2023 Glaetzer Amon-Ra Shiraz, Barossa Valley

This 100% Shiraz comes from the Ebenezer district, of vines ranging from 50 to 130 years old. Plenty of work goes into the wine in the winery, with three-times-daily hand plunging and maturation in 100% new oak — 95% French and 5% American. The small amount of American oak seems to make an important contribution to the overall feel of the wine. The nose displays blackberry, plummy, slightly peppery, spicy characters that are immediately complex. The super-saturated palate is rich, concentrated, and immensely powerful, capturing and harnessing those dark-fruit characters with the support of ample but integrated oak and fine, firmish, chalky tannins. It all hangs together beautifully, producing a wine that will handle extended cellaring. Drink to 2046.

97 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, July 2026

Jeez, the Amon-Ra is in fine form with this release. There's the sense of compression and fruit density that you'd expect from Ebenezer-born fruit, but there is detail and freshness to its form. Nothing is overbearing or blown out; everything is nicely in balance. Glossy blackberry, blueberry and damson plum fruit with hints of baking spices, earth, fruitcake, dark chocolate bullets, wood spice, pan juices, violets and vanillin oak. Full bodied and purely fruited, with a swell of fine, powdery tannins and a finish that stretches out beautifully. Very nicely done indeed! Drink to 2045.

96+ points Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, February 2026

A dark, inky, opaque red in the glass. Heady aromas of stewed plum, charred meat, spice, coffee grounds, iodine and dark chocolate. Opulent, rich, dark fruited and mouth-filling. There's plenty of plush, dark flavours, all being well held by firm, textured and drying tannins. Plenty of power here, but also focused energy and impressive length. Drink to 2041.

95 points Aaron Brasher for The Real Review, August 2026

A classic old vine Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, specifically the Ebenezer sub-region, with the vines providing the fruit aged between 50 and 130 years. Maturation was in new hogsheads for sixteen months, 95% of them French and the remainder American. Under cork. A seriously good Barossa Valley Shiraz by any standards. Deep maroon with a blood red rim, this is still youthful and powerful with good concentration. The nose exhibits notes of warm earth, blackberries, smoked meats, aniseed, chocolate, cassis, dried herbs and truffles. A touch savoury in style, there is very good length here with fine powdery tannins on a lingering finish. A cracking Barossa Valley Shiraz for enjoying over the next two decades.

95 points Ken Gargett for Wine Pilot, June 2026

The Glaetzer family has been a part Barossa’s viticultural history since 1888, and Ben Glaetzer produces some of the most recognised wines of the region from dry-grown vineyards in the Ebenezer area. Working with a small group of third and fourth generation growers, his rich, intense and expressive wines are for many the epitome of Barossa in the glass.

Amon-Ra is a full-bodied, intense and layered Ebenezer Shiraz named after the Egyptian king of all gods, with the label depicting the Eye of Horus, a traditional symbol of protection that also represents the six Egyptian senses: touch, taste, hearing, sight, smell and thought.

The 2023 season in Barossa was long, dry and warm without any heat wave events, resulting in wines of great colour and balanced, intense flavours. The Amon-Ra from this year is from 50- to 130-year-old Ebenezer Shiraz vines, with fruit was fermented in one- and two-tonne open fermenters which were hand plunged three times a day, and the wine matured for 16 months in all-new oak hogshead barrels of which 95% were French and the balance of American origin.