| Producer | Jim Barry Wines |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | South Australia |
| Subregion | Clare Valley |
| Varietal | Shiraz |
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Sku | U1011242 |
| Size | 750ml |
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*This vintage is almost universally rated 97–100 points, placing it among the elite of Australian Shiraz.
2018 marked the 50th anniversary of planting Shiraz in The Armagh Vineyard, and the winery considers this vintage among the best. It has all the classic hallmarks of this flagship wine: plush fruit, structural richness, and the “shock of tannin” that characterises Clare Valley Shiraz. The Armagh has held a top ranking (“Exceptional”) in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine, reflecting its stature as one of Australia’s most collectible red wines.
A meaty, savoury, spiced nose, something so welcoming about it, warm and friendly with a touch of perfume, dark chocolate, cinnamon and pink peppercorn to the blackcurrant, damsons and plums. Rich, ample and generous, yet delivered with such supple and velvetysoft tannins. This has an elegance to it, a cool sophistication in terms of the profile - neat and tidy, quite linear right now, brimming with energy, not yet fully expansive or loose, but quietly controlled and calm. It’s confident though with invigorating acidity and I love the focus, detail and the purity of fruit. Sweet red fruits - strawberries, raspberries and red cherries with a slight balsamic, pomegranate edge that is so delicious. Juicy, crunchy, succulent and ripe but with an effortless edge to it. Supremely drinkable and likeable - what a gorgeous wine! A quality vintage and excellent winemaking skill on show. —G.H.
The explosion of black and blue berry aromas with a dazzling interplay of fruit and oak takes your breath away. Very concentrated and compact, but not a jot too heavy at 13.8% alcohol. The incredibly fine tannins provide an extremely sensual texture, yet everything is precisely balanced at the super-long finish. The best ever Armagh!
Silkiest and reddest-fruited among top vintages, with complex sweet and savory character.
