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It would be difficult to imagine two more different places: The town of Armagh, sitting amongst green fields in Northern Ireland—a centerpiece for culture and religion—and the isolated rolling, occasionally rugged, hillsides of outback South Australia and the Clare Valley. Yet for early Irish settlers almost 200 years ago, a small untamed corner of Clare Valley, which they christened “Armagh,” offered hope for a better life. Vines followed soon after. The Armagh name has proven to be prophetic, as it is now home to one of Australia’s premier vineyards.
Today, 5,100 hectares are planted in the Clare Valley, a diverse region with elevations ranging from 200 to 600 meters. Located close to an hour’s drive north of the Barossa and half its size, Clare Valley is defined by seasons that take a distinctly more continental turn, with cooler nights and warmer days than in its more famous southerly neighbor.
Clare Valley is the country’s red center and where ocean influences collide. Cool maritime breezes rip up through gullies and valleys from the south, tempering the prevailing heat mass from central Australia that can see temperatures drop from 40 degrees to single figures in a day during the growing season. This dramatic climatic tension, combined with a diversity of sites, allows Clare Valley to grow both fine and detailed Riesling in some areas and deeply flavored Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon in others. But, this is not the openly expressive typical South Australian Shiraz style—the best are composed, intense and brooding wines with a quiet confidence and distinctive slaty/graphite tones.
More than in other regions, choosing the right site is extremely important in the Clare Valley due to the wide variety of soils and the challenging climate, especially during hot, dry summers (although recent vintages have been relatively mild). Water is regularly scarce, providing a generally low disease risk. Shallow, impermeable bedrock is also common, inhibiting deep root growth. A fine balance is required, with the best sites offering both good water availability and drainage and nearby natural waterways proving highly advantageous.
The Armagh Vineyard is just northwest of the town of Clare. There are other exceptional sites in the Clare Valley, most notably the iconic and highly individual Wendouree, planted in 1896, and Penfolds’ Botanic Vineyard. But The Armagh has most successfully transitioned from an Australian benchmark into a wine with significant international appeal. This is the result of an evolution in investment, winemaking and viticultural style, as well as an uplift in the Barry family’s aspirations to craft wines for a global fine wine market.
Jim Barry originally planted The Armagh Vineyard with Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec before adding five hectares of Shiraz in 1968 with cuttings from Wendouree. Cabernet/Malbec blends are a local specialty, and readers can expect to see more from the Barry family. The vineyard sits at 400 meters in elevation on a gentle northwesterly slope that runs down to a small creek. Alluvial, free-draining soils with pebbles and gravel mix with sand and clay that is low in fertility. This is perfect for the region when combined with the nearby natural watercourse, helping to control yields and avoid stress in even the most challenging vintages. The Shiraz vines' first summer (in 1968/1969) was a hot one, and hand-watering was indispensable for the young vines. Jim Barry filled up a couple of 44-gallon drums at home before transporting them two kilometers to the vineyard—a slow and laborious process that ensured its survival.
The genesis for The Armagh Shiraz was a trip to Bordeaux in 1983, where Barry hatched a plan to create an icon from the finest family-owned site. Early vintages from the vineyard had been used for Port, which was not unusual at the time, but even then, at less than twenty years of age, The Armagh plot had distinguished itself as a premier source of fruit.
Nineteen eighty-five marked the first year of The Armagh Shiraz. Early releases mirrored the zeitgeist of the times for big South Australian Shiraz. However, they largely avoided the excesses of oaky notes and alcohol. Intensely flavored, ripe fruit was picked at high but not extreme Baumé (Brix) before a short, sharp ferment in stainless steel at 22 degrees and long maturation in new American oak, generally between 16 and 18 months. While sweet American oak often dominated these wines in their youth, they did generally come into better balance over time, with increasingly sensitive winemaking all around in recent vintages, helping to elevate consistency and quality.
