Press
February 2009 Wine Ark
“ e rise and rise of Ben Glaetzer has been one of the great wine success stories of the last decade. But with over 120 years of family experience in the wine business, this is no rags to riches tale with Ben’s father Colin a former chief winemaker at Seppelt Great Western as well as having spent long stints in the Barossa. You could say Ben had an upbringing quite literally littered with great Australian Shiraz, and it shows through in the success of the Glaetzer range now crisscrossing the globe. Among two great stables, including the Glaetzer Amon-Ra and friends, the wines produced in partnership with Frank Mitolo are clearly his finest offerings. is is despite the fact that the last five vintages of Amon-Ra have scored between 95 and 100 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate. Mitolo is, quite simply, archetypal modern South Australian Shiraz – hedonistic with layers of dark fruit flavour.
But what lifts it far above the rest are the little touches of winemaking brilliance - notes of perfumed violet and dusty spice in the Shiraz coming from superior fruit selection. e Serpico Cabernet takes Mitolo on a more interesting path with its use of dried grapes, as found in the grand Amarones of Northern Italy, to produce a completely original and profound wine of incredible density. And that is the key to Mitolo; there is depth to their lush and opulent fruit making these wines the thinking man or woman’s Barossa and McLaren Vale.”
Angus Hughson
www.mitolowines.com.au