We traveled to Dallas to visit dear friends and transplanted fellow Hoosiers Mark and Jane. Mark and I go back all the way to high school, while Linda and Jane were sorority sisters in college.
For dinner, we picked up Tomahawk Ribeye beefsteaks to grill, and baked potatoes.
Before dinner we enjoyed an artisan Extra Aged De Graffstroot Gouda cheese with olive oil and olives, with crackers and Italian bread.
I picked up at their local wine shop this ultra premium label Aussie Shiraz, one of Linda's favorites, in the big bold expressive style that she loves.
Ben Glaetzer "Amon-Ra" South Australia Barossa Valley Shiraz 2017
I told Mark to watch Linda’s response when we presented the bottle, which was immediately "Hoboken", reminiscing a memorable getaway weekend dinner we picked up this wine and took it BYOB while visiting son Alec in NY/NJ (as featured in earlier Amon-Ra Aussie Big Shiraz for Tomahawk Dinner)
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I wrote in my blogpost about Hoboken dinner that night, that this big powerful big red overpowered the Italian dinner, Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 - Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 Overpowers Italian Dinner I chronicled this wine in that blogpost October 26, 2013:
"If you read this blog, you'll see continually that we, and especially Linda, love big bold Shiraz, so she selected this label for tonight's dinner. This was our first adventure tasting the classic AMON-Ra and this is indeed a BIG wine ... not for the feint of heart! While it overpowered our Italian fare and begs for a big steak, dark chocolate or hearty cheese,it was delicious none-the-less.'
I wrote in my blogpost about Hoboken dinner that night, that this big powerful big red overpowered the Italian dinner, Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 - Amon-Ra Barossa Shiraz 2008 Overpowers Italian Dinner I chronicled this wine in that blogpost October 26, 2013:
"If you read this blog, you'll see continually that we, and especially Linda, love big bold Shiraz, so she selected this label for tonight's dinner. This was our first adventure tasting the classic AMON-Ra and this is indeed a BIG wine ... not for the feint of heart! While it overpowered our Italian fare and begs for a big steak, dark chocolate or hearty cheese,it was delicious none-the-less.'
"AMON-Ra is the flagship wine of the Glaetzer Family who have been producing Barossa Valley wines since 1888. We hold several Glaetzer wines going back a decade including one of our favorites, GoDolphin, which has since been discontinued, Wallace, Annaperenna and Bishop. The branding and labels for these wines all feature hieroglyphic symbols from ancient Egyptian mythology.'
Note - Ben Glaetzer was named New World Winemaker of the Year in 2006.
"Since AMON-Ra was considered to be the king of all gods, winemaker Ben Glaetzer chose that symbol for his flagship, top of the line ultra-premium label. Perhaps this is fitting since the temple of AMON-Ra was believed to be the first temple to ever plant a vineyard to produce wine for the citizens of the temple.'
"The eye on front of the AMON-Ra 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 created AMON-Ra Shiraz to appeal to all these six senses. And it certainly does!'
"Fruit for Glaetzer wines is sourced from the small sub-region of the northern Barossa Valley called Ebenezer. Some of the vines are as up to 80-120 years old.'
Note, that night in Hoboken we drank the 2008 vintage release. My blogpost from then continues: "The 2008 release of AMON-Ra Shiraz is the eighth release of this label. The 2008 vintage in the Barossa was a difficult year for wine producers due to a heat spike during the vintage. As a result, Glaetzer limited the total production of AMON-Ra to maintain the quality of the wine. The strict fruit selections were rigorous and uncompromising to sacrifice quantity for quality resulting in the smallest volume released since the tiny 2003 vintage, lower than the 2007 production. This required carefully monitoring the vines and making multiple passes through the vineyards carefully selecting only grapes with the right intensity of fruit and balancing different levels of ripeness before the heat spike overstressed the fruit."
"This release was produced by winemaker Ben Glaetzer who was New World Winemaker of the Year in 2006. According to the producer, "the 2008 vintage shows great purity of fruit and firm but fine tannins, giving great structure and power to the wines."
Exceptional old vine fruit was sourced from the famed Ebenezer sub-district at the northern tip of the Barossa Valley. Vine age 50—130 years old. Yield 2 tonnes per hectare.
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.
While Linda loves and prefers this big bold style, I tend to prefer and opt for a more balanced, elegant, complex style such as a Bordeaux varietal blend for a beefsteak or other fine dining experience. Never-the-less, this was awesome with tonight's dinner.
This is sourced from ancient dry-grown vineyards in the renowned Ebenezer district, an important part of Australia's winemaking heritage and a living link to traditional Barossa viticulture. Select exceptional fruit from a loyal group of third and fourth generation Barossa grape growers is the backbone of Glaetzer wines. The most exceptional fruit is sourced from 80-110 year-old non-grafted bush vines which are extremely low yielding.
This wine is fermented in 1 and 2 tonne open fermenters, hand plunged 3 times daily. Bottled unfiltered to ensure minimal interventon with the wine’s natural characteristcs.
This release was matured for 16 months in 100% new oak hogshead barrels (95% French and 5% American) and matured on lees to maintain fruit profile and animation.
This wine is fermented in 1 and 2 tonne open fermenters, hand plunged 3 times daily. Bottled unfiltered to ensure minimal interventon with the wine’s natural characteristcs.
This release was matured for 16 months in 100% new oak hogshead barrels (95% French and 5% American) and matured on lees to maintain fruit profile and animation.
This release was awarded 96 points by Wine Advocate, 95 points by Vinous, 94 points by James Halliday, 92 points by James Suckling and 90 points by Wine Spectator.
Winemaker Notes - Brooding, vibrant black with bright purple hues. Absolute purity, black fruit aromas complemented by notes of fragrant spice. Seamless, rich and full-bodied with black plum flavors intermingling with dried spice and finely balanced supple tannin. Impressive yet restrained.
The 2017 Amon Ra Shiraz is dark inky purple garnet colored, full-bodied, bold, concentrated, textured blackberry and black raspberry fruits with savory spice, notes of cassis and licorice, black tea, hints of pepper, baking spices and new oak, but it's been mostly absorbed into the wine, bit of licorice on the long finish with thick, velvety tannins.
RM 94 points.
"March 27, 2007 - Ben Glaetzer Barossa Valley Amon Ra 2005 - RM 93 RP 98 - $59 - Dark berry, graphite, mineral, cassis and a hint of vanilla with long silky firm tannins on the finish. Tasted at Vino Volo at IAD."
