Jim Barry
About Jim Barry
The name of late Jim Barry echoes through the halls of Australian wine-making fame – right up there with Henschke, Penfolds and Torbreck.
As the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley, Jim Barry’s lifetime of work has shaped South Australia’s Clare Valley into a world benchmark for Riesling and Shiraz. Over the last 60 years, the Barry family has established 17 vineyard sites across the Clare Valley (plus two more in Coonawarra), each with differences in aspect and soil, creating unique Australian wines with a regional focus genuine sense of place. Over this time, they have established themselves as one of Australia’s “first families” of wine.
Today, Jim Barry Wines remains firmly in the hands of the Barry family. Championed by the third generation, Tom, Sam and Olivia Barry, and under the guidance of their father, Peter, they continue the excellent work started by their founding grandfather, which culminated in them winning the James Halliday “Companion Winery of the Year” in 2020.
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Wine Advocate (98)
One of the most colossal wines in all of my tastings was Jim Barry’s 2004 Shiraz The Armagh, a 100% Shiraz aged 16 months in French and American oak. It is an opaque purple-hued, super-intense effort displaying great precision and richness. Notes of melted asphalt, acacia flowers, blueberries, blackberries, charcoal, and espresso roast emerge from this full, dense, opulent Shiraz. The finish lasts for over 45 seconds. This is a great example of one of the icons of Australian Shiraz. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.Inc. VAT£914.40 -
Vinous (94)
Inky ruby. Heady aromas of ripe blackberry, blueberry and candied licorice are complicated by sexy notes of vanilla, violet and Indian spices. Lush, deeply flavored and broad, offering intense dark berry and cherry compote flavors and an exotic floral pastille nuance. Finishes sweet and very long, with resonating spiciness, a hint of fruitcake and velvety tannins.Inc. VAT£1,592.69 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2012 Shiraz The Armagh offers a gorgeous perfume of baking spices, violets, Sichuan pepper and fragrant earth. More earthy and savory in the mouth than on the nose, the palate is superbly structured and taut—built for the long-haul—with a long, complex finish. Still very youthfully, forget this wine for 3-5 more years and consider drinking it over the next 20+.Inc. VAT£909.64 -
Vinous (96)
Inky ruby. A hugely perfumed, expansive bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, candied violet, incense and mocha, and an exotic Indian spice flourish builds slowly with air. Appealingly sweet and palate-coating, offering densely packed cassis, blueberry and cherry liqueur flavors complemented by suave vanilla and five-spice powder accents. For all its mass, this wine is almost shockingly lithe thanks to a core of juicy acidity. It finishes extremely long and smooth, with rounded tannins and a lingering dark fruit preserve note.Inc. VAT£1,117.24 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The 2014 The Armagh Shiraz boasts intense aromas of vanilla, cedar and boysenberries. It's a full-bodied, creamy-ripe wine, big and rich, yet it's held together by bright acids, with 20 years of potential ageability. The Armagh vineyard Shiraz isn't that old by South Australian standards, having been planted in 1968, but it consistently yields one of Clare's top Shiraz bottlings.Inc. VAT£1,429.49 -
James Suckling (99)
Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date.Inc. VAT£542.81 -
James Suckling (99)
Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date.Inc. VAT£1,233.64 -
Decanter (96)
Such incredible perfume and florality from this standout Shiraz, so expressive and captivating, filled with roses and violets alongside cherries and plum fruit, milk chocolate and some sage notes. Medium-bodied on the palate but it’s the texture and overall presence of the wine in the mouth that gives this star quality. Tannins are fine and seductive cashmere-like, edged with fruit intensity and spicy sides. This has a good energy to it, mouthwatering and pulsing with life with a long finish and lift at the end. Precision and power - built to last.Inc. VAT£1,279.24 -
Decanter (100)
