Glaetzer

The Glaetzer family have been part of the Barossa valley and its viticultural history since 1888.  The overriding passion is for the production of limited quantities of benchmark Barossa valley reds - Classic Barossa Valley reds which draw on traditional Barossa viticulture but are unmistakably new wave Barossa in style.

The fruit for all Glaetzer wines is supplied by a loyal group of third and fourth generation Barossa grape growers, fruit taken from the small sub-region of the Northern Barossa valley, called Ebenezer. The vines range in age from 30 – 120 years old.

These extraordinary wines consistently receive huge accolades worldwide - The Australian Langtons Fine Wine Guide wrote “Glaetzer is one of the emerging stars of the Barossa... philosophically and by heritage."
Stuart Rae, Fine Wine Account Manager


In Egyptian mythology, Amon-Ra is considered to be the king of all gods. The temple of Amon-Ra was believed to be the first temple to ever plant a monoculture vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple. The eye on front of the label is the all-seeing eye of Horus or wedjat ("whole one") - a powerful Egyptian symbol of protection. It is represented as a figure with six parts, corresponding to what Egyptians regarded as the six senses; touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell and thought. Ben Glaetzer created Amon-Ra Shiraz to appeal to all these six senses.

A touch generous to suggest, as its name does, that it is the ‘king of all’ but it is not far off. This is undoubtedly classic Barossa Shiraz, unmistakably so, everything in abundance. Intense and pure, deep rich, creamy cassis, eucalyptus, cedar, cinnamon, vanilla and voluptuous berried red and black fruits. There is no hiding here, it is high in fruit, alcohol and tannin yet has grip and lift from balancing acidity. The finish is pure, powerful and extreme in length suggesting we have a block

Ben Glaetzer carries on a family tradition of winemaking in the Barossa Valley which began in 1888. His father Colin created the current winery and Ben has now assumed control. The aim is to craft wines of great intensity and definition from plots of very old vines, aged from 50-130 years old. The 2010 climate made for wines of excellent concentration; rains were ample and came at the right time, after 7 years of near-drought, and the key summer months proved hot in the day but cool in the evening, especially in March as the harvest neared. This preserved vital acidity in the grapes, creating the balance which marks out the fine from the merely very good.

Yields here are very low, further enhancing the concentration and intensity in the wine. The wine is aged for 16 months in 100% new oak, of which 95% is French and 5% American.

The bouquet exhibits blackberry and dark plum aromas, laced with a hint of pepper, while on the palate there is a lush richness which embraces more black fruits, coffee and dark chocolate. There is a wonderful purity and freshness allied to the density mentioned above, and the length on the finish is quite extraordinary. A wine which can be drunk now but which will age comfortably for at least a decade or more.

Very deep purple-black in color, the 2012 Amon Ra reveals intense notes of blackcurrant cordial, blackberry compote and licorice with nuances of cloves, allspice, chocolate box and salami as well as a whiff of espresso. The 100% Shiraz palate offers a beast of a wine that is densely packed with black fruit and baking spice flavors and is supported with firm, grainy tannins and crisp acid through to a finish with excellent persistence.
97/100 Lisa Perrotti-Brown - eRobertParker.com #211 Feb 2014

the young Ben Glaetzer is establishing a reputation for high quality in South Australia, not only for the wines from his home winery, but also for his brilliant efforts under the Amon Ra and Mitolo labels. These are small volume, artisinal efforts that capture the pure essence of old vine Barossa Shiraz and Grenache.