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Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz is an Australian Icon Wine recognised as one of the best Shiraz wines produced in the Clare Valley. The first vintage was released in 1985. Jim Barry was the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley. He graduated with a degree in oenology from the prestigious Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947 and is famous for his benchmark Clare Valley Riesling.
After graduation, Jim worked as the winemaker at the Clarevale Co-Op for 22 years. He also set up Taylor’s Wines (better known as Wakefield Wines in the UK) for the Taylor family in 1969. Jim Barry Wines was founded in 1959 and is still owned by the family. Jim’s son Peter became MD in 1985 and today it is the third generation, Peter’s children Tom, Sam and Olivia, who are the winemaker, commercial manager and brand ambassador, respectively.
The estate consists of 17 vineyards covering 320 hectares in the Clare Valley and two vineyards covering 35 hectares in the Coonawarra. The iconic ‘Armagh’ vineyard was named by the original Irish settlers who arrived in 1849 and called the lush, rolling hills after their homeland. In 1968, the 3.3 hectare vineyard was purchased by Jim Barry who planted it with Shiraz.
Today these low-yielding vines produce less 27 hectolitres per hectare. The soil is sandy gravel and receives an average rainfall of 600 millimetres per year. The vineyard lies on a northwest facing slope which acts as a natural sun trap, ensuring the fruit is always fully ripened at harvest time. The Clare Valley climate is continental with a high diurnal temperature difference, producing Shiraz with evenly ripened tannins and flavour.
100% Shiraz. Aged for 20 months in 60% French & 40% American Oak.
From Jim Barry Wines: “An inky red with a magenta hue in the glass, this wine opens with lifted notes of violets, moschino cherries and bright, fresh purple fruits with undertones of caramel. Intense flavours of liquorice, mocha, caramel, nutmeg, cloves and blueberries are in abundance. The palate displays concentration and tightly wound flavours, supported by powdery, fine grained tannins leading into a long savoury finish. The length of flavour and power in this wine, whilst still showing finesse and restraint, is what sets it at the pinnacle of red winemaking at Jim Barry Wines.”
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