2013 Jim Barry The Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon Museum Release, Clare Valley

In case you’re wondering why a wine from 2013 is still available: the decision was made to hold back a portion of the release for further aging in the cellar before subsequent release as a mature, developed wine. This was a very good season, and the wine, sourced from the Clare Valley in South Australia, has started to develop some lovely combinations. On the nose and into the richly textured palate, aromas of wet leather, black fruits, and dark chocolate swirl through a complex bouquet. The palate is seamlessly woven together, an intricate maze of chocolatey dark fruits, chalky tannins, and fine-grained oak. Quite superb, and still with plenty of time left in the cellar. To me, this wine sits in that neat zone where some primary characters remain but secondary characters are emerging, creating a wine of great interest. Drink to 2036.

96 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, August 2026

Deep, dark red colour with few purple reflections, the bouquet rather oaky - chocolate accented - while the palate is rich and fleshy, intense and firm. It's a big wine but surprisingly elegant, with balance and attractive flavours, finishing with serious Clare Valley tannins. Very smart wine. Drink to 2033.

93 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, February 2018

The colour is fabulous - a seductive garnet-purple; aromas of coffee grounds, cassis and kirsch, plenty of weight and richness, oak playing a role with the structure too. There's a flourish of sweetness with the tannin raspy and a little drying on the finish. Drink to 2031.

92 points Jane Faulkner for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2021

Named after the settlement now knows as a lost township, Benbournie was situated between the towns of Clare and Blyth. The Benbournie is from a single vineyard on Jim Barry’s McRae Wood property, planted by Jim Barry in 1964. The ungrafted (franc de pied) vines were originally sourced from Wendouree’s 1896 cabernet sauvignon vineyard.