Jim Barry - The Armagh - Clare Valley 2021

Jamessuckling.com

97

par James Suckling le 17/12/2024

This is deep, concentrated and wonderfully balanced with a full body but excellent freshness and energy. Aromas of black and blue fruits, orange peel, dried violets, star anise and coffee beans combine with a fine-grained yet solid and focused tannin frame. Long and intense. Drink or hold. Screw cap

matthewjukes.com

19,5

par Matthew Jukes le 18/09/2024

I am fortunate to have tasted a great many vintages of The Armagh, and this is one Aussie Shiraz that never disappoints. Often closed and brooding in its youth, there is always a benchmark Clare signature of wild herbs, baked earth, and desert florals hovering above the epic fruit. This 2021 vintage is no exception, and the fruit is nothing short of sensational. I cannot remember tasting a more expressive or, indeed, more elegant wine from this hallowed ground. It is the perfect expression of region, grape, vintage and site, and it rings true to Barry’s ethos of reaching for the stars with every wine they produce. In two words – ‘buy it’.

The Drinks Business

96

par Colin Hay le 31/08/2024

Clare Valley; 14% alcohol). Very menthol. Impressive. Dark berry fruits. Quite a well-defined structure, the parameters set very early by the brisk and grainy, grippy, engaging tannins. Very, very mentholated. Eucalyptus. The aromatic fireworks are carried onto the palate too. Layered – but thickly; more cashmere than silk. Grippy and pixilating tannins. There’s considerable density here but it always remains fresh. There’s also a luminous quality that will come through more with aging. For now it’s a little disguised by the tannic presence that criss-crosses as it pixilates the mid-palate.

Vinous

96

par Angus Hughson le 09/08/2024

The embryonic young 2021 Shiraz The Armagh shows exceptional purity, with waves of licorice and roasted spices backed by tarry mulberry, blackcurrant and inky aromatics. There is a strong tannic feel here but also a lightness of touch—stunning composure and length for a finesse-filled and beautifully integrated Armagh vintage. 96+

Decanter.com

98

par David Sly le 27/07/2024

A special vintage perfectly captures The Armagh Vineyard’s particular signature of heady wild herbs, powerful black fruits and rich red earth. Age makes a difference, as these Shiraz vines grown on three contoured rows within a north Clare site are now more than 50 years old; their deep roots contribute to the complexity of big-framed Shiraz that carefully balances muscle with elegance. It benefits greatly from winemaker Sam Barry applying gentler treatment in the winery; the wine is now matured in the more restrained ratio of 60% new oak in larger formats with lighter toasting. A big liquorice lift in the aromas supports a swirling palate that unfurls layers of dark chocolate, tobacco and nutmeg on a brooding foundation of rich berry compote. Bright acidity and firm tannin ensure great tension, as waves of bright red and purple fruit swirl all the way to the tail of this wine, where its character shines brightest. A gnarly blackberry grip and firm tannins hang tough on that tail, with determined persistence that suggests decades ahead in the cellar.

Wine Advocate

97

par Erin Larkin le 19/07/2024

The 2021 The Armagh Shiraz comes with the backing of the superb 2021 season that birthed it. Aromatically, the wine leads with charry oak and spicy black and red fruits: pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry and licorice. It smells succulent, ripe and plush, but it doesn't give the impression that it is bloated or heavyset. On the palate, the wine is everything we hoped it could be: mouthfilling, full-bodied, blanched and ripe. The fruit stays on the red end of the spectrum, while there is date, toffee apple, black peppercorns and a hint of prune through the finish. Dark chocolate, tobacco and star anise complete the picture. This is one of the very best Armaghs made to date, and it will be even better in time. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. 97+

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

97

par Jane Anson le 01/07/2024

Always a pleasure to get to know a new vintage of The Armagh, and this one kicks off with fragrant aromatics that really put emphasis on the violet and iris character of Shiraz, followed up by cassis fruit, liqourice and rosemary, and a kick of black pepper. 3.3ha of vines, winemaker Peter Barry, working with his brother Sam. Sandy-gravel soils. 75% new oak for ageing, mainly 300l with a few 500l barrels, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Decades ahead of it, but the supple tannins make it approachable now.