Wine Advisor
Jim Barry, The Armagh Shiraz 2019
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Erin Larkin
The vineyard that the fruit for this iconic Australian wine is sourced from was planted in 1968, giving us the benefit of over 50 years of vine age—a very good thing when we consider fruit tannin and concentration. In addition to the vineyard placement and vine age, Clare Valley benefits from a wide-ranging array of elevation (190 meters to 610 meters) with high diurnal range. All of this means ripe wines, tense wines, and powerful wines, which just about sums up Clare Valley. So, to this wine: The 2019 The Armagh Shiraz is complex, layered and spiced, with a multitude of hung deli meats and small goods packed in alongside the purple fruits and exotic spice. The wine is supple, for all the power, and unfurls over a long finish to show the muscle and might of this iconic wine. In a vertical of four vintages (2016, 2017, 2018 and this 2019), this has the second-highest alcohol of the lot, at 14.1%, showing that concentration and density doesn't have to come at the expense of finesse. I love this.
About the Producer
A top winery that has also received praise from Robert Parker and James Halliday Jim Barry is one of the few wineries in Australia to have received a five-star rating from renowned Australian wine critic James Halliday. The winery is located in the Clare Valley, with approximately 247 hectares of land and a few vineyards in the Coonawarra region, which produces Australia's finest Cabernet. Jim Barry's top wine, The Armagh, has been publicly praised by Robert Parker as one of Australia's iconic wines and has been ranked by Langton's, Australia's leading wine auction house, as one of the best value Australian wines alongside flagship wines from Penfolds, Henschke and other leading Australian wineries. The Armagh range has been ranked by Langton's as one of the best value Australian wines.
