Sourced from a single Clare Valley vineyard planted in 1968, it is rich, intense and incredibly complex, finding impeccable balance between exuberant dark fruits, perfectly ripe tannins and subtle mineral tension.
Reviews:
- Wine Advocate: The 2016 The Armagh Shiraz, tasted in a lineup of four vintages (2016 – 2019), has the highest alcohol of the lot (14.2% alcohol) and remains perfectly in balance. These are not the big wines that we may expect them to be. The vintage variation across them is subtle but evident, revealing the beauty of this single vineyard, planted in 1968. This 2016 wine is now starting to settle into its first drinking window and speaks of an array of deli meats, forest berries, exotic spice and even a hint of red curry paste. This has all the complexity you could want, and in terms of tannins: texture, density and rippling muscles. Sensational stuff. Drink it over the next two decades.
- James Suckling: Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date.
Producer Information
Jim Barry Wines is one of South Australia’s most well-known wine producers, having crafted a name for its premium wines made from Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling. The company’s most famous wine is the single-vineyard Armagh Shiraz which regularly scores highly with critics. The winery was established in 1959 when Jim and his wife Nancy purchased their first property and vineyards on the outskirts of the Clare Valley. Today the estate owns vineyards in the Clare Valley and Coonawarra, and is well regarded among critics and consumers alike. After purchasing their first vineyards in 1959, the Barrys continued to buy plots throughout the Clare Valley, and today have three vineyards in the region: Armagh, Florita and Lodge Hill. The Armagh vineyard has Shiraz planted on original rootstocks in sandy soils with a high content of clay. The Florita vineyard, planted to Riesling, has some of the oldest vines in Watervale while the Lodge Hill vineyard has both Shiraz and Riesling in two separate plots. The Old Cricket Vineyard in Coonawarra is planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, and as may be inferred from its name, is planted on an old cricket ground. The pitch remains in the middle of the vineyard, and many of the Jim Barry wines have names associated with the game.
