Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz, Clare Valley

Description

Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz is an iconic Australian red wine from Clare Valley, first released in 1985 and celebrated for its power, balance and exceptional length. Packed with rich dark fruit, fine tannins and a luxurious finish, it is one of the most highly regarded Shiraz wines in Australia. Buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

Jim Barry TheArmagh Shiraz Winemaking

• 100% Shiraz grapes were hand-harvested and meticulously sorted.
• Grapes were destemmed and crushed.
• Vinification occurred in small, two-tonne open-top fermenters with heading-down boards.
• Heading down boards submerged the cap to extract colour, flavour and tannins gently.
• Pump-overs were performed twice daily.
• Rack and return was conducted once per day.
• Fermentation lasted eight days.
• Wine was racked to oak barrels for malolactic conversion.
• Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz was matured for 16 months in oak barrels (60% French, 40% American oak hogsheads).

Jim Barry Armagh Vineyard

In 1968, Jim Barry purchased the 3.3-hectare vineyard and planted it with Shiraz. The vineyard lies 2 kilometres northwest of Clare township, on the opposite side of the hill from the Jim Barry Winery. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec are also planted there. The iconic Armagh vineyard was named by the original Irish settlers who arrived in 1849, taking inspiration from the lush, rolling hills of their homeland.

Today, these low-yielding vines produce less than 27 hectolitres per hectare. The vineyard’s sandy gravel soils, average annual rainfall of 600 millimetres, and northwest-facing slope create ideal ripening conditions. Clare Valley’s continental climate and pronounced diurnal temperature range help produce Shiraz with evenly ripened tannins and flavour.

Jim Barry: An Australian Wine Legend

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 and Armagh Shiraz.

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 remains family-owned to this day.

Vineyards in Clare Valley & Coonawarra

The Jim Barry Wines estate consists of 17 vineyards covering 320 hectares in the Clare Valley and two vineyards covering 35 hectares in the Coonawarra.

A Family Business

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. It was voted ‘2020 Winery of the Year’ at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards.