Jim Barry - The Armagh - Clare Valley 2018

Wine Advocate

98 / 100

byErin Larkinthe9/15/2022

In the context of the four vintages tasted alongside each other here, the 2018 The Armagh Shiraz is the silkiest, the reddest fruited and the most compact. In my opinion, the best Shirazes/Syrahs in this country present (within a sensible ripening bandwidth) a complex array of both sweet and savory fruit characters, not as a result of too little hang time, or too much, but purely as a result of the interaction between the brine, the soil and the climate. This vineyard and this wine achieves that complexity. So here, while the fruit has a mellifluousness and a suppleness that make it insanely attractive, I would suggest waiting a little longer for this wine to gain the momentum that it surely will gain in another year or two. Equally, if you want to see the pristine, almost sparkling fruit on show, then buy two bottles and open one tonight. It is gorgeous. This was my favorite wine here today for its silky, delicate line of tannin and fruit. In perfect sync.

matthewjukes.com

19 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe9/14/2022

Silky smooth and extraordinarily perfumed with broad brush strokes of cinnamon and woodsmoke over a deep core of fruit, this is an unusually exuberant mulberry-soaked Shiraz with a huge finish, and it takes you to Clare, and this historic vineyard, in just one sip. This is a GPS wine like no other in this line-up, showing just how unique The Armagh is. 

The Wine Independent

95 / 100

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe8/24/2022

Deep garnet-black colored, the 2018 The Armagh Shiraz strides out with confident notes of stewed black plums, black cherry preserves, and Indian spices, followed by fragrant wafts of garrigue, peppered salami, and camphor with a lifted waft of roses. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and refreshing, delivering chewy tannins and loads of savory layers, finishing fragrant.

Decanter.com

100 / 100

byGeorgina Hindlethe7/5/2022

Jane Anson

98 / 100

byJane Ansonthe7/2/2022

Third year for The Armagh on the Place de Bordeaux, and it's an exceptional vintage, packed full of fragrant aromatics and plump, seductive, spiced and nuanced black cherry and damson fruit. Grilled sandalwood oak, firm tannins, plenty of black chocolate shavings, mandarin peel, the stone fruits edge of fully ripe Shiraz (almost as if it has been vinified with Viognier), tempered by sage and freshly cut rosemary herbs. This grabs you and stretches out through the palate. From a superb vineyard planted in 1968 by Jim Barry, with low yields of around 27hl/h (equivalent to less than two tonnes per acre), this is exceptional, with decades ahead of it. I suggest waiting a few years before opening, but the tannins are polished enough that you don't have to if you are prepared to give it a good long carafe. Made by Peter and Tom Barry. Sandy-gravel soils. 75% new oak, mainly 300l with a few 500l, unfined and unfiltered.

Jamessuckling.com

99 / 100

byNick Stockthe6/11/2020

This has attractive dark peaches, red cherries, blood oranges and really exotic fruit aromas with such an expressive nose that is swathed in fragrant spices. The palate has strongly defined dark plums and blackberries and mouthwateringly intense dark cherries. Super succulent and deeply flavored with silky, gently sinewy, young-tannin muscle. A great Armagh for sure. Try from 2028 and drink over the following two decades. Screw cap.
#7 in top 100 Australian wines 2020 & #29 in top 100 of 2020

Wine Advocate

95-97 / 100

byJoe Czerwinskithe2/13/2020

Blended and set to be bottled a month after my visit, the 2018 The Armagh Shiraz looks to be a near-repeat of the impressive 2016. It will be given three years in bottle prior to release, so it's still a few years out. That said, it combines luxurious notes of maple syrup with bright red berries in what sounds like a dessert, yet it maintains a sense of savoriness and drinkability. It's full-bodied, richly concentrated and velvety in texture, with a tremendously long, mouthwatering finish.