The late Jim Barry was a pioneer of the Australian wine industry. Today the company is headed by Jim's second son Peter. Jim Barry Wines produces their estate wines from family owned vineyards in the Clare Valley and Coonawarra. The Amragh Shiraz, with The McRae Wood Shiraz, The Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon and the Florita Riesling are the super premium wines of the portfolio.

Wine has been flowing in the Clare Valley since 1851 and is an integral part of the culture. A small area, accounting for less than 1.5% of Australia’s total wine production, it is one of Australia’s most prestigious premium wine regions, most famous for its Riesling and Shiraz. With its beautiful rolling hills, ideal winter rainfall, and Mediterranean climate, the Clare Valley carries a unique history and winemaking heritage. The tiny village of Watervale (population 246), nestled at the southern end of the Clare Valley, is best known for its world-class Riesling, but it also produces exceptional shiraz. Our Watervale Shiraz is sourced from our estate vineyards in and around the village, where the cool nights and ancient soils contribute to a wine of lifted aromatics, fine tannins, and vibrant fruit.

This hand made wine is both complex and rewarding having no filtration prior to bottling to preserve the rich plum and spicy fruit flavours. All fruit was estate grown and sourced from low yielding, hand pruned and picked vines.

Wendouree Shiraz Mataro is deep in colour, has blackberry and liquorice core and hugely famous tannins. The wines from Wendouree are honourable wines - highlighting the connectivity of winemaker, traditional wine-making practices, regional characteristics and vineyard personality.

With plenty of blackberry, plum, mulberry and menthol-like fruit and fine, rusty, almost unyielding tannins, this is a strong, firm wine by Wendouree with plenty of lasting power. The Shiraz component derives from vineyard plots that include bush vine material. Parcels of very old vine Malbec bring further distinctiveness. The wine is vinified in open fermenters and matured for 12 months in new and used French oak.

The Jim Barry McCrae Wood is a fine example of the bold Clare Valley Shiraz style. Intense and concentrated, it is well worth putting away for five years at least!

Classic Clare strength and suppleness are hallmarks of this wine. Vibrant crimson, bursting with fruit and spice, and a soft lingering finish. We are sure you will love it, as we are over the moon about it!

In the glass: Medium to deep red. On the nose: Red berry, plum, leaf and earth. On the palate: Bright and ripe with an excellent core of red and black berry fruit, savoury, mouth-watering tannins and vibrant persitence. Will improve over the next year or so as the tannins become more silken.

VINEYARD: Fruit is sourced from 120-year-old dry grown Shiraz vines from Martin & Joan Smiths vineyard in the Polish Hill River. Grey loam acid soils over sandstone and slate make up the profile with much of the top soil littered with rock, hinting at just how tough the vines need to be to sustain growth and produce quality fruit - not to mention the work of the vigneron to ensure overall balance. Despite growing these vines organically since their planting in the 1970s, 2012 marked the first year of NASAA Organic Certification for these vineyards. VINIFICATION: Handmade in 2 and 4-tonne fermenters, the fruit is de-stemmed and fermented using natural yeast. Hand plunged up to 4 times daily to control temperature and maximise flavour and tannin extraction. Left on skins post fermentation for 15 days, then lightly pressed and transferred to French Oak barriques for 30 months.Only 630 x 6 packs produced. COLOUR: Deep dark red brick with a slight purple tinge. BOUQUET: Concentrated with blackberry spice with hints of chocolate and cedar. PALATE: Powerful Clare Valley Shiraz with rich mid-palate fruit with long grainy tannins, oak complexity and balance of acidity. FOOD MATCH: A delightful complement to strong cheeses and gamey meats.

A delicious modern Australian version of an old world classic. This is a full bodied wine with complex layers of flavour. At its core is rich blackcurrant, and dark cherry, beautifully melding with dark chocolate and hints of charry oak with supple underlying tannins. Overall a very generous, balanced and most enjoyable wine.