The Armagh, what an incredible and outstanding wine... certainly one for a special occasion. On the nose it is complex with intense aromas of rich dark fruit, sweet spice tangled in between the dark chocolate and dried herby notes that lead to a palate of concentrated dark fruit flavours. Fine tannins envelope the abundance of fruit. This wine has phenomenal power, length and poise.

Winemaker:
Certain names resonate strongly within Australian wine history and Jim Barry is one of them. It was Jim Barry’s drive that helped shape South Australia’s Clare Valley as a benchmark producer of world class Riesling and cemented it as one of Australia’s premier wine regions. Jim was the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley, graduating with a degree in oenology from the prestigious Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947. Founded in 1959, Jim Barry Wines is still family owned, with three generations of Roseworthy graduates. Jim’s son Peter became managing director in 1985 and today Peter’s children Tom, Sam and Olivia are the winemaker, commercial manager and brand ambassador respectively. Voted ‘Winery of the Year’ by Matthew Jukes they produce highly acclaimed and award-winning wines.

Vineyard:
The iconic 'Armagh' vineyard was named by the original Irish settlers who arrived in 1849 and called the lush, rolling hills after their homeland. In 1968, the vineyard was purchased by Jim Barry who planted it with Shiraz. Today these lowyielding vines
produce less 27 hectolitres per hectare. The soil is sandy gravel and receives an average rainfall of 600 millimetres per year. The vineyard lies on a northwest facing slope which acts as a natural sun trap, ensuring the fruit is always fully ripened at harvest time. The Clare Valley climate is continental with a high diurnal temperature difference, producing Shiraz with evenly ripened tannins and flavour.

2013 Vintage:
The 2013 vintage was characterised by very dry conditions throughout the growing and ripening seasons. Fortunately, the vines had good sub-surface moisture levels to draw on from plentiful winter rains and the fruit produced was in excellent condition.