Showing all 12 results

• White Wine

  2023 Watervale Riesling ’50th Anniversary Edition’, Jim Barry

  £1495

  Riesling lovers rejoice! It’s time to celebrate – 70’s style- as Jim Barry Wines commemorates 50 consecutive vintages of their popular Watervale Riesling with a limited-edition label.

  Located fifteen kilometres south of Clare township, the tiny village of Watervale is nestled in South Australia’s Clare Valley and is internationally renowned for the quality of its Rieslings.  Consistently awarded wine since its first release in 1974, the  Watervale Riesling is picked from select parcels of vines that achieve ripeness with naturally high acid levels

  Mouthwatering aromas of lemon, grapefruit juice, lime and white flowers combine with a lick of mineral, wet slate. Refreshing and intense, the generosity of flavour shows all the hallmarks of Watervale Riesling, perfectly balanced by zesty acidity.

  The Watervale Riesling grapes come from a special part of the famed Florita vineyard in Watervale, in the Clare Valley. The Mediterranean climate has a high diurnal temperature difference; the cool nights lead to the preservation of crisp natural acidity and delicate flavours. The vines are planted on south or east-facing slopes, which are best suited to Riesling as they are shielded from the hot northerly summer winds, instead they receive the cooler morning sun.

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• Red Wine

  2022 Barry Bros Shiraz, Jim Barry

  £1750

  The wines of Jim Barry are renowned throughout the wine world as icons of Clare Valley, voted ‘2020 Winery of the Year’ at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards they produce highly acclaimed and award-winning wines year in and year out.   Having some of the best vineyards in Australia also helps!   This 2017 Shiraz made by Tom Barry, the talented grandson of Jim Barry, has rich dark berried fruit character that is layered with hints of spice and violet. Great structure on the palate with elegant savoury tannins enveloping the fruit through to an everlasting finish.

  It’s an absolute bargain of a wine and illustrates why they won the James Hallidays Winery of the Year Award in 2020.

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• Red Wine

  2017 Shiraz ‘Watervale Single Vineyard’, Jim Barry

  £2250

  This 2017 Shiraz comes from a single-vineyard sourced from the Florita vineyard in Watervale.  The Shiraz block is planted on a gentle northwest facing slope that takes full advantage of Clare Valley climate.

  It is an opulent wine with expressive aromas of rich, bright red fruits that are supported by classic Clare Valley spice. Beautifully structured with fine savoury tannins and terrific length of vibrant fruit on the palate.  This is not your typical Clare Valley Shiraz!   The opulent nature of the wine could be due to winemaking that saw one-third of the grapes being co-fermented with 15% of whole bunch fruit to impart complexity and an aromatic lift to the wine.   The wine then went through malolactic fermentation (a process where tart malic acid in wine converts to softer, creamier lactic acid) before being transferred to oak barrels for 12 months of ageing.

  A terrific mouthful of wine!

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• White Wine

  2022 Assyrtiko, Jim Barry

  £2350

  This wine is a pale straw colour in the glass. Opens with lifted notes of rose water florals and pear. A generous palate packed with lemon butter and pear fruit. The palate has depth, with some chalky texture anchoring the generous and rich fruit and a drawn-out refreshing citrus finish. The wine has been praised for its similarity to its Greek counterpart and has great natural acidity with flavours of pear, apricot and apple.

  “I first tasted Assyrtiko in August 2006 while on holiday with my wife Sue on the Greek island of Santorini, the birthplace of the Assyrtiko grape variety. The crisp, acidic qualities reminded me of our Clare Valley Rieslings and yet it was a flavour I had not experienced before.  Intrigued with this newfound variety, I began the process of importing cuttings into Australia through quarantine. In August 2012 we planted Australia’s first Assyrtiko at our Lodge Hill Vineyard, a special and unique site treasured by my family and suited to this variety.  Our ten-year Assyrtiko journey has been fascinating and has enabled us to produce a wine which, I believe, is a true expression of the variety. I hope you find the flavours as interesting as I did in 2006.”   Peter Barry, Third Generation Family Winemaker.

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• White Wine

  2023 Riesling ‘Single Vineyard McKay’s, Jim Barry

  £2500

  JThis Riesling was sourced from the McKay’s vineyard in Watervale. South or east-facing slopes are best suited for Riesling as they are shielded from the hot northerly winds that can occur during summer and also receive the cooler morning sun. The soil in the McKay’s vineyard is clay over limestone, which is free draining. The Clare valley climate is continental with a high diurnal temperature difference with clear skies. The cool nights lead to the preservation of crisp natural acidity and delicate flavours.

