Glaetzer Anaperenna 2018

Region and Vineyards

The Anaperenna 2018 is born in the Ebenezer sub-district of the northern Barossa Valley, one of the region's most prized terroirs. This area is renowned for its warm, dry climate and ancient soils that have nurtured some of the oldest vines in the world. Here, Shiraz vines aged 30 to 100 years and Cabernet Sauvignon vines of up to 130 years deliver fruit of extraordinary intensity and balance.

The low yields, averaging only 2.5 tonnes per hectare, concentrate the flavours, while the combination of above-average winter rains and a dry, warm summer in 2018 encouraged small, deeply coloured berries with ripe tannins. A gentle Indian summer allowed the fruit to achieve optimum flavour development, resulting in wines of great aromatic purity and richness.

Winemaking

The blend of 82% Shiraz and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon was fermented in small open-top fermenters, hand-plunged three times daily to maximise gentle extraction. Following fermentation, the wine spent 16 months in 100% new oak hogsheads, predominantly French (92%) with a small proportion of American (8%).

This rigorous barrel program, coupled with maturation on lees, preserved fruit vibrancy while enhancing textural complexity. Bottled unfiltered, the wine retains its natural character and depth. The 2018 vintage, widely regarded as outstanding in the Barossa, endowed the wine with concentration, freshness, and exceptional ageing potential.

Tasting Notes

• Color: Opaque black core with dark purple hues around the rim.
• Aroma: Layers of blackberry, black plum, and cassis lifted by hints of anise, dried herbs, and subtle oak spice.
• Palate: Full-bodied and voluptuous, showing black cherry, mulberry, and dark chocolate. Fine-grained tannins integrate seamlessly with cedar, spice, and liquorice, finishing long, vibrant, and polished.

Did you know?

The name Anaperenna draws from the Roman goddess Anna Perenna, who symbolised the cycle of the year. The wine, like its namesake, embodies renewal and longevity, designed to age gracefully for two decades or more. Ben Glaetzer's vision was to create a Barossa red that celebrates both tradition and modern finesse.

Wine Pairing Ideas

• Chargrilled ribeye steak - the smoky, marbled meat highlights the Shiraz richness and Cabernet backbone.
• Slow-cooked lamb shanks with rosemary - savoury herbs and tender meat echo the wine's dark fruit and spice.
• Roast venison with juniper and redcurrant glaze - game and berry notes find harmony with the wine's depth and acidity.
• Dark chocolate tart with blackberries - a daring dessert match that complements its cocoa, licorice, and fruit tones.

History of Glaetzer

The Glaetzer family's winemaking legacy in Australia traces back to the 1880s, but the modern chapter began in 1995, when Colin Glaetzer, a third-generation winemaker, established Glaetzer Wines. Located in the northern Barossa Valley, the estate quickly gained acclaim for its focus on single-region, old-vine Shiraz and Grenache.

The winery's meteoric rise continued under the stewardship of Colin's son, Ben Glaetzer, who took the reins as chief winemaker and brought a dynamic, minimalist philosophy to the cellar. An oenology graduate of the University of Adelaide and an International Winemaker of the Year (Wine Enthusiast, 2006), Ben has been central to the estate's critical success, regularly receiving high praise from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Wine Spectator, and Decanter.

What sets Glaetzer apart is its commitment to site selection and low-intervention winemaking. The winery works exclusively with dry-grown, old vines, many over 100 years old, from the revered Ebenezer sub-region. These ancient vines, grown on deep, sandy loam soils with ironstone, produce grapes of profound intensity and character.

Region and Vineyards

Glaetzer Wines operates exclusively within the Ebenezer sub-region, located at the northernmost tip of South Australia's Barossa Valley—a site revered for producing some of the most structured and age-worthy Shiraz in the world. This isolated zone is characterized by its exceptionally old vine material, unique soil composition, and distinctive mesoclimate, setting the foundation for Glaetzer's signature intensity and elegance.

The vineyards span a patchwork of small, family-owned parcels, most of which are managed by generational growers. Glaetzer works in close collaboration with these partners, allowing for precise control over viticultural practices and optimal fruit selection. Many of the vines are between 80 and 130 years old, planted as bush vines without irrigation. Their deep roots penetrate complex strata of soil, lending minerality and concentration to the resulting wines.

Soils in Ebenezer consist of deep red-brown loamy sand, underlaid with clay and ironstone, contributing to natural drainage while retaining enough subsoil moisture to sustain old, dry-grown vines through the growing season. These soils are inherently low in fertility, producing small berries with thick skins, ideal for crafting powerful, tannic, and intensely flavoured red wines.

The climate of Ebenezer is warm and continental, with long, dry summers and significant diurnal temperature variation. This results in high phenolic ripeness while preserving vital acidity and aromatic precision. The region benefits from its elevation and low humidity, which contribute to disease resistance and consistent vintage conditions.

Harvesting is done entirely by hand, allowing selective picking of individual rows and even specific vines. Each vineyard block is vinified separately to preserve its unique expression, with blending decisions made only after maturation. This micro-parcel approach is essential in crafting wines of complexity, precision, and longevity.

In essence, Glaetzer's vineyard philosophy is one of minimal intervention, maximal expression—letting the ancient vines and the unique terroir of Ebenezer speak through each bottle. Their intimate relationship with these vineyards is foundational to the power, purity, and poise found across the Glaetzer portfolio.

Wine Range of Glaetzer

Glaetzer crafts a tight and focused portfolio centered around Barossa's hallmark red varieties:

• Amon-Ra Shiraz: The estate's flagship wine, an icon of modern Australian Shiraz—dense, structured, and cellar-worthy.
• Anaperenna: A Shiraz-Cabernet blend of seamless integration and poise.
• Bishop Shiraz: A tribute to Ben's mother, Judith Bishop—elegant, spicy, and approachable in youth.
• Wallace Shiraz-Grenache: Bright and fruit-driven with vibrant red berry notes and spice.
• Eye of Ra Shiraz: An ultra-limited cuvée from ancient vines; released only in exceptional vintages, embodying depth, purity, and grandeur.

Did you know?

Ben Glaetzer was part of Australia's celebrated "First Families of Wine" initiative and is also a founding winemaker of the cult-label Heartland Wines in Langhorne Creek. His wines are regularly awarded 20/20 by British critic Matthew Jukes and 98-100 points by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate.