Had the good fortune to taste seven of the Glaetzer Barossa wines yesterday afternoon, including 3 of the new releases from the 2005 vintage that Ben Glaetzer was publicising.
Started with the Wallace label (Shiraz/Grenache), 03 and 04 vintages. These were Shiraz/Grenache blends, and the 03 was very impressive - full bodied, rich, earthy with a nose of spice and berries and lighter hints of chocolate. The 03 vintage had apparently been a poor one in that area of the Barossa Valley, but the 04 had been far better - yet the 04 Wallace wasn't as good as the 03. It didn't have the same earthy character to it (which I'm quite fond of), instead showing a lot more fruit and oak - but still was very good.
We then had the Bishop Shiraz - little to pick from between the 04 and the 05 vintages. Both were powerful, layered wines with strong noses of spice and berries - typical Barossa shiraz characteristics. Thumbs way up here once more.
Next came the Godolphin 2005 - this was a Shiraz-Cabernet, and probably the best Shiraz-Cab I've ever tasted. Quite incredible - deep ruby red in the glass, herbaceous aromas with lots of berries and lighter pepper notes, fine tannins and a silky texture in the mouth. The finish on this was unbelievable.
The tasting finished with the Amon-Ra Shiraz, from the 04 and 05 vintages. These were even more concentrated and powerful than the Bishop wines, and with plenty of structure as well. The 04 was excellent, with lots of dark fruit and spice and softer earthy tones; the 05 was even better though. This was a dark purple (almost black) in the glass, with an incredibly intense nose, lots of tannin and another gorgeous, lasting finish.
Not sure how much the wines will cost in Aus - the list we were provided had the Wallace Shirazes at 22/23 USD, the Godolphin 05 at $65 (my personal favourite), and the 05 Amon Ra at $88. In my book though, definitely worth the effort and money to find some of these.
Salil