2025 Jim Barry Assyrtiko, Clare Valley

A shag on a rock for a variety and producer in Australia, but jeez, the incremental excellence year-on-year suggests no resting on laurels. It's a brilliant, textural white wine here, flamboyant with jasmine florals, lime, sea spray, faint cashew nut savouriness, pink grapefruit, a thread of aniseed and dashes of salt bush. Gently chalky texture, good extension of flavour, refreshing, too. Very good.

94 points Special Value Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au

Jim Barry Assyrtiko from the Clare Valley is one of Australia’s most exciting white wines, a groundbreaking project that has become a reference point for Assyrtiko outside its native Santorini. The Barry family planted the first commercial Assyrtiko vines in Australian soil in 2012 after years of working directly with Greek growers, and the variety has thrived in Clare’s elevated, sun drenched valleys. The vineyards sit on ancient terra rossa, gravel and clay loam soils over limestone, giving the wine its piercing acidity, mineral drive and remarkable tension. The region’s warm days and cool nights help the grapes ripen slowly, building citrus power while retaining the electricity that defines true Assyrtiko.

The winemaking is precise and minimal. Grapes are hand picked in the cool of morning, whole bunch pressed and fermented at low temperatures in stainless steel to preserve clarity and structure. A small portion sees older oak or time on lees depending on the vintage, adding subtle texture without softening the wine’s backbone. The style is deliberately pure, bright and tightly wound, echoing its Greek roots while expressing the lift and freshness of Clare Valley fruit. Jim Barry has become the leading voice for Australian Assyrtiko thanks to this exacting approach.

In the glass the wine shines pale straw with green highlights. The nose is vibrant and coastal in feel with lemon zest, lime leaf, green apple and grapefruit zest woven through crushed seashell, white florals and a gentle herbal lift. As it opens, notes of saline minerality, warm stone and subtle fennel echo the grape’s Mediterranean origins while maintaining Clare’s cool climate clarity.

The palate is taut, racy and beautifully chiselled. Sharp citrus flavours of lemon, lime and grapefruit glide over a firm mineral spine with zesty acidity that feels almost tidal in its energy. A fine chalky texture runs through the mid palate, balanced by hints of green apple, white peach, light herbal tones and subtle saline notes. The finish is long, clean and mouthwatering with lingering citrus brightness and a distinctive mineral snap. This is a wine built for seafood and sunshine, but it also has the structure to age for eight to twelve years, developing waxy, smoky and honeyed complexity.

Pair it with oysters, prawns, grilled octopus, fish and chips, Greek salads, tzatziki, lemon chicken, sashimi, tempura vegetables or fresh goat cheese. Its acidity and salty edge make it incredibly versatile and refreshing.