Jim Barry Shiraz Clare Valley The Armagh 2016

99 points James Suckling: "Wow. This is a bold, brassy shiraz that carries a wealth of very intense aromas of ripe blackberries, dark plums, licorice and sweetly spiced earth. Still so very youthful and primary. The palate is so powerful, so mouth-filling and so, so juicy. This manages to deliver such intensity and composure. Supple, long and deep-set tannins and heroically expressive fruit. Really impressive now, but this will deliver much more over the next two decades. One of the finest releases to date. (4/12/21)"

99 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "This is a brilliant wine that makes you sit up and pay attention. Concentrated and mouthwatering with spicy liquorice root and black cherries. Needs a couple more years to fully open but already it packs a punch without being overpowering, and it achieves the feat of great wines where you simply know how good they are by how your palate responds to the effortless balance of tannin, juice and brambled fruit. Long ageing potential also. 3.5pH, 70% French oak, 30% American oak. From sandy gravel soils with full sun exposure meaning natural low yields of around 30hl/ha. Drinking Window: 2022-2040. (Aug 2020)"

97 points Joe Czerwinski (Wine Advocate): "My pick of the recently bottled vintages, the 2016 The Armagh Shiraz shows a bit more obvious oak (simply because of its youth) but also a wonderful taut tension between ripeness and acidity. The fruit here is a bit redder in profile, leaning more toward raspberries than blackberries, while still being fully ripe. Full-bodied and supple, it finishes cedary, intense and long, adding in complex, lingering spice notes. Drink: 2021-2040. (Feb 2020)"

96 points James Halliday (Wine Companion): "The Barry team extracts the maximum from the vineyard with a deft (14.2% alcohol) touch. It's savoury, earthy, its tannins are four square and ready, charred meat in another channel. It's utterly original, whether or not the family thought they could match Grange. To know the wine you don't have to love it, but you do have to respect it. Special. Closure: Screwcap. 14.2% alcohol. Drink by 2056. (Jan 2019)"

96 points Wine Spectator: "[$300 list] This has a stunning, intense mix of salted black licorice, black walnut liqueur, wild blackberry, bittersweet chocolate, cigar box and black cherry preserves that are plump and generous, but balanced with firm, dense tannins, fresh loamy earth and malty Assam black tea on the finish. Intense and harmonious, with a long, expressive finish, where a note of fresh mint lingers. Drink now through 2038. 40 cases imported. (3/1/23)"