2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros. Red Blend, Clare Valley, Australia
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
“Just as the two previous generations brought new and innovative viticultural and winemaking ideas to Jim Barry Wines, we are determined to forge our individual mark. We have taken inspiration from our family’s history to create this wine. Our two favorite varieties, Shiraz and Cabernet, were blended to deliver a contemporary expression of this traditional Australian style.” Tom & Sam Barry
Decorates the glass with a bright magenta color. Juicy and vibrant on the nose, this wine displays blue-black fruits and brambles, with lifts of violet florals and spicy highlights. The palate is lively and bright with a burst of red fruits and a dark fruited drive. A medium-bodied composition with soft, fine-grained tannins give length and depth, finishing with a touch of spice and savoury oak. Very easy drinking, this wine is ready to be enjoyed now, but will drink to 2025.
Wine has been flowing in the Clare Valley since 1851 and is an integral part of the culture. It is one of Australia’s most prestigious premium wine regions, most famous for its Riesling and Shiraz. A small area, it accounts for less than 1.5% of Australia’s total wine production. With its beautiful, rolling hills, ideal winter rainfall, and Mediterranean climate, the Clare Valley carries a unique history and winemaking heritage.
Specs
Variety: 65% Shiraz, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Clare Valley, South Australia
Soil Profile: Loam and limestone
Estate grown: 100%
First release: Vintage 2012
Alcohol: 14.0%
Total Acid 6.5g/L
pH 3.4
Oak: French
Drink by 2025
Serve at 16-18˚C
Winemakers: Tom & Sam Barry
What’s Included
6-bottles:
6x 2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros. Red Blend, Clare Valley, Australia
Case:
12x 2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros. Red Blend, Clare Valley, Australia
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $216.00/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Jim Barry Wines
Owner: The Barry Family
Founded: 1959
Location: Clare, South Australia
Certain names resonate strongly within the halls of Australian wine history. Jim Barry is one such name.
Jim Barry Wines is a multi-generational, family-owned winery in the Clare Valley of South Australia. The winery was founded in 1959 by the late Jim Barry and his wife Nancy. Jim Barry was a pioneer of the Australian wine industry. Graduating from Roseworthy College with the 17th diploma in Oenology, he became the first qualified winemaker in Clare. Today the company is owned and managed by Jim’s son Peter and grandsons, Tom and Sam.
The Clare Valley Region
South Australia’s Clare Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine-producing areas, with a winemaking history dating back to settlement in 1849. The unique combination of geography, geology, and climate, result in terroir that is perfect for producing world-class wine. Warm days, coupled with cool nights during the growing season provide favorable conditions for the varieties grown in the area.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, ID, IA, LA, ME, MA, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WY
Hi Fellow Casemates! This past Saturday I received a bottle of Jim Barry, Barry Brothers, 2017 Red Blend, Clare Valley, Australia! I’ve consumed Aussie red wine many, many years ago! The bottle label was intriguing! It’s very plain, but this winery has been around for many years and I’m thinking the label reflects their history. The label follows my values! I never buy a wine with a gimmicky label, crazy name, or a fancy bottle (except recently, I did by a fancy bottle offer! Hey, I’m old!!). IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT’S IN THE BOTTLE!!
Now, this is a difficult Rat review for me, but I have to be totally honest to all you Casemates! So here’s my Rat Report!
The bottle arrived Friday and I noted the bottle was very cold! I probably should have recorded the bottle temperature, but that’s hindsight! So the bottle sat on the kitchen island until mid-day Saturday. The bottle was a screw cap which I have absolutely no problem with! The nose upon a small pour was nice dark cherry, raspberry red fruit with very little alcohol. Visually, it look like a medium red color, long legs, no browning. The first taste was shocking! It was sour, acidic, with hardly any fruit because the wine went immediately into an alcohol throat burn through the finish. I couldn’t discern any tannins! An hour later, the wine was tart and a throat burner! My son came over and I had him take a small sample! He couldn’t discern anything except alcohol! So he basically confirmed what I had noted earlier! Later about 9 pm, I tried more wine, this time with his smoked pulled pork! The wine disappeared, except I only got tartness and an alcohol burn!
