2014 The Armagh Shiraz
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Tasting notes
Black cherry and raspberry fruit set the tone here, with intense spice, concentrated black chocolate, mocha and cloves. This is stunning, fresh, intense, plenty of lift, a ton of sage and freshly cut herbs, wrapped up in fine but plentiful tannins. Joyful, with a momentum that carries you from start to finish. A vintage that will age slowly and carefully. 70% French oak, 30% American oak for ageing. Tom Barry winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined.
Critic scores
Average Score
Tim Jackson MW, jancisrobinson.com
James Suckling
More reviews and scores
The 2014 The Armagh Shiraz that I have in front of me here is bottled under Stelvin. This is sensational: fresh, pert, meaty, savory, ferrous. It has a plump core of fruit in the mouth and is so beautiful, contained and restrained. "Away from rack and return, just sulfur on malo lees and topped," said winemaker Tom Barry. "Rack out at end of maturation period and to bottle." It's really gorgeous, supple and mid-weight. It has 14.1% alcohol and was matured for 16 months in 70% French and 30% American hogsheads (300 liter), 86% new and the balance one year old.
With its deep well of black-fruit, smoked-bacon and dry-earth aromas, this is an imposing and rich shiraz, but it has a stunning harmony of ripeness and fine tannins, the very long, plush finish wonderfully balanced and very complex. Drink or hold. Screw cap.
Deep black-ruby. Lifted, ripe raspberry, dusty earth tones, with an extra dimension of depth that the other Jim Barry reds don't have. Cinnamon, dried herb and subtle, meaty spice. Rich, dense raspberry palate fruit, velvet texture, with firm, very fine tannins. Salty, then a long, vanilla-cream finish. Top class. (TJ)
About the producer
Jim Barry is one of Australia’s legendary wine estates. Based in the Clare Valley, Barry was the region’s first qualified winemaker and pioneer of the valley, which has since become a benchmark region for Riesling, as well as being home to some of the world's finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.