2015 Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz, Clare Valley

A cooler, later and mellower vintage that has a more reticent nose with attractive, fragrant spices, fresh-baked pastry and an array of dark cherries and red plums, as well as some tarry notes. The palate has a big, rich and intense fruit presence with such lusciously layered, dark-plum flavors. Spicy oak runs bold on the finish. A big wine. Try from 2025 and for two decades after that.

96 points jamessuckling.com

Strong barrel ferment aromas lead off, scenting this fully flared wine with deli meats and smoked backstop aromas. Then the fruit: blue and black allusions all. Anise, clove, cardamom and vanilla-cased oak. Lots. Yet while it confers a guideline to the riot of fruit and warmth, it is nestled within the ensemble rather than smothering it. The tannin management: creamy and luxuriant, yet authoritative, is this wine's focal point.

95 points Ned Goodwin MW winecompanion.com.au

The current release 2015 The Armagh Shiraz is the biggest of the recent bottlings of this icon. Full-bodied, dense and rich, it takes concentrated blackberries and boysenberries, then frames them in oak spice and maple syrup, yet it remains somehow savory and dry. The tannins are supple on the mid-palate, then firm on the finish, accented by crisp acids.

It was nearing the end of the day when I pulled up in front of Tom Barry's country home for a tasting of his family's wines. A long-time Clare Valley stalwart, Jim Barry now farms 330 hectares of its own vineyards but continues to buy in fruit for some of its labels. The range of wines offered is traditional in focus, with much of the attention on Riesling and Shiraz, but there are exciting developments within and outside those varieties. A joint venture with Germany's Ernie Loosen has released two vintages of fuder-aged Riesling. Assyrtiko, first released commercially in 2016, has proven to be a hit. "It's Riesling-esque, with more texture," said Barry. To date, he said there's been no need to acid-adjust it. Ten percent is barrel-fermented, and the balance is made in stainless steel, with six weeks on gross lees. We also looked at five vintages of The Armagh, Jim Barry's flagship Shiraz. Fans have a lot to look forward to, if they can stand the cost—the 2015 sells for $340 (Australian) at the cellar door. And I'd be willing to bet subsequent vintages won't be released at lower prices. Finally, there's another icon wine in the works. Jim Barry's 2016 The James, based on Cabernet Sauvignon (with a bit of Malbec), should be released this year or next after several years of bottle age. Like the Shiraz, it takes a balanced approach, neither overripe nor over-extracted, with an appealing blend of fruity and savory characteristics.

95 points Joe Czerwinski robertparker.com Feb 2020