Jim Barry The Armagh 2016

 Jim Barry once said, “Sometimes it takes more than a lifetime to do a lifetime’s work.” 

The Jim Barry winery sits nestled within the prestigious Clare Valley area in Australia and has been run by three generations of the Barry family.  The legacy of the Barry family is very much linked with the development of the small - yet well thought of - Clare Valley region.  The Armagh Shiraz  started from humble beginnings in 1985 and is now one of the benchmark expressions of this varietal to come out of this portion of the Southern Hemisphere. It achieved critical recognition on a global scale and in 2020, the Armagh was the first Australian wine to be sold through La Place de Bordeaux, holding its own weight amongst some of the most prestigious wines in the world .
 
Jim Barry was a man who believed in forging his own path.  Sam Barry, his grandson, remembers him saying, “If everyone is going one way, don’t follow.”  True to his renegade spirit, Jim studied Oenology at Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1944.  He graduated as the 17th qualified winemaker from Roseworthy and a little over a decade later purchased a property with his wife, Nancy, on the northern outskirts of the Clare Valley. The Clare Valley was essentially unheard of at the time, and in 1968 Jim planted a small, 3.3-hectare plot of Shiraz in this area.   The wine derives its name, “Armagh,” from Irish settlers, who named this small hamlet after their homeland. Jim Barry tended the vines and watered them all by hand, but he would not be the individual behind the wine’s inception. It wasn’t until 1985 when Jim Barry’s son, Peter, would carry on the family legacy and release the inaugural vintage of the Armagh.  His timing was ambitious, as Australia was in the middle of a vine pulling initiative, because Australian wines had oversaturated the marketplace and quality had dipped.  But Peter had the spirit of his father and would not let the government deter him from his vision.  The 1989 vintage received glowing critical acclaim from outlets like Robert Parker, and that set the trajectory of this estate into motion.
 
The gently sloping hills of the Armagh Vineyard receive 600 millimeters of rainfall annually.  The vines receive plenty of sun exposure, and their strong roots dig deep into the sandy loam soil.  The Barry family has found a way to cultivate these vines with minimal intervention. The goal here is to produce a richly concentrated and age-worthy Shiraz with plenty of fruit, and that is achieved with the majority of the work being done in the vineyard. After the vines are harvested, they are vinified in French Oak barriques for an 18 month period prior to being bottled and released. The purpose of the Armagh’s design is for it to be enjoyed after being cellared for many years.  Its subtle nuances and complexities are said to reveal themselves with time, a true gem for any Australian wine enthusiast.

"My pick of the recently bottled vintages, the 2016 The Armagh Shiraz shows a bit more obvious oak (simply because of its youth) but also a wonderful taut tension between ripeness and acidity. The fruit here is a bit redder in profile, leaning more toward raspberries than blackberries, while still being fully ripe. Full-bodied and supple, it finishes cedary, intense and long, adding in complex, lingering spice notes." - Joe Czerwinski, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (2/13/2020), Ratings: 97, Drink: 2021-2040

''Delivers the fragrant wet earth and raspberry leaf edge that makes Shiraz such a poetic grape in the right hands, and in the right place. As it deepens through the mid palate, this is pure raspberry and plum puree, joyful plump fruit overlaid with peach pits, charred sandalwood and dark chocolate, mouthwatering finish. A lovely wine, subtle yet powerful, you can drink now or wait and allow it to keep ageing in bottle. Submerged cap for maceration, fermentation 18-22C for around 10 days, 20% American oak (the last vintage to use any) and the rest French oak, at around 65% new in 300l hogshead size. Tom Barry winemaker.'' Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (07/20/2022) Ratings: 95 Drink: 2022-2040