fruit, spice, vanilla pods on the palate but very approachable. Again the flavors evolve with every sip. A very attractive shiraz.
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Dark fruits, vanilla, plum jam, and macerated grape dominate the nose. Slightly herbaceous and interesting. On the palate, this wine is silk. Elegantly balanced, it offers raspberry, black cherry and cinnamon. The tannins are very relaxed after decanting for 7 hours. Not a typical fruit bomb, very pleasant.
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wow. enchanting, haunting nose of oak and toffee. silky smooth - the oak on the nose doesn't interfere with the smooth fruit on the palate. this is unmistakably high end stuff. absolutely delicious.
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A really balanced and integrated wine for being this young. Spice, blackberries, raspberries and pepper come together to create a balanced offering and medium finish. NO flaws and perfect for the anti Aussie Shiraz drinker. 94+
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Blackberry, sous-bois, smoke, vanilla, earth, and a green note of fall leaves. There's a lot going on here, but no hard edges or in-your-face fruit and alcohol. I like the style.
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The nose shows plum, a deft touch of dark cherry and spicy vanillin oak.
The palate is elegant and complex with a great balance struck between fuller plum and blackberry characters and brighter dark cherry elements. The wine has balanced acidity and oak is handled particularly well, providing a luxurious backdrop for the main act; the fruit.
The mid to back palate has well integrated peppery spice and well structured tannins. The length is excellent. Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2017-2024)
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Massive sweet black fruits dominate here as usual but I find a real green streak to this vintage. It detracts from the opulent fruit structure of the wine. Spanish cedar, cocoa, tobacco are all found in here but not well integrated. Acidity is alive and keeps the fruit from getting overbearing but the tannins struggle to find their way in the huge body of this wine. Confected finish that really lingers. Not the best vintage of Amon - Ra that I have tasted. Does this just need time? Excellent Quality. 88 pts Drink now - 2018?
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Aromatic on the nose, this wine has slightly stewed feeling fruits on the palate. Concentrated with a lot of peppery spice, this wine would definitely appeal to fans of Clio and similar wines. Decent acidity here, but it doesn't quite feel integrated. For me, this is good, but nothing special. 89-90
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London Wine Fair - day three (London): From barrel sample. Cherries, ruby red, sweet rasberry, strawberry - chunky wine but less intense than the 2008. Big wine that is quite a mouthful.
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7/1/2023 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Ruby red in the glass showing just a touch of age.
On the nose, mostly bramble black fruit, fig jam, baking spice.
On the palate, this is seemless. A real plush and textured wine. The alcohol peaks out just a touch as does the acidity. Tannin is lightly grippy.
Overall, an awesome wine. I’m glad I held on to this and would recommend opwnijg now or holding for another 3-5 years.
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1/27/2022 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
100% old-vine Shiraz from 50-130 yo vineyards in the Ebenezer sub-district. Fermented in open-top fermentors, aged for 16 months in new oak barrels (95% French, 5% American). Bottled unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted in a 2015-2002 Amon-Ra vertical.
Somewhat evolved, blackish rusty-red color that permits some light through. The appearance is somewhat more evolved compared to the surrounding vintages. The nose is robust, rather smoky and quite savory with aromas of gamey meat, some toasted wood spice, light sweet notes of wizened dark berries, a little bit of tar, a subtly green hint of peppermint or eucalyptus and a touch of liquid smoke. The wine is ripe, juicy and full-bodied with rich, complex and somewhat evolved flavors of smoke and charred game, some wizened black cherries, a little bit of peppery spice, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of extracted woody bitterness and a touch of sweet dark plum. Although quite substantial, the rather high acidity and ample tannins that slowly grip your gums lend good sense of firmness and balance to the wine. The high alcohol shows a little, bringing some warmth to the palate. The lengthy finish is rich and juicy with ripe, slightly sweet-toned flavors of blackberries, extracted woody bitterness, some raisiny tones, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light peppery notes, a little bit of charred game and toasty oak spice, a hint of wizened black cherry and an evolved touch of savory earthiness.
A rich, substantial and moderately evolved vintage of Amon-Ra that is starting to show some age with its savory tertiary notes and dried-fruit aromatics. Structurally the wine hasn't softened up much, so in that sense it drinks more like a young wine with its relatively high acidity and ample tannins that coat your mouth, yet are ripe enough not to make the wine feel tough or aggressively grippy. Flavor-wise, however, the wine has lost the aggressive angularity of younger Amon-Ra wines, coming across as much more integrated and harmonious - up to the point that it feels like the wine doesn't really feel as long-lived as many surrounding vintages. Although the wine isn't on its peak yet, I suspect its apogee is getting close. Drink within the next 7-10 years or so. Feels a tad pricey at approx. 90€.
