2014 Jim Barry The Florita Riesling, Clare Valley
A$57.75
“This micro batch super premium Riesling is the fruit of years of patience. We selected individual rows where the terra rossa and loam barely cover the deep limestone below. To guarantee the freshness of these precious grapes, we carefully picked batches to precisely fill our membrane press in the chill of night, and destemmed the bunches without crushing them.” The 55th vintage at Jim Barry Wines started with a rush after a week of 40°C plus weather in early February. We got the first load off grapes off at about 10.8° Baume. Then the rain came. The Clare Valley was fortunate to only receive 13.8mm on the 14th February, which hydrated the vines without causing significant splitting. The further 75.8mm received over two hours on the 15th February quickly ran off, causing only 1-2% of splitting in the Watervale vineyard, with no incidence of botrytis. Extra precautions were taken in the winery, separating juice from skins quickly and reducing the free run percentage, sending more off to pressings. We’ve learnt to be very careful and guard against phenolics in a year like this. We like our Rieslings to be fresh and vibrant, at the sharp end of the lime/citrus spectrum. ‘The Florita’ Riesling 2014 vintage Winemaking Notes Expresses a pale straw shade in the glass. Opens with delicate floral aromas of citrus blossom, rose water, lime citrus and hints of green pear. A wine of immense drive and purity. Shows the hallmarks of a youthful but restrained Florita with a promise of more to come. Lime citrus is dominant with elements of pear and rose water with long lingering acidity. A magnificent benchmark dry Riesling to be enjoyed now or with careful cellaring for the next ten years. Clare Valley, South Australia Wine has been flowing in the Clare Valley since 1851 and is an integral part of the culture. It is one of Australia’s most prestigious premium wine regions famous for its Riesling and Shiraz. A tiny area accounting for less than 1.5% of the total Australian production. With its beautiful rolling hills, ideal winter rainfall and Mediterranean climate, Clare Valley carries a unique history and winemaking heritage.
Availability:
Out of stock
Only 3 left
SKU
1091RV14
Huon Hooke 95 points The Real Review
"Light straw colour, a trace of toast starting to emerge. The wine is crisp and tangy with a grapefruit and lime zestiness. A very spritely finish and aftertaste, a delicious wine". 07 DEC 2015 Drink 2016–2026
Certain names resonate strongly within the halls of Australian wine history. Jim Barry is one such name. It was Jim Barry’s drive and community spirit that helped shape South Australia’s Clare Valley as a benchmark producer of world class Riesling and cemented its place as one of Australia’s premier wine regions.
Jim Barry Wines has a strong lineage. Jim himself was the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley, graduating with the 17th Degree in Oenology from the famous Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947. Working for 22 years as winemaker at the Clarevale Co-operative, Jim Barry became a pioneer of Australian table wine. He then went on to establish Taylors Wines in 1969.
Wife, Nancy, proved a driving force in the formation of Jim Barry Wines and sons, Peter, Mark & John were involved in the company’s rise. Peter Barry became managing director in 1985. Today Peter’s children Tom, Sam and Olivia work for Jim Barry Wines as winemaker, commercial manager and brand ambassador respectively. Current custodian’s, Peter & Sue Barry, are deeply proud that Jim Barry Wines is still family owned, with three generations of Roseworthy graduates.
The Barry family name is synonymous with the Clare wine region and their deep ties to the local community continue to this day.
“This micro batch super premium Riesling is the fruit of years of patience. We selected individual rows where the terra rossa and loam barely cover the deep limestone below. To guarantee the freshness of these precious grapes, we carefully picked batches to precisely fill our membrane press in the chill of night, and destemmed the bunches without crushing them.”
The story of Riesling in Australia is as old as the wine industry itself. The famed Florita Vineyard is synonymous with the classic grape variety and was established by Leo Buring in 1962. In 1986 the Barry family acquired the 80 acre property and began to write the next chapter in the famous vineyard’s history.
This wine expresses a pale straw in the glass with a slight green tinge with lifted aromatics of lemon, lime and citrus blossom. The palate displays powerful, pure fruit with great length of flavour. Citrus flavours abound. Tight, linear acidity holds the wine it great stead for the future. A magnificent benchmark dry Riesling to be enjoyed now or carefully cellared.
| Product/Service Sold Out | No |
|---|---|
| En Primeur | No |
| New Arrivals | No |
| Wine Type | White Wine |
| Wine Style | Traditional |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Clare Valley |
| Varietals | Riesling |
| Vintage | 2014 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
Write Your Own Review