| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | Australia > South Australia > Barossa Valley |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2021 Amon-Ra Shiraz is supple and polished and bright, red and purple fruits mingle on the mid-palate while the fine tannins swarm around the perimeter. In the context of Hoffmann fruit wines tasted here today, the Amon-Ra comes off as bright and light; and while I am aware that this is his style, it's fascinating to see it in this lineup. It's juicy and chewy and bright. The tannins are a highlight. 15% alcohol, sealed under cork. Drink 2024-2041.
Shiraz sourced from vines between 50 to 130 years of age in the renowned northern Barossa subregion of Ebenezer; 16 months in new French and American oak. A wine of impact and purity. Beautiful ripe black plum, cassis and black cherry fruits with hints of cedar, baking spices, dark chocolate, licorice, nutmeg, espresso, earth and graphite. Power and harmony writ large with cascading tannin, lacy acidity and great depth and concentration … I feel it needs one of those big, old Batman-style ‘KAPOW!!’ boxes for emphasis. It’s a cracker.
A wine that illustrates how traditional Barossa can be expressed in modern hands. It’s a Shiraz from 50 to 130 year old Ebenezer vines, revealing power and poise. Traditional open fermentation was adopted with hand plunging three times a day. Deep plum and minerally characters merge on the nose. A slightly cedary factor lifts with a dense dark chocolate and spicy plum. Chalky find tannins perfectly integrated combine to take a concentrated powerful palate to an effortlessly long finish.
The Amon-Ra is a wine that’s well know for its graceful aging capacity, and so, in a vintage like 2021 (long, cooler than the horrendously low-yielding and drought-addled 2020 and 2019 prior), the release is eagerly anticipated. The 2021 Amon-Ra Shiraz is complete, in a word. The purple and red berries in the mouth are fresh and supple, the flow of flavor across the tongue feels unbroken and svelte, and the aftertaste is padded by chewy, pliable tannins. This is a real pleasure, and not just now – it will be later, too. Drink 2023-2041.
