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. Mark and Peter Barry, who both attended Roseworthy Agricultural College, 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 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. The introduction of optical sorting machines, the transition from American to French oak maturation and a few technical refinements to protect wine stability are probably the major differences. From 2008 onwards, The Armagh begins to show more pure fruit definition, density and structural precision. The French oak folds into the wine, rather than sitting under it. Like all great wines, there is a natural evolution that takes place with the ageing of vineyards, the transition of generations, combined experience and contemporary outlooks. With winemakers Tom and Sam Barry at the helm, The Armagh has become the wine that their grandfather Jim Barry first imagined. It possesses a distinct regional voice and signature house style.
“SOMETIMES IT TAKES LONGER THAN A LIFETIME TO DO A LIFETIME’S WORK … NOW IT’S UP TO MY CHILDREN” Jim Barry
90 The Wine Journal – 2023
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