The Armagh remains solely crafted from the original 1968 plantings, with 50% or less of the harvest selected for the final bottling, thanks to a barrel classification. Yields are also small at two tons per acre, with the associated low juice-to-skin ratio holding the keys to the overarching style. Since 2010, there has also been a much greater effort in the vineyard to improve soil health and water retention through the use of mulches, composts and perennial cover crops. Vineyard sorting was also only introduced in 2014 to drop out overripe fruit, providing a more even ripeness without any jammy or Porty characters, lowering average alcohols from 15% to under 14% since 2010, with optical sorting now routine.
Generational change has seen Tom Barry take over the winemaking from his father, Peter, with new perspectives and a more modern viewpoint on quality. Winery updates started in 2006. Since 2008, Barry has added new one-ton fermenters, also allowing better hands-on treatment of small parcels to maximize quality. Thankfully, the oak influence has been pulled back, with American oak first reduced and then eliminated by 2017. High toast Burgundy barriques have been replaced by lighter toast hogsheads, which are now only 60-70% new. Together, these changes are allowing the vineyard and vintage to express themselves better while also removing rustic imperfections through an increase in fruit consistency and, in turn, quality. Top vintages of The Armagh have always been exceptional, but ironing out the kinks over the last two decades has elevated this wine.
– Angus Houson
June 2024
The embryonic young 2021 Shiraz The Armagh shows exceptional purity, with waves of licorice and roasted spices backed by tarry mulberry, blackcurrant and inky aromatics. There is a strong tannic feel here but also a lightness of touch—stunning composure and length for a finesse-filled and beautifully integrated Armagh vintage.
The 2020 Shiraz The Armagh is an excellent result for the vintage. It has an appealing, open-knit upfront generosity as it offers up aromas of baked earth and mulberry, topped by black slate with a touch of gum leaf. Fine oak treatments keep everything in place. This is an energetic young Armagh thanks to tangy acidity, which provides flavor impact before building fleshy textures up to a strong and complete finish. The 2020 is already approachable but has a long future ahead.
The 2019 Shiraz The Armagh is a beast, with profound aromas of tar, black olive and olive leaf supported by rich veins of coffee-like oak. Bold, voluptuous and expressive, there is an exceptional density of flavor here. Syrupy textures combine with a firm bed of chewy tannins to generate a long, hearty finish. This is a young stallion that will go the distance.
The world-class 2018 Shiraz The Armagh has the potentially perfect mix of raw power, style and structure. It radiates fruit pastille, cassis, clove, violet and granitic aromas, with toasty oak providing a solid canvas. Tight, focused and beautifully composed, there is exceptional underlying energy to the waves of flavor. A strong seam of drying tannins supports the sustained, savory finish. Just brilliant.
From the 2017 vintage, this plumper and riper expression of Shiraz The Armagh offers up plush aromas of dark chocolate, mulberry and blackberry laced with black pepper spice and coffee-scented oak. Generously proportioned flavors of blueberry and fruit compote are lifted by bright acidity in what is a relatively approachable overall package. Pliable tannins will ensure enjoyable drinking over the medium term.
Deeply colored and flavored, the full-throttle 2016 Shiraz The Armagh delivers a rich and impressive core of blackberry, chocolate, blueberry, cloves, earth, eucalypt and dried spices wrapped up in a cloak of oak. Immense fruit concentration follows with a freight train of sweet oak and immaculately balanced drying tannins, building up to a massive finish. The 2016 is big and deeply expressive.
This classically styled 2015 Shiraz The Armagh shows the region’s savory side with its breathtaking combination of sage, pepper and earth set against a backdrop of cherry compote and well-integrated oak. Beautifully mid-weight, the vibrant and spicy flavors are reserved and intriguing, while an upwelling of fine yet firm tannins adds substance. The 2015 is poised and beautifully pitched, with seamless balance to enjoy over the next two decades.
The compact and muscular 2014 Shiraz The Armagh shows an impressive density of dark fruits matched by brooding complexity. It opens with a rich tapestry of blackberry and blueberry fruits, with a generous dusting of Italian herbs, aged meaty notes, white pepper, earth and sweet oak. It's already beautifully approachable, with loose-knit tannins to underscore rich veins of flavor and an exceptionally long, sustained finish. This is stunning and certainly possesses the integrity to hold over the long term.
