2012 Jim Barry Shiraz The Armagh

The 2012 Shiraz The Armagh was bottled 60% under Stelvin and 40% under cork. This is bottle I'm tasting from is Stelvin. There is quince and raisin on the nose and in the mouth here. It's really delicious, with soft eating-licorice on the mid-palate. Note of ferrous and blood plume through the wine. There is peat and lichen too, along with freshly turned earth; I love the middle palate through to the finish, which is particularly good. It has a tight finish and is the lowest in alcohol (13.7%) of the lineup, from the cool year that was 2012. It matured for 20 months in 60% new French and 40% new American hogsheads (300 liter). It's hard to imagine that this will do anything other than age exceptionally gracefully.

This is a delicious glass of ripe shiraz, but there’s a hint of caramelized plum in the nose, and on the richly textural palate there’s a hint of warmth. Just a tad too much of a good thing and therefore maybe not well suited to long aging. Drink now. Screw cap.

Opaque, bright-rimmed ruby. A complex array of ripe dark fruits and pungent flowers take on suggestions of vanilla, clove, star anise and roasted coffee. Broad and alluringly sweet on the palate, offering deeply concentrated cassis, cherry liqueur, spicecake and mocha flavors that show impressive energy for their heft. Delivers outstanding clarity and spicy drive on an extremely long, sweet finish that features velvety tannins and lingering smokiness.