Glaetzer Wallace

Shiraz Grenache 2004

Glaetzer Wines was established in 1995 to create limited quantities of benchmark reds, which reflect the quality and diversity of the Barossa Valley.  This family-owned company is an expression of more than 30 years of winemaking for Colin, and a new chapter for the Glaetzers who have been in the Barossa since 1888.   

Colin and his winemaker son Ben craft small volumes of super-premium wines, using exceptional fruit from ancient, dry-grown vineyards in the Ebenezer district of the valley.  With minimal intervention, they turn this fruit into wines which show Glaetzer’s trademark elegance and complexity.

2004 Glaetzer Wallace is a wine greater than the sum of its parts - a fusion of Shiraz and Grenache, which is a typical, traditional blend in the Barossa Valley.  Parcels of premium fruit are picked at full ripeness for vibrant colour, an abundance of juicy, berry flavours and spice. The wine also shows the elegance and finesse which underpins the Glaetzer style.

Ripe, peppery old vine Shiraz from the famed Ebenezer vineyard dominates and adds weight, texture and a fleshy richness and the Grenache contributes sweet cherry, toffee, earthy characters and solid, savoury tannins. This robust red, with trademark Glaetzer elegance, was matured in seasoned French and American oak for 14 months.   The Wallace is superb drinking now, and will reward careful cellaring for a decade.

Colin’s wife Judith often finds she’s outvoted in her male-dominated family (with Colin and her three sons) so she’s redressing the balance  - Wallace is named after her side of the family!

Technical details
Winemakers:      Colin Glaetzer, Ben Glaetzer
Variety:              Shiraz (70%), Grenache (30%)
Growing region:     Barossa Valley, South Australia
Vinification:     Up to 6 separate vineyard components were fermented separately in 2 tonne open stainless steel fermenters. The Shiraz components were fermented cool and received 7 to 10 days on skins, hand plunged 3 times daily. The Grenache received a warmer ferment to extract colour and tannin structure and was hand plunged twice daily. The wines spent 12 months in 2 and 3 year old hogsheads (85% American & 15% French-Allier)
Yield:                    1.4-2.0 tonnes per acre (equivalent to 3.5-5 tonnes per hectare)
Alcohol:                 14.5%
pH:                         3.51
TA:                        6.39
Residual Sugar:     1.4 g/l