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11/19/2021 - rjsmall Likes this wine:
Deep, clear red colour. Liquorice, a touch of aniseed and dark fruits on nose. Rounded and smooth in the mouth. Dark fruits, Chinese five spice and a bit of vanilla in flavour. Bright and rounded. Very nice and drinking well.
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7/21/2021 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, a little dusty looking. Nose of monkey glue, Herbs du Provence, plums and currants. Flavors of black berries, black raspberries and black cherries. Tart acidity, drying tannin, full bodied. Drink now. Likely needs a little air before serving.
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3/27/2021 - searssd Likes this wine: 95 Points
This wine is absolutely rocking right now. Heavy weight, oily in the mouth. Tannins totally integrated . It’s obviously Aussie (the heat is there) but is reminiscent of Northern Rhone. Flowers, perfume, exotic spices, black and red fruit, eucalyptus, minerals... it’s all there and in balance. What a treat. Wish I had more.
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12/24/2020 - Praxis wrote: 93 Points
Dark blackish red with mild sedimentation. The nose is that of rich ripe black and blue fruits, a slight hint of peppery spice, oak, tobacco and oh so very, very inviting. The palate still intensely fruity but far from over the top, quite mellowed at 11 year age, full-bodied, very smooth and remarkably balanced despite its 14.5% alcohol content (although you can feel its effect in your head). The flavor profile is dominated by a rich core of slightly sweet black and blue dried fruits, accented by acacia flowers, a very faint touch of coriander seeds, black and green peppercorns, meat, mild vanilla oak, baker’s chocolate, old tobacco box, cedar, eucalyptus, and a very delightful watery mineral layer that seamlessly coats the mouth as the middle palate transitions and gives way to the delightfully long finish. An unapologetically big and bold Barossa Shiraz with big fruits and intense flavors. A lovely Amon Ra, reminiscent of the memorable ’03 version of this wine. A lovely and deep wine to enjoy on this silent and holy night.
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9/8/2020 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Previously coravined bottle finished. Consistent notes, large modern red fruit but my favorite glass of the bottle. Maybe it just needed the air?
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8/8/2020 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
consistent with notes of 5/27/2018 - this was especially fruit forward when compared with the Cayuse God Only Knows Grenache we had the same night.
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6/26/2020 - Battersea James Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lots of dark fruit, nice acidity, tannins nicely integrated. It’s a big wine - very concentrated. However, it’s all in balance.
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2/21/2020 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine:
I think I’m just falling out of love with the style of fruit bomb Aussie Shiraz. NR. Previously Coravined.
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12/25/2019 - sbern Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking super well right now. Smooth and delicious.
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11/7/2019 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big, bold, beef and grilled meat, tamed blueberry fruit, black cherry, lightly nuanced with pepper. This has matured and integrated since my previous bottle.
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11/7/2019 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted Blind almost has a Cayuse like funk on the nose. Earthy. Meaty. Beef blood. Med acid. Med tannin. Super earthy. Dark red fruit. Med age, tannins are gone but fruit is there. Some pepper. With time the funk has blown off the nose. Pepper is still there. Blueberry and blackberry but tamed down.
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12/31/2018 - bambam Likes this wine: 90 Points
Starting to fade but still drinking nice. Gone is the over the top fruit. Actually quit enjoyable now.
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5/27/2018 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big, bold and powerful (all of which were expected). It is also graceful, smooth and full of energy. Very enjoyable.
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10/22/2017 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
With Rob
Deep dark purple. Full bodied
Dark fruit. Meaty. Some hibiscus
Dry. Some light oak. Heavy dark fruit. Long finish
Wonderful well structured wine. Sophisticated. Very good
Smoking a CAO 660
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10/16/2017 - Pinot Hunter3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
(straight out of the bottle)
While the nose isn't as intense as I had hoped, this wine displays an interesting selection of aromas. Ripe and dried black fruits with alluring strawberry. Oak and underbrush form a cloak woven with menthol, thyme, earthy green bell pepper, nuts, dark chocolate, mocha and aniseed. There is also a smoked bloody meat character. Composed, complex and skillful.
The palate delivers just as well as the nose, if not better. The body is full, acidity fresh, tannins are well integrated/balanced and the flavours are full and cohesive. Intense blueberry with a herbal character at the forefront, licquorice, earth and violets add another dimension.
A great wine, it has developed well over the last 8 years and surely will continue to do so over the next 5 or so years.
