Shiraz “The McRae Wood” 2017 – Jim Barry

The Shiraz The McRae Wood Jim Barry’s grapes were destemmed and crushed before being fermented in stainless steel fermenters with heading down boards, which submerged the skins in the fermenting must. This moderated the temperature of the ‘cap’ while gently extracting colour, flavour and tannins. Pump-overs were conducted twice a day with a rack and return once per day. Fermentation lasted for between 7 to 10 days before being pressed. Malolactic fermentation took place in a tank before the wine was racked to French oak where it was matured for 12 months.

In 1964, Jim purchased 28 hectares of prime land from Duncan McRae Wood and planted his first vineyard with Shiraz. It was an inspired choice of both grape variety and location. The vineyard is characterised by grey sandy topsoil over a clay subsoil. The vines are trained on a single cordon to promote an even canopy and provide optimal shade. The Clare Valley has a high diurnal temperature difference, the cool nights allow the vines to produce an elegant style of Shiraz.

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 winemakers, commercial manager and brand ambassador respectively. Voted ‘Winery of the Year’ by Matthew Jukes they produce highly acclaimed and award-winning wines.