1999 Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz

One of Australia’s Classic wines. Totally opaque black purple colour. The nose presents one with a superb sniffing experience – heady aromas of chocolate, marzipan, vanilla and mocha emerge over layers of ripe spicy plums. Mouth filling palate, with dominant flavours of black pepper, plums and spice. Excellent length and persistence. Fine grained soft tannins, yet perfectly in balance, followed by a very long aftertaste of plum, spice and black pepper.
Cellar 5-8 years (2006-2010).
Alc/Vol 15%

RATING: 94/100

VALUE: XXXX/5

Additional notes sourced from Jim Barry.size>

The vineyard is called “Armagh” because the area in which it is situated was originally settled by the Irish and named after their homeland. The 8-acre vineyard was planted in 1968 and yields less than 1.2 tonnes per acre. The soil is sandy-gravel and receives an average rainfall of 24 inches per year. The Armagh has a reputation for excellence renowned throughout the world. Made from 100% Shiraz. Inky, dark red colour with purple hues. On the nose there are aromas of blackberries and vanillin oak with hints of clovey/nutmeg spice and savoury/smoky characters. The palate displays intensely concentrated dark cherry fruit, with velvety tannins, liquorice, spice and floral notes underpinned by a big structure. The rich fruit is balanced by maturation in 50% American and 50% French oak. Cellar 10-15 years.