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5/30/2017 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Have to re-align my previous tasting notes - adding two more points - 93/100
+ Preparation : first 1/2 from decanter, second 1/2 straight from bottle. Consumed over period of 4 hrs.
+ Colour : as it was bottles yesterday, very dark, intense, exotic, sexy, vibrant
+ Nose : a lovely "stank" when rolling the glass. Something you keep wanting to smell.
When not moving in glass, a very refined and delicate bouquet emerged.
+ Flavour : shiny, round, very herbal and spicy ( difficult to identify ), succulent, sharp, crispy
+ Finish : explosion on your taste buds, complete, long, well integrated, simply lovely.
Only issue is to keep the wine at constant temperature ( 18°C ) during a heat wave.
Struggling a bit to keep it around that, as with heat the wine falls flat ( which is normal ).
Great wine - at this stage, can benefit from decanting, but believe much more enjoyment if pop and pour.
Mathijs
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2/18/2017 - larsum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very well made but not my cup of tea.
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12/5/2016 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened AM to enjoy PM - this is a bomb in the glass ... wow.
Dried spices, very buttery nose, explosion in the mouth ....
Drink now ( with decanting ) or keep for quite some time.
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10/14/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very dark red in color, nose and palate loaded with blueberry preserves, black raspberry, ripe cherry fruit , pleasing acidity and a huge finish.
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8/31/2016 - Francois Le Mouel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent Shiraz, with gobs of black fruit and a cool refreshing menthol aroma. This is a beast...you can either enjoy it now or keep it for many many years. Don't buy if your not a fan of big full-bodied Australian Shiraz.
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7/3/2016 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very dark red. Spicey dark fruit, tart black cherry, lively, and drinking really well now. For Aussie Shiraz this is really well done, balanced and nothing is over the top in my opinion
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7/3/2016 - andrewdodd86 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Blackberry/black cherry, spice, mildly tart, nice acid, espresso/coffee. Modern and fruit forward.
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2/8/2016 - TWSA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Food: Australian Grill
Duration: 2 hours
Condition: perfect
Aroma: coffee, blackberry, spices, pepper
Notes: decanted right away. My occasional visit to Australia brought me to a little wineshop and found this bottle. The comic made a big introduction on this wine so I thought it would be interesting for me to try. Very thick and dense, very intensive aroma. The unfiltered approach definitely makes the wine smoother and more approachable. Quite a strong coffee nose, aftertaste lasts for more than 40 seconds. Very elegant wine comparing to other Australian ones. Drink 2018+.
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9/27/2015 - CWang wrote: 91 Points
Lots of wood spices in the nose, along with dark fruits, fresh mints, and violets; quite jammy on the palate, stewed fruits, dark chocolate, and wood spices again; very long finish and also rather jammy; overall, 91-92 points at this stage; opened this bottle to compare with Alpha Crucis 2010 from Chalk Hill tasted 2 days ago; well, the score showed which one I preferred.
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8/31/2015 - mursedon wrote: 95 Points
Needed a day to fully open up. But, wow was it ever good. Amazing full and concentrated with a finish that lingered for well over a minute.
The wine looks inky colored. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, blueberry and strawberry jam. The body is full.
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3/8/2015 - idc2001 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is the first Amon Ra for us, and the first bottle of a case of 6. We couldn't resist trying a bottle even though given our household preference for some tertiary development the notes here suggest that this will almost certainly get better (for us) with more time
Not disappointed at all though.....this is a wine that demands your full attention...a wine for a quiet evening where you have the time and space to follow the bottle over the course of the evening. Great straight out of the bottle, better still after 5+ hours of air. Big and slightly brooding, yes, but not at all over the top, and although the fruit (and oak) are still dominant they are also delicious and there are already more savoury layers underneath that keep you sipping the moment the (extremely long) finish from the prior taste is finally fading. Nice acidity and tannin balance (esp with a bit more air)...not ferocious, more a gentle giant, ultimately more cuddly than I expected.
Can't wait to see what happens to this over the years ahead.
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1/9/2015 - Milliontown wrote: 84 Points
Maybe in a dumb phase, or perhaps I was in a dumb phase as I'd drunk too much and had some palate fatigue by this point. Falls short of my grandiose memories of this wine, sadly. Offers a rich jammy aroma laced with coconut-y oak, a thick biscuity palate, and medium length aftertaste. Decanted for an hour. Maybe needs more time.
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8/9/2014 - SoccerMark wrote: 93 Points
Great wine, that needs more time
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5/4/2014 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 89 Points
@Homer with the Wagner's
Deep, dark, black, full bodied
Prunes, dark stewed fruit off the nose
Sweet prunes, medium finish, dry with persistent tannins and balanced
acidity-well put together wine for sure
Lots of bitter chocolate, black currant, and hints of tobacco through the end.
