2017, Jim Barry 'The Armagh' Clare Valley Shiraz
Parker 96 (2022); Decanter 96 (2021); James Suckling 95 (2021); Halliday Wine Companion 96 (2020)
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At a glance
- Grape
- Shiraz 100%
- Region
- Clare Valley, Australia
- Alcohol
- 13.50%
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- Medium
- Tannins
- High
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Exceptional Longevity (15-50+ Years)
- Pairs with
- Red Meat, Lamb
Why this wine
The Armagh is one of the small group of Australian Shiraz that sit alongside Grange in reputation, from a single vineyard planted in 1968. This is the older of the two vintages here, with bottle age already working in its favour. Dense, powerful and built over decades.
Our advantages:
Description
How it tastes
Rich and complex, with layers of dark fruit, spice, and dark chocolate balanced by velvety tannins, power, and poise — a benchmark Clare Valley Shiraz of exceptional depth and finesse. Intense aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, mocha, and garden herbs with hints of aniseed and spice. Concentrated and refined, offering layers of black cherry, blackberry, and dark chocolate framed by mocha oak and supple tannins. The palate flows with power and grace, finishing long with spice and savoury complexity.
The producer
Few names resonate in Australian wine history as strongly as Jim Barry. As the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley, graduating from Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947, Jim Barry helped shape the region's global reputation for world-class Shiraz and Riesling. Founded in 1959, Jim Barry Wines remains family-owned and is now guided by the second and third generations: Peter Barry and his children Tom, Sam, and Olivia. Awarded *2020 Winery of the Year* by *Halliday Wine Companion*, Jim Barry Wines continues to craft award-winning, estate-grown wines with an unwavering commitment to quality and Clare Valley expression. The 2017 vintage began with record-breaking early-season rainfall, producing one of the slowest starts in over a decade. The Shiraz vines benefited from abundant soil moisture and a long, dry ripening period, developing rich colour, fine tannins, and elegant savoury balance typical of cooler years. Hand-harvested fruit was meticulously sorted, destemmed, and crushed before fermentation in small two-tonne open-top fermenters. Heading-down boards were used to submerge the cap, extracting colour and tannins gently. Pump-overs occurred twice daily, with a daily rack-and-return for aeration and integration. Fermentation lasted eight days, followed by malolactic conversion in oak. The wine was then matured for 16 months in 60% French and 40% American oak hogsheads to enhance texture and complexity.
Food and drinking
Good with red meat and lamb. Built for the long term — decades, if kept well. Serve at 17–18°C.
Contains sulphites. Information correct to the best of our knowledge at time of publication and subject to change according to vintage.