  The wine displays minerality on the nose, with characters of crunchy green apples and wet slate. A firm acid line drives through the palate with lime, citrus and a mineral finish. It has a lush silky flow and a calming finish.

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  Great Wines

  White Wine

  2021 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

  £3350

  Jim Barry’s iconic and outstanding single-vineyard Riesling, The Florita, stands tall at the top of the tree for Clare Valley Riesling.

  Located fifteen kilometres south of Clare township in the tiny village of Watervale, Florita – Spanish for ‘little flower’ – comes from a famous Riesling vineyard planted to Palamino in 1946 for making Fino Sherry but was replanted to Riesling in 1962. This was the birthplace of Leo Buring Watervale Riesling and the Florita vineyards, where legendary winemaker John Vickery sourced his grapes for his great Watervale Rieslings of the 1960s and 1970s.

  The 80-acre vineyard was bought by Mark, Peter and John Barry in 1986. First released as the ‘Florita Riesling’ in 2004 by Jim Barry Wines, this micro-batch Riesling is made from grapes hand-selected from individual rows. Its best fruit comes from vines planted in shallow loamy soils and the vineyard has good air-drainage which alleviates the risk of frost. A wine with a reputation second to none for consistency and a true benchmark wine.

  The 2021 is a simply astonishing incarnation that Riesling lovers would be remiss to not have in their cellar. Drink 2027 – 2050 +

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• Red Wine

  2017 ‘The McRae Wood’ Shiraz, Jim Barry

  £3500

  This Shiraz honours the vision of pioneer Clare Valley winemaker Jim Barry. In 1964, Jim purchased 28 hectares of prime land from Duncan McRae Wood and planted his first vineyard with Shiraz. It was an inspired choice of both grape variety and location.

  This wine displays lovely red and purple tones in the glass.  Red and purple fruits carry onto the palate supported by a rich, earthy undertone and fine silky tannins giving the wine terrific structure, great length and persistent flavour.  Rich, vibrant aromas of blackcurrant and briary fruits with hints of vanillin oak and spice.

  Made using the ‘Jim Barry’ method and as such can be enjoyed upon release, but would equally benefit from cellaring to allow the wine to show some mature characteristics that come with age.

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  Great Wines

  White Wine

  2010 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

  £4500

  This legendary dry Riesling from Jim Barry has matured under optimum conditions and displays the complexities that fine Australian Riesling develops over time.

  The 2012 Florita Riesling has an ultra reserved pristine nose of lovely lifted kaffir lime leaves and musky, floral notes with a hint of fresh lemongrass. The palate is all about delicacy, power, finesse and
  balance, with a huge amount of length and structure coming from the natural acid backbone and the generosity of the lime citrus centred fruit.
  A magnificent cellar worthy Riesling.

  The Florita has an incredible story, and we urge you to read it below in the ‘Producer info’ section.

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  Great Wines

  White Wine

  2008 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry

  £5000

  This legendary dry Riesling from Jim Barry has matured under optimum conditions and displays the complexities that fine Australian Riesling develops over time.

  The Florita Story

  This story is best told by famous Australian wine writer, Huon Hooke and head of the Barry Family, Peter Barry who below tell the wonderful story of Florita…..

  It starts in 1946, just after the war, when Leo Buring bought land at Watervale and planted Pedro ximénez for sherry – the preferred wine of Australians at the time. He named the vineyard Florita, which is Spanish for ‘little flower’ – a reference to the sherry flor (or flower), the film of yeast that covers the dry flor sherry as it matures in its ullaged casks.  Public tastes shifted, table wine became fashionable, and in 1962 Buring’s winemaker John Vickery began to remove Pedro and plant riesling. “He started to make riesling (wine), which began to be seen as the future of Australian white wine,” says Barry. Indeed, Vickery and the Leo Buring brand became almost synonymous with riesling.   “In 1986 Philip Morris (the tobacco company which owned the Leo Buring brand at the time) had six years supply of riesling in its cellars, and no-one was drinking it – chardonnay was the new fashion. They decided to sell the Florita vineyard.

