“Sometimes it takes longer than a lifetime to do a lifetime’s work … now it’s up to my children” Jim Barry
Jim Barry’s ambitions to make a wine that defined the Clare Valley were inspired by his experience, friendships and sense of belonging. Although the Armagh style has evolved through three generations, it is indelibly linked to vineyard site, traditional winemaking techniques and succession. Peter Barry, who attended Roseworthy Agricultural College, and his brother Mark, brought new technical skills and ambitions during the early 1980s and enabled their father’s vision. The references for an ultra-fine shiraz at this time were few and far between. Wendouree Shiraz was highly regarded by locals, but its fame only spread during the 1990s when the secondary wine market developed into a nation-wide market. American-oak-matured Penfolds Bin 95 Grange by then was considered by everybody as the reference Australian First Growth. For instance, the first full collection of Penfolds Grange was sold at Sydney in 1986 (without the 1951 vintage). Over the next 10 years, its trajectory in the secondary wine market was astonishing. The single- vineyard Henschke Hill of Grace followed the same arc of success in the 1990s. Jim Barry The Armagh started to hit its straps in the 2000s, during a transition period. The retirement of Mark Barry in 2002 provided Peter Barry and his sons Tom and Sam, who joined the business in 2010 and 2011 respectively, the opportunity to continue the dream. Although The Armagh style remains true to Jim Barry’s original vision, advances in viticulture, winemaking and sustainable practices have seen refinements and new outlooks.
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The Vintage Journal – Verticals
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