2018 Glaetzer Eye of Ra Shiraz

The Eye of Ra is only bottled when there is an extraordinary vintage, of pure expression from the finest parcels. 2018 is it. Deriving from Egyptian mythology, The Eye of Ra was the powerful feminine counterpart to the sun god Ra, and gifts renewal, life giving power and the annual Nile floodwater that restored fertility to Egypt. This Shiraz, holding power to its name, features incredible depth, countered by exemplary elegance and restraint. Sourced from selected vines from the Ebenezer vineyard, the fruit was hand harvested from low yielding vines that were aged up to 110 years old on deep sandy soils. The parcels were fermented separately in small open fermenters and gently hand plunged 3 times daily. During fermentation, the temperature was kept very cool to enhance the fresh aromatic profile without over extraction. It was matured for 16 months in 100% new French oak hogsheads of the highest quality with tannin profiles selected to best express the flavours of the individual parcels.  Natural malolactic fermentation continuing in oak during maturation.

Aromas of powerful, dark intensity – a dense core of dark berry fruit. The palate is underpinned by a brightness and polished tannin structure to balance the fruit. Blackberries are layered over red fruit, with plums and cherries adding to the chorus. The fruit is accentuated by mocha, liquorice and fresh-cut cedar. This wine will develop gracefully over time and continue to gain complexity and layers.  

“The pride I felt with the outcome of the first vintage of The Eye of Ra Shiraz has led me to highlight extraordinary vintages that will enhance the reputation of this wine and see if offer a pure expression of the pleasure those vintages give me. 2018 is just such a vintage. The Eye of Ra is not expected to be made in most years. The vintage and every aspect of the winemaking process must convince me otherwise in order to proceed. The rigorous fruit selection is matched by the attention to detail in the winery, meticulous oak maturation and final barrel selection. The Eye of Ra 2018 is the quintessential expression of the Barossa vines I love.” Ben Glaetzer  

“When a wine has this degree of deliciousness, extraordinary build quality, and perhaps most importantly, a massive emotional hook, it does its job perfectly. Made from the finest parcel of fruit in Ben’s Ebenezer vineyard, this is a wine that does not waver from its mission to graffiti Ben’s bane on your palate with indelible Shiraz ink. The volume of fruit is staggering, but its delivery is incredibly measured and even, and this is the trick. Rã is not a monster wine but a monstrously long wine. It is perfectly polished and amazingly spicy, with never-ending layers of fruit and immense class. It is also drinking well, which is a surprise, but the vintage is generous with seamless fruit and unique allure. I feel it will maintain its welcoming and rewarding attitude for two decades, so you are in no hurry to pop a cork! While this icon wine has an iconic flavour, I must urge you to seek it out. Imagine all of Ben’s experience and skill in just one bottle – Rã is it.” 19.5+/20 points. Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com February 2023. 

“The 2018 The Eye of Ra Shiraz is wildly aromatic: blood plum, pastrami, cracked peppercorns, clove bud, mountain herbs (alpine mint?), boysenberry, blackberry (actually, every black berry you can name), dark chocolate, squid ink, blueberry, resin and char. In the mouth, the wine is velvety and concentrated, with a surprising amount of detail embedded and embossed into the folds of tannin that shape the wine. This is very big, make no mistake, but also balanced between its sweet and savory sides. A galaxy of complexity exists in this glass. It shows the 2018 vintage off to its best effect: ripe, dense, concentrated, fresh and beguiling. Super good. The drinking window is conservative, however, as I prefer a modicum of primary fruit. It’s important to note that it will age gracefully beyond that point, so it is up to you… The fruit for this cuvée is from Ebenezer, largely from Adrian Hoffman. Diverse soil types in the vineyard allow for diversity in picking and fruit flavors; this here is from the sandy/free-draining sections of the Ebenezer vineyard—from four blocks in the vineyard. It was handpicked, and picked based on flavor, then crushed, destemmed and cold fermented, barrel selection. It matured in 300-liter hogsheads for 14-16 months, in a combination of French oak coopers (100% new). Packaged in a black metal box, under natural cork and wax, this is a superstar.” 98 points. Erin Larkin, The Wine Advocate April 2023