  My brothers and I went to the auction. I was 24.  Mum said ‘You’re not allowed to buy it’. She said we already had plenty of vineyards. We told Dad he’d better buy it, and that would let us off the hook.
  Southcorp (the precursor of Treasury Wine Group) owned the Florita trademark at the time, and although the Barrys began using the grapes immediately, they couldn’t use the name.
  “I had to wait eight years until the registration period was up, but then Southcorp renewed it for another 10 years, so I had to wait 18 years all told, and I registered the name Florita two days after it lapsed.

  Eighteen years is a long time to wait for a drink.”

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• White Wine

  2014 The Florita Riesling, Jim Barry – Magnum

  £5995

  There is nothing quite like a magnum for sharing and this iconic 2014 ‘The Florita’ Riesling from Jim Barry is just the ticket.

  This magnificent wine opens in the glass with delicate floral aromas of citrus blossom, rose water, lime citrus and hints of green pear.  A wine of immense drive and purity.  It shows the
  hallmarks of a youthful but restrained Florita with a promise of more to come. Lime citrus is dominant with elements of pear and rose water with long lingering acidity.
  A magnificent benchmark dry Riesling to be enjoyed now or with careful cellaring for the next ten years.

  The Florita Story – It starts in 1946, just after the war, when Leo Buring bought land at Watervale and planted Pedro Ximénez for sherry – the preferred wine of Australians at the time. He named the vineyard Florita, which is Spanish for ‘little flower’ – a reference to the sherry flor (or flower), the film of yeast that covers the dry flor sherry as it matures in its ullaged casks.
  Public tastes shifted, table wine became fashionable, and in 1962 Buring’s winemaker John Vickery began to remove PX and plant Riesling. “He started to make Riesling (wine), which began to be seen as the future of Australian white wine,” says Barry. Indeed, Vickery and the Leo Buring brand became almost synonymous with Riesling.

  “In 1986 Philip Morris (the tobacco company which owned the Leo Buring brand at the time) had six years supply of Riesling in its cellars, and no-one was drinking it – Chardonnay was the new fashion. They decided to sell the Florita vineyard.   My brothers and I went to the auction. I was 24.  Mum said ‘You’re not allowed to buy it’. She said we already had plenty of vineyards. We told Dad he’d better buy it, and that would let us off the hook.  Southcorp owned the Florita trademark at the time, and although the Barrys began using the grapes immediately, they couldn’t use the name.
  “I had to wait eight years until the registration period was up, but then Southcorp renewed it for another 10 years, so I had to wait 18 years all told, and I registered the name Florita two days after it lapsed.

  Eighteen years is a long time to wait for a drink.”

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  Great Wines

  White Wine

  2018 Wolta Wolta Clare Valley Riesling, Loosen Barry

  £7200

  The friendship between Ernst Loosen, of the Dr. Loosen Estate in Germany, and Peter Barry, of Jim Barry Wines, Australia, began in 1995 at the London Wine Fair. Forged out of mutual respect for the noble variety Riesling, this collaboration of ideas pays homage to the wine making techniques used by the Loosen family for generations, and the vineyard practices of the Barry family.

  The German-style Riesling made in Australia is called Wolta Wolta, (Aboriginal for ‘good water’) in honour of one the Barry family’s most significant and successful land purchases, which later became known as Lodge Hill. The Australian-style Riesling, made with grapes from the Erdener Treppchen Vineyard in Germany, is called Walhalla, (pronounced Valhalla) named after the majestic hall ruled over by Odin in Norse mythology.

  It was no simple task for an Australian winemaker to make a German-style Riesling and vice versa, but when each winemaker can draw on forty years of experience of their counterpart, the possibilities are genuinely intriguing, and even though Peter and Tom Barry were uncertain they could make such a different style of Riesling, they were delighted with the outcome.

  This project is not about sales. This is a project of passion, designed to test the skills, explore the possibilities, and hopefully, get people thinking about Riesling in a different way.

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• White Wine

  2017 Wolta Wolta Clare Valley Riesling, Loosen Barry

  £7200

  The friendship between Ernst Loosen, of the Dr. Loosen Estate in Germany, and Peter Barry, of Jim Barry Wines, Australia, began in 1995 at the London Wine Fair. Forged out of mutual respect for the noble variety Riesling, this collaboration of ideas pays homage to the wine making techniques used by the Loosen family for generations, and the vineyard practices…

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