Australia

Jim Barry

Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz Clare Valley

South Australia

Clare Valley

Inky black colour, showcasing the concentrated black and blue fruits that reflect another low yielding vintage. Spiced damson, black cherry and raspberry, set against charcoal, bay leaf, crayon, liqourice and a touch of crushed rose petal and oyster shell. Plenty of tannins here, but as ever The Armagh knows how to inject just enough air and acidity in between them to give contrast and texture, and to draw the flavours out on your tongue. 100% French oak, Tom Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Inside Bordeaux

Always a pleasure to get to know a new vintage of The Armagh, and this one kicks off with fragrant aromatics that really put emphasis on the violet and iris character of Shiraz, followed up by cassis fruit, liqourice and rosemary, and a kick of black pepper. 3.3ha of vines, winemaker Peter Barry, working with his brother Sam. Sandy-gravel soils. 75% new oak for ageing, mainly 300l with a few 500l barrels, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Decades ahead of it, but the supple tannins make it approachable now.

Powerful, with smoked earth, juicy damson fruit, bitter black chocolate, pomegranate, luscious and enticing, with fragrant spice of anis and fennel. This was a warm vintage with low yield of around 15hl/h, but the tannins were clearly extremely well handled, giving a gentle insistence to this wine that refuses to go away, and yet never overpowers. Aged entirely French oak (as it had been from the 2017 vintage) with vines that at this point were more than 50 years old. Tom Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Third year for The Armagh on the Place de Bordeaux, and it's an exceptional vintage, packed full of fragrant aromatics and plump, seductive, spiced and nuanced black cherry and damson fruit. Grilled sandalwood oak, firm tannins, plenty of black chocolate shavings, mandarin peel, the stone fruits edge of fully ripe Shiraz (almost as if it has been vinified with Viognier), tempered by sage and freshly cut rosemary herbs. This grabs you and stretches out through the palate. From a superb vineyard planted in 1968 by Jim Barry, with low yields of around 27hl/h (equivalent to less than two tonnes per acre), this is exceptional, with decades ahead of it. I suggest waiting a few years before opening, but the tannins are polished enough that you don't have to if you are prepared to give it a good long carafe. Made by Peter and Tom Barry. Sandy-gravel soils. 75% new oak, mainly 300l with a few 500l, unfined and unfiltered.         

This was a wetter-than-usual year, so they dropped 50% of berries after veraison, and the result is concentrated and vibrant. A lovely wine, autumnal berries and ripe red apple flavours, juicy with a brilliant sense of character, touches of bitter almond, cedar, aniseed and eucalyptus on the finish. No American oak for ageing from this vintage, all French, 75% new, with a mix of 350l and 500l casks. Taste this alone and it is intense and packed with favour, but in a vertical you see how this vintage gives a slightly more gentle and accessible way into the concentration and power of The Armagh. Tom Barry winemaker.

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.

Black cherry and raspberry fruit set the tone here, with intense spice, concentrated black chocolate, mocha and cloves. This is stunning, fresh, intense, plenty of lift, a ton of sage and freshly cut herbs, wrapped up in fine but plentiful tannins. Joyful, with a momentum that carries you from start to finish. A vintage that will age slowly and carefully. 70% French oak, 30% American oak for ageing. Tom Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

This is gorgeously nuanced with vivid aromatics and carefully-smoothed silky tannins. Concentrated, with a pinch of star anise, sage, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, plenty of fragrant spices, juicy and with grip. One to seek out and share. 70% French oak, 30% American oak for ageing, 3.5ph. Tom Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Dark berry fruit, a more savoury take on Shiraz as the evolution in style began to take hold, while keeping true to the structured swagger of these complex old vines. This is lush, majoring on vivid blackberry, loganberry fruits, with roasted spices of star anise, white pepper and cloves. Tasted under screwcap and cork, with the density and freshness a little clearer under screwap, but both are successful. Heading towards 70% French oak for ageing from this vintage, and bringing in 300l hogshead to lessen the oak impact. First year with Tom Barry as winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

At 13 years old the texture has become creamy, with smoked caramel and clear oak impact even now, although well integrated and welcoming. Whispers of apricot, stone fruit and fragrant rosebud gives lift to the rich creme de cassis puree, tar, liquorice, blackberry jam that makes this such a voluptous wine, almost pushing into the overripe territory. Ready to go, plenty to enjoy. 100% new oak, a mix of both American and French oak. 

Needs a good swirling of the glass to open up, still pretty reductive even at 16 years old. It has striking texture and weight, with the raspberry and black cherry fruit shot through with mandarin peel, five spice and fennel, all offering essential freshness against the richer chocolate and liqourice depths. An icon vintage at the property, still muscular and with punch, and although it is ready to drink with a good few hours in a carafe, it has further to go. 100% new oak, a mix of both French and American, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

A late-ripening vintage with plenty of concentration, deep ruby in colour. Muscular, with a sweetness to the berry fruits, grilled vanilla bean, cocoa, salted caramel and black chocolate. This has big shoulders, reflective of how Australia was making wines at the time, and it continues to deliver charm and swagger. 100% new oak, split evenly between French and American barrels. Tasted under screwcap and cork, which made for an interesting comparison - the brighter fruit character belonged to the screwcap. Mark Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Tawny-edged, this sings with classic flavours of mature Shiraz, offering raspberry, tobacco leaf, leather, fig, white pepper spice. Still plenty of concentration at almost 30 years old, kissed by a flash of kirsch. A great example of what makes The Armagh so special, with a ton of juice running through the mid palate, softened and ready to go but no rush to drink. 100% new oak, split evenly between French and American barrels. Mark Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Opens with gentle waves of tobacco leaf, soy, woodfire, smoked earth, sandalwood. Even at 33 years old, this has retained fresh acidities and is still going strong, although very much in its tertiary phase with fading colour on the edges of the glass, an emphasis on crushed roses, incense and fragrant spice rather that fruit, with autumnal berries just coming in on the mid palate and a sweet pastry finish. The tannins are full of welcoming pleasure, not pushing too hard, slap bang in its drinking window. 100% new American oak, low 25h/h yield. Mark Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.

This was a better vintage in Clare Valley than in the Barossa, but still we are very much in tertiary territory here. Tawny around the edges, with soy, tar, fennel on the nose, and sweet blackberry fruit setting the tone. There is less grip through the palate than on the younger vintages, but this is a fascinating wine that comes alive in the glass, with salted caramel, flaky pie crust, blackcurrant, mandarin and marzipan becoming dominant as it unrolls. Soft sweet, delicious, builds in intensity, very much on its drinking plateau but no rush to drink up. 100% new American oak. Mark Barry winemaker at the time. 

2021	Ingen prisIkke tilgjengelig	Spektakulær
2020	Ingen prisIkke tilgjengelig	Spektakulær
2019	Ingen prisIkke tilgjengelig	Spektakulær
2018	Ingen prisIkke tilgjengelig	Spektakulær
2017	Ingen prisIkke tilgjengelig	Eksepsjonell

Kategori	Rødvin
Polnummer
Produsent	Jim Barry
Årgang	2020
Land	Australia, South Australia, Clare Valley
Flaskestørrelse	75 cl

Alkoholnivå	%
Syre	%
Sukker	g/l

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