The 2013 Shiraz The Armagh immediately draws you in with a wild mix of violets, peppermint, sage and Australian garrigue over a blackberry backbone, which provide an intriguing but delicious introduction. It then tightens up, with firm claret tannins and chalky acidity adding tension to this youthful and lengthy package. Dark berry flavors retain their composure throughout. The 2013 is serious and impressive.
The 2012 Shiraz The Armagh is a more restrained expression, offering up ample layers of cassis and blackcurrant with a lining of herbs and earthy details. Developed tones then rise up, with flavors of baked earth and green olives against a backdrop of silky tannins. This is drinking well, but I don’t see it getting any better.
Despite its age, the benchmark 2010 Shiraz The Armagh is still far from peak and just starting to unwind. Its deep crimson color and immaculate package opens with inky, warm slate and sweet berry compote aromas. now lifted by complex beef stock and dark, earthy tones. The 2010 possesses fantastic overall integrity, with dense tannins and tarry/black olive flavors wrapped tight to deliver a firm finish of extreme length. This edition of The Armagh promises a long and distinguished future.
This unashamedly big but balanced 2009 Shiraz The Armagh is full-throttle from the get-go, with brawny blackberry, black olive and mulberry fruits laced with ironstone and red earth. The 100% new French and American oak is perfectly at home here. A big upfront hit of flavor follows before mellowing into chocolate- and licorice-accented richness. The 2009 is close to peak but sure to hold for some time to come.
The fantastic 2008 Shiraz The Armagh is a bull at the gate, displaying dense and muscular aromas of blackberry, chocolate and coal dust with a slaty minerality. Tightly packed and energetic flavors follow with well-matched, chewy T-Bone tannins. It concludes with a picture-perfect finish, showcasing superb power, weight and length.
The quite developed 2007 Shiraz The Armagh displays fleshy red cherry aromas, now topped by toasted spices and red earth laced with iron. Plump flavors are almost overshadowed by firm, drying tannins, suggesting the 2007 is best enjoyed sooner rather than later.
The 2006 Shiraz The Armagh is a bit of a monster, but in a good way. Big, decadent aromas of chocolate, blackberry and licorice are well matched to caramel-tinged oak. While generously ripe, there is also plenty of classic Clare character, with coal dust and dark earthy tones offsetting its ripe core of flavor and deeply set tannins. A long, strong finish is icing on the cake.
The 2005 Shiraz The Armagh is a finer expression, offering good power and delicacy with berry and dark cherry tones that are a little shy against a backdrop of sweet oak. Fresh and vibrant with jubey/fruit pastille flavors, it lacks the characteristic weight and impact of the best vintages.
The 2004 Shiraz The Armagh is a superb effort. It's a wine of its time but also delivers in every way, despite weighing in at over 15% alcohol. Deep ruby in the glass, lashings of blackberry compote, licorice, chocolate and black earth provide a punchy opening. That continues with luscious layers of black fruits (some dried), also enhanced by layers of black olive and dark chocolate. Tannins are now pliable and support a finish of extraordinary length. Decadent and delicious.
The 2002 Shiraz The Armagh is a more elegant but still delicious expression than usual. It delivers finely tuned blackberry and mulberry aromas with a dusting of violets, dried spices and dark earth tones. Medium in weight, fleshy, bright, streamlined and energetic, it reveals supple, fine tannins and a silky mouthfeel before a lingering, subtle and harmonious finish.
The charming 2001 Shiraz The Armagh is just holding on, presenting with mature fruit pastille and cooked raspberry aromas dusted with mixed spices. Leathery tones are prominent atop a silky core of flavor and fine tannins. While attractive today, the 2001 is best enjoyed soon.
