Vintages Release: January 5, 2019

• A warm start to spring and early bud break plus warm temperatures during growing season provided an early harvest of organoleptically ripe fruit and smooth, polished tannin for the following 2016 Jim Barry ‘The Barry Bros’ Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon. Fermented in stainless steel tank for seven to ten days, it was pumped over twice daily with rack and return once a day then pressed. It underwent malolactic conversion in tank then racked to French oak for maturation before bottling.

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Jim Barry ‘The Barry Bros’ Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Clare Valley, Australia $19.95 (632059) 14.0% alcohol
This value-packed, 60% shiraz/40% cabernet sauvignon blend hails from Clare Valley, a small, über-premium, cool-climate region in Australia. Lively, lifted aromas of red berry fruit, piquant spice, and floral notes abound on the nose of this medium-weight, nicely textured red. It rolls over the palate showcasing flavours of spice-infused, crunchy red fruit—currant, cherry and plum—robed in mouth-watering tang and supported by ripe, polished tannin. The finish is lengthy and balanced with ripe, juicy mulberry flavour and is lip-smacking good. It’s drinking well now, enhanced by a brief two-hour aeration/decant, and pairs well with grilled gourmet sausage, rich stew, steak and burgers. (Vic Harradine)