A meaty, savoury, spiced nose, something so welcoming about it, warm and friendly with a touch of perfume, dark chocolate, cinnamon and pink peppercorn to the blackcurrant, damsons and plums. Rich, ample and generous, yet delivered with such supple and velvety-soft tannins. This has an elegance to it, a cool sophistication in terms of the profile - neat and tidy, quite linear right now, brimming with energy, not yet fully expansive or loose, but quietly controlled and calm. It's confident though with invigorating acidity and I love the focus, detail and the purity of fruit. Sweet red fruits - strawberries, raspberries and red cherries with a slight balsamic, pomegranate edge that is so delicious. Juicy, crunchy, succulent and ripe but with an effortless edge to it. Supremely drinkable and likeable - what a gorgeous wine! A quality vintage and excellent winemaking skill on show. Ageing 18 months in French oak.Inc. VAT£1,346.03 -
Decanter (100)
A meaty, savoury, spiced nose, something so welcoming about it, warm and friendly with a touch of perfume, dark chocolate, cinnamon and pink peppercorn to the blackcurrant, damsons and plums. Rich, ample and generous, yet delivered with such supple and velvety-soft tannins. This has an elegance to it, a cool sophistication in terms of the profile - neat and tidy, quite linear right now, brimming with energy, not yet fully expansive or loose, but quietly controlled and calm. It's confident though with invigorating acidity and I love the focus, detail and the purity of fruit. Sweet red fruits - strawberries, raspberries and red cherries with a slight balsamic, pomegranate edge that is so delicious. Juicy, crunchy, succulent and ripe but with an effortless edge to it. Supremely drinkable and likeable - what a gorgeous wine! A quality vintage and excellent winemaking skill on show. Ageing 18 months in French oak.Inc. VAT£1,249.24 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
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.Inc. VAT£1,081.24 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
The Barry brothers sent me a second bottle of the 2022 The Florita Riesling, which I am tasting here today, because they felt that it wasn't showing as well as it could the first time when I tasted it in October (it had only been bottled four weeks prior). In truth, I think it was showing just as well then as it is now, and it is a superstar. 2022 seemed to harness the fruit from the vineyard and boost it: more power, more concentration, more acid, more vivid ... just such exceptional wines. I've said this before, but 2022 could easily be the best vintage in the last 20 years, and for those who know, that takes us back to the great, the age-worthy, the revered 2002 vintage. This is a collector's year. Do not waste the opportunity, because the vintage, coupled with the screw-cap closure, will allow the wine to age for a long time.Inc. VAT£253.24
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Wine Advocate (98)
One of the most colossal wines in all of my tastings was Jim Barry’s 2004 Shiraz The Armagh, a 100% Shiraz aged 16 months in French and American oak. It is an opaque purple-hued, super-intense effort displaying great precision and richness. Notes of melted asphalt, acacia flowers, blueberries, blackberries, charcoal, and espresso roast emerge from this full, dense, opulent Shiraz. The finish lasts for over 45 seconds. This is a great example of one of the icons of Australian Shiraz. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.Inc. VAT£914.40 -
Vinous (94)
Inky ruby. Heady aromas of ripe blackberry, blueberry and candied licorice are complicated by sexy notes of vanilla, violet and Indian spices. Lush, deeply flavored and broad, offering intense dark berry and cherry compote flavors and an exotic floral pastille nuance. Finishes sweet and very long, with resonating spiciness, a hint of fruitcake and velvety tannins.In Bond£1,308.00 -
Wine Advocate (98+)
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2012 Shiraz The Armagh offers a gorgeous perfume of baking spices, violets, Sichuan pepper and fragrant earth. More earthy and savory in the mouth than on the nose, the palate is superbly structured and taut—built for the long-haul—with a long, complex finish. Still very youthfully, forget this wine for 3-5 more years and consider drinking it over the next 20+.In Bond£742.00 -
Vinous (96)
