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Wine Review

Heartland & Glaetzer - New Wave Barossa

By Raymond Chan
A new wave of vigneron is appearing in the most traditional of Australian wine growing regions – the Barossa. As the multi-national corporate owners struggle to maintain their identity, young winemakers, many with long family backgrounds in wine are standing up to be counted. They show a respect for the old values and what has been established, but they show a willingness to try the new, and most importantly, reach out to the world, to show what they have. Ben Glaetzer is one such new wave Barossan, and his Heartland and Glaetzer labels are a credit to him and his family forebears. Our tasting of Heartland and Glaetzer wines was indeed one of exciting and satisfying wines. Here are my notes on the wines tasted:

The Heartland Wines


Wines made from Langhorne Creek and Limestone Coast fruit. An unusual blend to start things off, the Heartland Dolcetto/Lagrein 2007 (17.0+/20) was dark ruby red coloured and full of boysenberry and blackberry aromas. Soft, supple and ripe with boysenberry, plum and spice flavours, the tannin grip was gentle, allowing the soft and accessible nature come through. Only 1,800 cases made. More conventional was the 10,000+ case Heartland Shiraz 2006 (17.5+/20), another black hued red coloured wine that was soft, elegant ripe and full in a mild way. Soft, ripe fruit with a touch of jam, on a rounded moderately structured palate, this should have mass-appeal.

A pair of wines from the next tier up, the Reserve level ‘Directors’ Cut’ showed a considerable leap in quality. The Heartland ‘Directors’ Cut’ Shiraz 2005 (18.5+/20) was impenetrable black red in colour, with beautifully ripe, lush boysenberry and peppery fruit aromas, with liquorice and spice. The rich, ripe and powerful palate was well framed by a serious tannin structure, and the wine possessed real length. The Heartland ‘Directors’ Cut’ Shiraz 2006 (18.0+/20) was similar again, only a little more elegant, and with some refreshing acidity giving the wine cut, spice and juiciness. A function of the vintage.

The Glaetzer Wines


The family label, with wines sourcing fruit from the Ebenezer sub-region of the Barossa Valley. The Glaetzer ‘Wallace’ 2006 (18.5-/20) is 70% Shiraz and 30% Grenache with a vine age of around 60 years. 14 months in 3-4 y.o. French and US barrels. Wallace is the grandmother’s maiden name. The wine was an elegant, but rich expression of of Grenache raspberries on the nose, the lusciousness and fruitiness also a feature on the palate. Here, tannins and concentration, contributed by the Shiraz showed. Good acidity gave freshness and juiciness. The Glaetzer ‘Bishop’ 2005 (19.0-/20), named after the mother’s maiden name is all Shiraz from vines 60 y.o., and aged in 70% French and 30% US oak, 2-3 years old for 14 months. Saturated black red, this has a beautifully delineated nose of black currants, pepper and liquorice. A wine of great density, the rich plum, spice pepper and liquorice flavours are well-moderated and kept frsh with good acidity. Tight, fine tannin background. The Glaetzer ‘Godolphin’ 2005 (19.0-/20) will be named ‘Anaparenna’ in future vintages. This IS 75% Shiraz from 85 y.o. vines and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon from 60 y.o.vines, aged 14 months in 100% new oak, of which 80% is French. Explosively rich, this is dense and full with wonderful new oak spices and a little VA which lifts all the componentry. A wow wine in all respects, the succulence of the blackcurranty fruit is astonishing. Very fine-grained, but not a block-buster, and in fact with an ethereal aspect to it.

The Glaetzer ‘Amon-Ra’ is the flagship wine. 100% Shiraz made from vines up to 130 y.o., averaging 85-90 years, this is aged 15 months in all new oak, 80% being French. In the short time since its first vintage in 2001, it has a world-wide reputation, enhanced by the ratings of Robert Parker. The annual production is around 900 cases. We were privileged to taste three vintages. The Glaetzer ‘Amon-Ra’ 2006 (19.0/20) was the most refined and tightly elegant of the three. Dark fruits with an element of floralsripe and spicy, the intensity was kept in check by excellent acidity. Very fine with its concentration. The Glaetzer ‘Amon-Ra’ 2005 (19.5-/20) was immensely solid, angular and concentrated with dense liquorice and chocolate flavours, spices and pepper underneath. Complex nuances with earth and some lift. Again the extraction was remarkably fine. The Glaetzer ‘Amon-Ra’ 2004 (18.5+/20) had savoury development characters of earth, chocolate, olive right down the line. The richness and lusciousness were beginning to broaden out as the tannin edges were rounding. Nevertheless this had incredible density and extraction to enable one and a half decades of cellaring.
The Products...
HENSCHKE SHIRAZ MT EDELSTONE 06
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DAVID

Easter weekend I flew up to Auckland and had a great time visiting family. I made sure I went to Maison Vauron, a must if you enjoy French wines and also Galbraiths to try a few craft beers.

RICHARD

Roast Chicken for dinner evidently. Which Kumeu River Chardy shall I choose?
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