Jim Barry Watervale Shiraz is a medium-bodied delicious wine in an aproachable yet vibrant style. Minimal oak allows bright red fruits and gentle tannins to shine, creating a juicy, fresh character. On the palate, abundant blue and blackberry flavours meld with subtle violet undertones and hints of black pepper, lifted by seamless integrated oak. The wine is deliciously bright and fresh, with excellent structure and layered complexity that rewards closer inspection.

About the Producer

Certain names resonate strongly within Australian wine history and Jim Barry is one of them. It was Jim Barry’s drive that helped shape South Australia’s Clare Valley as a benchmark producer of world class Riesling and cemented it as one of Australia’s premier wine regions. Jim was the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley, graduating with a degree in oenology from the prestigious Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947. Founded in 1959, Jim Barry Wines is still family owned, with three generations of Roseworthy graduates. Jim’s son Peter became managing director in 1985 and today Peter’s children Tom, Sam and Olivia are the winemaker, commercial manager and brand ambassador respectively. Voted ‘2020 Winery of the Year' at the Halliday Wine Companion Awards, they produce highly acclaimed, award-winning wines.

Vineyard and Winery

The Watervale Shiraz is sourced exclusively from three Jim Barry estate vineyards: Morrison’s, McKay’s and Parish, all of which are located in the renowned Watervale subregion of the Clare Valley. Set on classic red loam over limestone soils, these sites produce Shiraz with bright, lifted fruit, vibrant acidity and fine, supple tannins. With an average vine age of 25-30 years, the resulting wine shows depth, purity and the distinctive elegance of Watervale terroir. Jim Barry Wines has a long-standing commitment to sustainability. Sustainable practices and initiatives have become integral to the grape growing processes at the estate, highlighting the family's dedication to preserving the environment and producing exceptional wines with a minimal ecological footprint.

The fruit was destemmed, but not crushed, and transferred into large 5-10-tonne opentopped fermenters with heading down boards, which submerged the cap, along with twice daily pump-overs. Fermentation started at 18°C, which gradually increased to 24°C to maintain fruit purity and freshness. Once fermentation was complete, the wines were left on the skins until the desired level of tannin was extracted. The wine  was pressed to tank to finish malolactic conversion. Maturation lasted 18 months, with 20% in new French oak, 40% in seasoned oak and the balance in tank.