The 2020 vintage offered us so much in quality, but so little in quantity. The dry year leading up to vintage, 2019 being the driest year on record, was always going to lead to a reduced crop. This was amplified by frost in October affecting flowering. Smaller bunches with smaller berries were then offered the reprieve of a cooler January and February in contrast to the previous year. The result is very low yields, but wonderful quality and character. Shiraz stands out as the quality leader for the vintage, offering extraordinary colour and flavour
Critic scores:
Robert Parker Wine Advocate 97 Points
I’ve looked at this wine many times over the years, almost exclusively as an older/cellared wine. The impact it has made is strong, and so it is through this lens that I now view this 2020 Amon-Ra Shiraz. This year’s Amon-Ra is concentrated, dense and absolutely, utterly saturated with flavor. The fruit that spirals within the bounds of the firm tannins is fleshy and pure, and with the knowledge that the wine sails through the decade with noiseless grace, it is all the more impressive in its infancy now. A brilliant wine – all ductile and proud. Yes. Drink Date 2022 – 2042.
Erin Larkin, 2022 Wine Advocate Review, September 2022, Australia www.robertparker.com
James Suckling 95 Points
Complex aromas of blackberry, sweet green tobacco and ink well. Full-bodied, tight and focussed with ultra-fine tannins that run long. Compact and integrated. Classy. Give this three to four years to soften and open. Try after 2025.
James Suckling, 5th October 2022 www.jamessuckling.com
James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 96 Points
Always a picture of pure fruit density and latent power, the latest release of Ben Glaetzer’s Amon Ra continues that theme of Barossa concentration. Glossy blackberry, black cherry and satsuma plum fruit flow readily, that compact Ebenezer power on full display. Hints of baking spice, earth, licorice and dark chocolate come into play, along with tightly packed, gypsum-like tannins for support, impressive acid cadence and a persistent and enduring exit. Always impressive.
Published in James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2023 Edition, 16th August 2022, Australia www.winecompanion.com.au