Inky ruby. A hugely perfumed, expansive bouquet evokes ripe black and blue fruits, candied violet, incense and mocha, and an exotic Indian spice flourish builds slowly with air. Appealingly sweet and palate-coating, offering densely packed cassis, blueberry and cherry liqueur flavors complemented by suave vanilla and five-spice powder accents. For all its mass, this wine is almost shockingly lithe thanks to a core of juicy acidity. It finishes extremely long and smooth, with rounded tannins and a lingering dark fruit preserve note.In Bond£915.00 -
Wine Advocate (94)
The 2014 The Armagh Shiraz boasts intense aromas of vanilla, cedar and boysenberries. It's a full-bodied, creamy-ripe wine, big and rich, yet it's held together by bright acids, with 20 years of potential ageability. The Armagh vineyard Shiraz isn't that old by South Australian standards, having been planted in 1968, but it consistently yields one of Clare's top Shiraz bottlings.In Bond£1,172.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date.In Bond£447.00 -
James Suckling (99)
Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date.In Bond£1,012.00 -
Decanter (96)
Such incredible perfume and florality from this standout Shiraz, so expressive and captivating, filled with roses and violets alongside cherries and plum fruit, milk chocolate and some sage notes. Medium-bodied on the palate but it’s the texture and overall presence of the wine in the mouth that gives this star quality. Tannins are fine and seductive cashmere-like, edged with fruit intensity and spicy sides. This has a good energy to it, mouthwatering and pulsing with life with a long finish and lift at the end. Precision and power - built to last.In Bond£1,050.00 -
Decanter (100)
A meaty, savoury, spiced nose, something so welcoming about it, warm and friendly with a touch of perfume, dark chocolate, cinnamon and pink peppercorn to the blackcurrant, damsons and plums. Rich, ample and generous, yet delivered with such supple and velvety-soft tannins. This has an elegance to it, a cool sophistication in terms of the profile - neat and tidy, quite linear right now, brimming with energy, not yet fully expansive or loose, but quietly controlled and calm. It's confident though with invigorating acidity and I love the focus, detail and the purity of fruit. Sweet red fruits - strawberries, raspberries and red cherries with a slight balsamic, pomegranate edge that is so delicious. Juicy, crunchy, succulent and ripe but with an effortless edge to it. Supremely drinkable and likeable - what a gorgeous wine! A quality vintage and excellent winemaking skill on show. Ageing 18 months in French oak.In Bond£1,111.00 -
Decanter (100)
A meaty, savoury, spiced nose, something so welcoming about it, warm and friendly with a touch of perfume, dark chocolate, cinnamon and pink peppercorn to the blackcurrant, damsons and plums. Rich, ample and generous, yet delivered with such supple and velvety-soft tannins. This has an elegance to it, a cool sophistication in terms of the profile - neat and tidy, quite linear right now, brimming with energy, not yet fully expansive or loose, but quietly controlled and calm. It's confident though with invigorating acidity and I love the focus, detail and the purity of fruit. Sweet red fruits - strawberries, raspberries and red cherries with a slight balsamic, pomegranate edge that is so delicious. Juicy, crunchy, succulent and ripe but with an effortless edge to it. Supremely drinkable and likeable - what a gorgeous wine! A quality vintage and excellent winemaking skill on show. Ageing 18 months in French oak.In Bond£1,025.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
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.In Bond£885.00 -
Wine Advocate (97+)
The Barry brothers sent me a second bottle of the 2022 The Florita Riesling, which I am tasting here today, because they felt that it wasn't showing as well as it could the first time when I tasted it in October (it had only been bottled four weeks prior). In truth, I think it was showing just as well then as it is now, and it is a superstar. 2022 seemed to harness the fruit from the vineyard and boost it: more power, more concentration, more acid, more vivid ... just such exceptional wines. I've said this before, but 2022 could easily be the best vintage in the last 20 years, and for those who know, that takes us back to the great, the age-worthy, the revered 2002 vintage. This is a collector's year. Do not waste the opportunity, because the vintage, coupled with the screw-cap closure, will allow the wine to age for a long time.In Bond£195.00