Jim Barry is one of the most iconic names in Australian wine. He was a pioneer of Riesling in the Clare Valley, and since setting up in 1959, the winery has gone from strength to strength.
Still family owned and operated, they produce world class Shiraz as well as a mind-blowing Assyrtiko and (of course) some very tasty Riesling. Jim’s son Peter became managing director in 1985 and his grandson Tom is now the head winemaker. As well as picking up many awards along the way, they were recently named Winery of the Year by Matthew Jukes. Suffice to say, the wines are good.
The flagship offering is the Armagh Clare Valley Shiraz 2013 (Inverarity One to One, £195.00). Yes, unfortunately £195 for a bottle, but Robert Parker and James Halliday both scored the wine 96 points out of 100. 2013 was a very dry vintage, but the vines could access excess water from the soil due to a particularly heavy rainfall in the winter. This led to beautiful grapes, perfectly ripened. The vineyard is a perfect sun trap, and the old vines are naturally low-yielding which means you harvest fewer, but better grapes. Every stage in the winemaking process leads to quality, and the wine is just staggering. It’s a perfect excuse for a leg of lamb with garlic and rosemary on a Sunday.
If you’d rather not pay the best part of £200 for a bottle, grab the Armagh’s wee brother. Jim Barry The McRae Wood Clare Valley Shiraz 2013 (Inverarity One to One, £34.99). Aye, it’s still expensive but it’s such good value and really worth a punt with a nice steak in a béarnaise sauce. The wine spends a year in French oak adding an amazing complexity to the Clare Valley fruit.
And as for the whites…
Jim Barry Clare Valley Assyrtiko 2018 (Inverarity One to One, £20.99). Working with Gaia Estate in Santorini, cuttings of Assyrtiko were shipped from Greece to the Clare Valley as an experimental project. And, oh boy did it work. This is fresh, crisp and aromatic and is the perfect serve with top quality, traditional fish and chips.
Jim Barry La Florita Clare Valley Riesling 2016 (Inverarity One to One, £31.99 for a bottle, or £61.99 for a magnum). This steely, limey offering is delicious with lightly seared tuna steaks or simply prepared monkfish. Cheers!
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