Sunday Noon, Day 2: On the nose, I got dark cherry again. As I sampled more wine, I got some spice and tartness. I didn’t get very much fruit, but more sourness through the finish with less burn!
It’s now Monday, 12:45 AM, and I’m heading out of town and I want to get this posted before I get some sleep! I have no idea where this wine is going! It’s definitely not something that I would buy! I have a basement totally overloaded with much better Casemate wine. I can’t even put a dollar value on the Barry Bros bottle. I recently consumed some still fantastic 2007 & 2010 Wellington wine! One was his #24 Red Blend and the other was a Red Zinfandel. This Rat bottle didn’t come close to Peter’s aged wine! What’s really weirder, this is about the 3rd time I got an inferior Rat bottle! This was the worst so far and what’s left will probably down the drain! Sorry!
I really hope that there’s another Rat for this offer and has a better experience with their bottle! Gotta run so I’ll call it a night! Not sure if I’ll have a chance to chime in later?
@Boatman72 I actually really enjoyed reading your review; it’s so seldom we get anything this authentic and unassuming, and I appreciate reading someone excoriate a deserving offering for a change. (!)
Good morning fellow Casemates! Living north of the Mason Dixon, I expected this bottle to arrive cold, and it did! We generally like our reds a bit cooler, around 50, but this time, it accidentally hit about 45. Being active parents to 3 kids and a dog, we pulled it from the fridge and poured it straight into our 14 oz Yeti mugs. These things are wonderful! They keep the temp consistent long enough to enjoy, and also hold our weekly 2 glasses of wine all at once! Anything to prevent getting up again, am I right? Once we settled down to continue ‘History of the World Part II’, I took my initial glance. Dark red, smooth and glassy. That first sip of wine at the end of a week (Sunday evening for us, before we do it all again Monday), is typically the best! However, I had a slight underwhelming with this one. It was ok, not great. As said before, I didn’t get much fruit, barely any cherry flavors, and I didn’t get much in the way of anything on the nose. It was smooth, I’ll give it that. Even at 14%, I didn’t think there was a super strong bite at the finish, I would have thought this around a 12.5% or so. I’m not sure how it earned a 90 points. It’s decent, but next time I would try and warm it up to 53-54F or so, the cold probably suppressed the nose a bit. Even after 2 episodes, it wasn’t much more fragrant. That being said, for a budget wine at $9.17/btl (12 case), it would probably do the job it’s paid to do at that level. Easy to drink, but not to taste. If I were going to a friends house for a gathering, but didn’t really need to “inspect and taste it without distraction”, it would be a great fit. A red wine for red wine’s sake, as it were. It won’t impress anyone, but it sure would get the party started.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros Australian Red Blend - $30 = 21.43%
Here’s what Wine Enthusiast had to say:
90 Points! This Shiraz-Cabernet blend shows off the freshness, linearity and high-toned fruit of the Clare Valley! There’s bright red-berry fruit, stalky green herbs, peppery spice and an earthy, roasted beetroot tang! The wine is medium to full bodied, with supple fruit and chalky, if slightly astringent, tannins! CP 12/31/21
Spectator says:
87 Points! This is defined by a strong toasted herb angle, especially sage and eucalyptus, with a touch of star anise and toasted cumin! Dried berry and cherry flavors and chewy tannins are there for balance! Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec! Drink now! 500 cases imported! MAW 11/30/20
Somewhere there is an 88 Point Decanter World Wine Awards review hiding!
Not saying the points are wrongly listed, however, the reviews are 1 and 2 years old at least, and if improperly stored/shipped over that time, could have effected what we are tasting today (esp since Spectator said to ‘Drink Now’). Thanks for listing these!
@ kaolis @alacercogitatus …but wait, there is more. One cannot forget Ken’s Wine Guide can one? Well can one? No!
Ken’s Wine Rating: Very Good (88)
Review date: July 28, 2020
This deep purple colored Shiraz based blend from the Barry Brothers opens with a black raspberry, black cherry, cinnamon and cedar bouquet with a hint of tobacco leaf. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with flavors of red plum, red raspberry and blackberry. We also detected hints of earth and cedar. It finishes dry with well-integrated sticky tannins that linger. This is a food friendly red wine that would pair well with rosemary encrusted lamb pops. – Karen & Stuart
@alacercogitatus@kaolis Those first two reviews from Winemag and Spectator, were really exciting. Riveting. Like I was on a breathless, exhilarating, wine adventure. That 3rd review . . . I could barely get through it. Lacked pace. It was as if wine is nothing to get excited about. Karen & Stuart need to find something their interested in.