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9/20/2013 - conga523 wrote: 93 Points
Many a Shiraz can be too harsh and over powering for my tastes. This one does not fit that mold. Thick, complex, luscious, brooding, asking you to go deep to truly understand it. Soft tannins and 30 second finish. Highly recommended.
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7/1/2013 - vikingbass71 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Awesome.
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6/26/2013 - mdonovan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Vin carafé deux heures et bu sur un Tbone steak
Robe rouge sombre avec des reflets violets, nez discret evoquant le poivre, des herbes aromatiques et la mûre.
Bouche relativement souple avec des arômes de cerise et de mûre , et une pointe de poivre mais une finale un peu rêche.
C'est une très belle surprise et un très beau vin : j'avais peur de me trouver face à un vin "du nouveau monde" trop puissant alors qu'il m'a rappelé un pignan 2001 bu recemment.
un très beau vin , fin mais encore trop jeune
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6/1/2013 - wood wrote: 90 Points
Deep inky color. This had a complex array of flavors ranging from spice - red fruits - wood/vanilla/pencil - some stems/herbaceous in the background. Even though this finished a little hot I did like this wine.
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4/24/2013 - trastevere Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely complex aromas of dark berries, cocoa, spice that keep evolving in the glass. Dense layers of fruit, spice, vanilla pods on the palate but very approachable. Again the flavors evolve with every sip. A very attractive shiraz.
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9/29/2012 - ONEFIVE Likes this wine:
Dark fruits, vanilla, plum jam, and macerated grape dominate the nose. Slightly herbaceous and interesting. On the palate, this wine is silk. Elegantly balanced, it offers raspberry, black cherry and cinnamon. The tannins are very relaxed after decanting for 7 hours. Not a typical fruit bomb, very pleasant.
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12/17/2011 - Ombibulous wrote: 90 Points
Fruit and pepper, with other spice. Complexity and fullness of fruit. Excellent (89.5).
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11/26/2011 - grayfont wrote: 92 Points
wow. enchanting, haunting nose of oak and toffee. silky smooth - the oak on the nose doesn't interfere with the smooth fruit on the palate. this is unmistakably high end stuff. absolutely delicious.
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11/26/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
A really balanced and integrated wine for being this young. Spice, blackberries, raspberries and pepper come together to create a balanced offering and medium finish. NO flaws and perfect for the anti Aussie Shiraz drinker. 94+
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9/21/2011 - graphite wrote: 92 Points
Blackberry, sous-bois, smoke, vanilla, earth, and a green note of fall leaves. There's a lot going on here, but no hard edges or in-your-face fruit and alcohol. I like the style.
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8/2/2011 - Patrick - winereviewer.com.au wrote: 95 Points
The nose shows plum, a deft touch of dark cherry and spicy vanillin oak.
The palate is elegant and complex with a great balance struck between fuller plum and blackberry characters and brighter dark cherry elements. The wine has balanced acidity and oak is handled particularly well, providing a luxurious backdrop for the main act; the fruit.
The mid to back palate has well integrated peppery spice and well structured tannins. The length is excellent.
Review Link - www.winereviewer.com.au (drink from 2017-2024)
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6/5/2011 - vancouvermatt wrote: 94 Points
A bit aromatically challenged, but full bodied, rich, with a long, long finish.
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5/25/2011 - dre wrote: 88 Points
Massive sweet black fruits dominate here as usual but I find a real green streak to this vintage. It detracts from the opulent fruit structure of the wine. Spanish cedar, cocoa, tobacco are all found in here but not well integrated. Acidity is alive and keeps the fruit from getting overbearing but the tannins struggle to find their way in the huge body of this wine. Confected finish that really lingers.
Not the best vintage of Amon - Ra that I have tasted. Does this just need time?
Excellent Quality. 88 pts
Drink now - 2018?
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3/26/2011 - Icedge wrote: 93 Points
Vanilla on the nose. Well balanced.
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1/22/2011 - amateurwino wrote: 89 Points
Aromatic on the nose, this wine has slightly stewed feeling fruits on the palate. Concentrated with a lot of peppery spice, this wine would definitely appeal to fans of Clio and similar wines. Decent acidity here, but it doesn't quite feel integrated. For me, this is good, but nothing special. 89-90
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5/20/2010 - pjaines wrote:
London Wine Fair - day three (London): From barrel sample. Cherries, ruby red, sweet rasberry, strawberry - chunky wine but less intense than the 2008. Big wine that is quite a mouthful.
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