Third-generation Clare Valley winemaker Tom Barry knows what they say about family businesses being run by the third generation: “Shirtsleeves to shirtsleeves in three generations,” the old saying goes.
Business school studies disprove this rise-and-fall theory but Tom and his brother Sam are leaving little to chance to ensure the wine business started by their granddad Jim Barry in 1959 continues to thrive.
“You’ve got to keep looking forward, adapting to changes, working smarter with the great old resources we have,” Tom says.
The family’s vineyards are the heroes of a special offer from The Australian Wine Club featuring a trio of single-vineyard wines: a bright, juicy grenache from Watervale, a classic Clare shiraz and a Coonawarra cabernet dripping with dark fruit flavours.
Tom, a Roseworthy graduate in oenology like his grandfather and father Peter, took over as Jim Barry winemaker 11 vintages ago.
“I spent five years in the cellar and then Dad handed over the reins,” he says. “You feel a responsibility and a respect for what Grandpa and Dad have achieved – and that could be overwhelming – but you just try to focus on what you’re doing.
“At vintage, I try to concentrate on getting those one percenters right all the way through the process and you hope that adds up to something special.”
For Tom and Sam, who works as Jim Barry Wines’ commercial manager, the accent stylistically is on producing fresher styles of red, using a little less oak to elevate bright fruit and natural acidity.
“We try to make sure we understand what our customers are looking for and also keep working hard in our vineyards to look after the health of our soils,” Tom says.
It’s a philosophy that led to Jim Barry Wines being named by the Halliday Wine Companion as the 2020 Winery of the Year, one of the most prestigious awards in Australian wine. The family remains resolute in the belief that great wine is made in the vineyard and it has worked its own dirt since Jim purchased a 28ha grazing property in Clare in 1964 and planted it to cabernet, malbec and shiraz. That vineyard is home to Jim Barry’s celebrated The Armagh shiraz.
Nowadays, the family nurtures fruit from a portfolio of 17 vineyards covering 320ha in the Clare Valley and two vineyards covering 35ha in the Coonawarra – and Tom doesn’t shy away from the thrill of showcasing the terroir of different sites by releasing single-vineyard wines, such as the trio on offer below.
“We remain very much a family affair – there’s always a family member present to taste when we’re doing our blends,” he says. “We can say that pretty much every bottle has come across one of our palates.”
The Barry family vineyards are the heroes of this special offer.
Jim Barry Single Vineyard McKay’s Clare Valley Grenache 2022
From 25-year-old vines in Clare Valley’s Watervale region. Intense aromas leap from the glass: strawberry, raspberry, hints of candy floss. Light to medium palate weight with tangy raspberry and redcurrant flavours and a dusting of vanilla and spice. Soft, crisp and clean. Modern Aussie grenache, take a bow. 13.5% alc; RRP $35 a bottle.
SPECIALS $23.99 a bottle in any dozen; $23.99 a bottle in Jim Barry dozen.
Jim Barry Single Vineyard Eastern Ranges Shiraz 2021
From a vineyard sitting 500m above sea level and purchased by Jim Barry in 1977. Classic Clare shiraz aromas of plum and blueberry, with hints of violet, rhubarb and cinnamon. Soft tannins frame the fresh fruits on the palate, with pleasing acidity carrying through to a fresh finish. Easy drinking. 14.2% alc; RRP $35 a bottle.
SPECIALS $23.99 a bottle in any dozen; $23.99 a bottle in Jim Barry dozen.
Jim Barry Single Vineyard Kirribilli Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Textbook Coonawarra cabernet: cassis and pencil-shaving aromas are quickly joined by blackcurrant, blackberry, vanilla, licorice and later a hint of mint. Juicy, medium-bodied palate of blackberry, blueberry and blackcurrant flavours coursing to a lingering finish. From a late-ripening vineyard near Penola. 14% alc; RRP $35 a bottle.
SPECIALS $23.99 a bottle in any dozen; $23.99 a bottle in Jim Barry dozen.
JIM BARRY DOZEN Four bottles of each wine above for $23.99 a bottle. SAVE $132
Order by simply clicking the links to our online store or telephone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm AEST. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550. Stockhead is partnering with The Australian Wine Club on this offer.
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