The mature but still vibrant 1999 Shiraz The Armagh radiates blackberry, cherry compote, Australian bush and peppery notes, with the oak just a little prominent. It's at peak thanks to a beautifully supple and evocative palate, with fine tannins supporting a long, savory and complex finish. The 1999 is excellent and has plenty of staying power.
The weighty 1998 Shiraz The Armagh+P15 is a wine of the times, with decadent although developed aromas of chocolate, blackberry and dried fruits. Overall, the feel is heavy, soft and lacking in shape, but it will hold on for a little while longer.
The firm and compact 1997 Shiraz The Armagh is in excellent shape for its almost 30 years of age, delivering a mix of leathery cedary tones underpinned by well-concentrated, just-ripe blackberry. It's a little rustic, with a slightly firm edge to the tannins. Even if a bit understated, its excellent overall integrity suggests it will hold that impressive shape for some time to come.
The fully mature, full-flavored 1996 Shiraz The Armagh offers up layers of plush mulberry and cherry jam aromas, with a generous serve of farmyard and a dusting of black pepper. Tannins are now fully integrated, delivering a seductive velvety texture while retaining admirable overall brightness and freshness. The 1996 is in a good place now and for a little while longer.
The distinctive, claret-styled 1995 Shiraz The Armagh impresses with its well-packed core of fruit and brooding aromas of stone, tar and earth. A rich layer of sweet dark fruit stands in support. The 1995 is immaculately composed as pliable yet firm tannins wrap around layers of dark, spicy flavor, holding its line over a lengthy finish. This is not a flashy vintage, but it's very satisfying.
The rich and developed 1994 Shiraz The Armagh is in peak condition, boasting reserved mulberry aromas that are now matched by a strong serve of secondary baked earth, tobacco and dried sage complexity. It's richly textured, soft and welcoming, with a gentle grip over a lengthy finish. While just starting to fade, the 1995 will remain attractive until 2030.
The now fully developed 1993 Shiraz The Armagh is still drinking well but starting to fade, presenting cedary roasted meat aromas against a backdrop of black olive and carob. Supple textures lead the way before a drying, lightweight finish concludes with wafts of aged meat and spice.
The commendable 1992 Armagh has retained an impressive level of fruit, with aromas of blackberry and mulberry topped by hints of old leather and spice. Fleshy textures are punctuated by a twist of fine tannins, which are holding this wine at peak. It will rest there for another four or five years before a slow decline.
This quite superb 1991 Shiraz The Armagh is mature but retains its streamlined shape and balance. An array of complex mulberry, dark cherry, toasted coconut and iron stone aromas gently rise from the glass. Silky and finely detailed, its well-integrated tannins hold all the pieces together over a lingering finish. This is peaking now, but drink up.
The 1990 Shiraz The Armagh delivers a masterclass in power and subtlety, although there is nothing shy about it. It pours a deep crimson color with lots of life, opening with a powerful service of dark cherry aromas topped by touches of violet, spice, berry compote and red earth tones. Muscular tannins are still very much intact and well matched to hearty layers of chocolaty blackberry flavor, driving toward a lengthy finish. The 1990 is a little rustic but drinking beautifully, with plenty to look forward to over the coming years
The 1989 Shiraz The Armagh, now 35 years old, is hanging in there and retaining vibrancy, possessing supple red cherry and raspberry aromas in an elegant frame. The palate takes on a more savory feel with earthy, spicy tones, maintaining overall freshness before winding down over a long, silky finish.
The 1987 Shiraz The Armagh is on the downward trajectory but still offers plenty, with dense, sweet aromas of blackberry, licorice and dried herbs now slightly overshadowed by prominent American oak. Juicy dark berry flavors provide an attractive opening before oak tannins dry out the angular finish.
In its impressive inaugural vintage, the 1985 Shiraz The Armagh is highly complex and worth tracking down. It displays a remarkable volume of cocoa, mulberry, dried spices and earthy tones, showing some age but also retaining genuine vitality. Full-flavored and generously textured, it retains commendable balance through to a long, strong and spicy finish, complimented by a twist of fine-grained tannins.
