I recently had a friend of mine for tea and he was kind enough to bring a bottle of the 2004 Jim Barry McRae Wood. It went very well with the prime beef fillet on offer from the cook that night so the following day I checked the Jim Barry website for info regarding the wine, however the website is being constructed.
I am aware at the top of the Jim Barry tree is the Armagh at over the $200 mark with the McRae Wood next in line. I am also aware the 2005 Lodge Hill was successful at a recent UK show (details unsure) and my friend who tells many tales quoted JH latest guide that for the price of the Armagh the McRae Wood offered better value for money at $50.
Onto my questions.....with many good wines available today is the McRae Wood a good buy at $50 as JH states to either drink or lay down?
Where does the Armagh fit into the premium end of town?
Do you have any JB or do you leave the label alone entirely?
Many thanks
Jim Barry
Hi richie32,
Welcome to the forum!
I had the 2003 McRae Wood the other night and it is an absolute beauty. It is one of my favourite wines at the moment. There was no Armagh produced in this year so all the fruit went into the McRae.
A winemaker friend of mine reckons the 2002 McRae Wood is one of the best wines he has tasted, a view which I think is supported by the winery (could be wrong though!).
Haven't tried an Armagh but for 200 bucks it would want to be something special...
P.S I am looking to buy some of the 2004 but didn't know it was available yet so could PM me where you bought it?
Cheers,
Tony
Welcome to the forum!
I had the 2003 McRae Wood the other night and it is an absolute beauty. It is one of my favourite wines at the moment. There was no Armagh produced in this year so all the fruit went into the McRae.
A winemaker friend of mine reckons the 2002 McRae Wood is one of the best wines he has tasted, a view which I think is supported by the winery (could be wrong though!).
Haven't tried an Armagh but for 200 bucks it would want to be something special...
P.S I am looking to buy some of the 2004 but didn't know it was available yet so could PM me where you bought it?
Cheers,
Tony
I bought 12 bottles of McRae Wood 2001 last year for $29.95. Damn lucky!
My ex left 11 bottles of The Armagh 1998 with me, and hasn't shown any interest in drinking it yet. I swear I hear it calling out my name sometimes. "Try me, try me"
Don't know what he paid.
Last year The Armagh 2002 was $150 mail order from the cellar door.
Cheers,
Maria
My ex left 11 bottles of The Armagh 1998 with me, and hasn't shown any interest in drinking it yet. I swear I hear it calling out my name sometimes. "Try me, try me"
Don't know what he paid.
Last year The Armagh 2002 was $150 mail order from the cellar door.
Cheers,
Maria
Last edited by Santa on Thu Sep 13, 2007 11:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
"I have made an important discovery... that alcohol, taken in sufficient quantities, produces all the effects of intoxication".
Oscar Wilde 1854-1900
Iconic Wines Distribution
Oscar Wilde 1854-1900
Iconic Wines Distribution
I went to a Divine tasting a couple of years ago now for a '98 vs '99 Vintage tasting.
Both the '98 and '99 Armagh we amongst the best in a very good line up. Both were almost black in colour and had tremendous fruit showing through but did not seem over the top. It almost made me go and get some but for me there are too many brillant wines that can be had for $70 or less so I passed.
I am pretty sure I have seen the McRae Wood for $35ish in the past but have never really jumped on it. Can be a very good wine.
Cheers
Popov
Both the '98 and '99 Armagh we amongst the best in a very good line up. Both were almost black in colour and had tremendous fruit showing through but did not seem over the top. It almost made me go and get some but for me there are too many brillant wines that can be had for $70 or less so I passed.
I am pretty sure I have seen the McRae Wood for $35ish in the past but have never really jumped on it. Can be a very good wine.
Cheers
Popov
Re: Jim Barry
richie32 wrote:I recently had a friend of mine for tea and he was kind enough to bring a bottle of the 2004 Jim Barry McRae Wood. It went very well with the prime beef fillet on offer from the cook that night so the following day I checked the Jim Barry website for info regarding the wine, however the website is being constructed.
That bottle of McRae Wood that you drunk just won a gold medal at the Perth Wine Show, so you were lucky to lay your hands on it considering it has only just been released.
Statements regarding the Armagh (from what I have heard from the winemakers):
This is one of not only Australia's finest Shiraz wines but the world's
The vineyard is cropped at about 1 tonne to the acre and the extraction rate due to the strange clone that they have in the vineyard is miniscule
Everything is done by hand in this vineyard as it is contoured to the adjacent river.
The fruit is hand sorted in the vineyard
The wine receives 100% new oak and around a 50:50 split of French and American
This may be up for debate, but in my view it is the best Shiraz wine that the Clare Valley produces.
The price really is not that extreme considering one of the top cuvees from Maison Chapoutier or Jean Louis Chave will set you back more than double this.
I like the wines and the fact that this winery not only produces top class Shiraz and Cabernet wines they have enviable position of making some of the finest Rieslings in the Clare Valley as well.
Re: Jim Barry
chuckles wrote:richie32 wrote:I recently had a friend of mine for tea and he was kind enough to bring a bottle of the 2004 Jim Barry McRae Wood. It went very well with the prime beef fillet on offer from the cook that night so the following day I checked the Jim Barry website for info regarding the wine, however the website is being constructed.
That bottle of McRae Wood that you drunk just won a gold medal at the Perth Wine Show, so you were lucky to lay your hands on it considering it has only just been released.
Statements regarding the Armagh (from what I have heard from the winemakers):
This is one of not only Australia's finest Shiraz wines but the world's
The vineyard is cropped at about 1 tonne to the acre and the extraction rate due to the strange clone that they have in the vineyard is miniscule
Everything is done by hand in this vineyard as it is contoured to the adjacent river.
The fruit is hand sorted in the vineyard
The wine receives 100% new oak and around a 50:50 split of French and American
This may be up for debate, but in my view it is the best Shiraz wine that the Clare Valley produces.
The price really is not that extreme considering one of the top cuvees from Maison Chapoutier or Jean Louis Chave will set you back more than double this.
I like the wines and the fact that this winery not only produces top class Shiraz and Cabernet wines they have enviable position of making some of the finest Rieslings in the Clare Valley as well.
And you wouldn't be associated with them in any way at all!
cheers
Carl
Bartenders are supposed to have people skills. Or was it people are supposed to have bartending skills?
Chuckles works in Clare at another winery and has no conflict of interest here.
FWIW, the Armagh has been the best wine come out of Clare for many years and now, the only credible competitor is the Oleary Walker Reserve.
The guff that Chuckles quoted is correct, Peter Barry told me all that information when I interviewed him a few years ago.
FWIW, the Armagh has been the best wine come out of Clare for many years and now, the only credible competitor is the Oleary Walker Reserve.
The guff that Chuckles quoted is correct, Peter Barry told me all that information when I interviewed him a few years ago.