Karen & Stuart’s review seemed to be somewhat like I noticed, but the wine I had fell apart with only an intense alcohol burn! Yet, on the nose I couldn’t pick up any alcohol. Even pulled pork with the fat couldn’t over come the burn! Hopefully, Kaolis buys a case and shares it with all his close friends!
We’ve been enjoying the 2016 that was offered here some time ago – even passed some out as gifts at the office (the red and white labels seemed to match the season)
2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros. Red Blend, Clare Valley, Australia
90 Points, Wine Enthusiast
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $216.00/case MSRP
About The Winery
The Clare Valley Region
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, ID, IA, LA, ME, MA, MN, MO, NE, NV, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OR, PA, SD, TX, VT, VA, WA, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Apr 3 - Tuesday, Apr 4
2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros Australian Red Blend
6 bottles for $69.99 $11.67/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $109.99 $9.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
@ilCesare Classic!
@ilCesare @rjquillin
I still use Classic view.
Regular link
2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros Australian Red Blend
Hi Fellow Casemates! This past Saturday I received a bottle of Jim Barry, Barry Brothers, 2017 Red Blend, Clare Valley, Australia! I’ve consumed Aussie red wine many, many years ago! The bottle label was intriguing! It’s very plain, but this winery has been around for many years and I’m thinking the label reflects their history. The label follows my values! I never buy a wine with a gimmicky label, crazy name, or a fancy bottle (except recently, I did by a fancy bottle offer! Hey, I’m old!!). IT’S ALL ABOUT WHAT’S IN THE BOTTLE!!
Now, this is a difficult Rat review for me, but I have to be totally honest to all you Casemates! So here’s my Rat Report!
The bottle arrived Friday and I noted the bottle was very cold! I probably should have recorded the bottle temperature, but that’s hindsight! So the bottle sat on the kitchen island until mid-day Saturday. The bottle was a screw cap which I have absolutely no problem with! The nose upon a small pour was nice dark cherry, raspberry red fruit with very little alcohol. Visually, it look like a medium red color, long legs, no browning. The first taste was shocking! It was sour, acidic, with hardly any fruit because the wine went immediately into an alcohol throat burn through the finish. I couldn’t discern any tannins! An hour later, the wine was tart and a throat burner! My son came over and I had him take a small sample! He couldn’t discern anything except alcohol! So he basically confirmed what I had noted earlier! Later about 9 pm, I tried more wine, this time with his smoked pulled pork! The wine disappeared, except I only got tartness and an alcohol burn!
Sunday Noon, Day 2: On the nose, I got dark cherry again. As I sampled more wine, I got some spice and tartness. I didn’t get very much fruit, but more sourness through the finish with less burn!
It’s now Monday, 12:45 AM, and I’m heading out of town and I want to get this posted before I get some sleep! I have no idea where this wine is going! It’s definitely not something that I would buy! I have a basement totally overloaded with much better Casemate wine. I can’t even put a dollar value on the Barry Bros bottle. I recently consumed some still fantastic 2007 & 2010 Wellington wine! One was his #24 Red Blend and the other was a Red Zinfandel. This Rat bottle didn’t come close to Peter’s aged wine! What’s really weirder, this is about the 3rd time I got an inferior Rat bottle! This was the worst so far and what’s left will probably down the drain! Sorry!
I really hope that there’s another Rat for this offer and has a better experience with their bottle! Gotta run so I’ll call it a night! Not sure if I’ll have a chance to chime in later?
@Boatman72 does everyone else yell the last word of every sentence in their mind when it ends with an explanation point?
@Boatman72 @CruelMelody Is an explanation point similar to an exclamation point?
@Boatman72 @CruelMelody @kaolis “Can you explain this?” he exclaimed!
@Boatman72 I actually really enjoyed reading your review; it’s so seldom we get anything this authentic and unassuming, and I appreciate reading someone excoriate a deserving offering for a change. (!)
@Boatman72 @kaolis @rpstrong oops! Autocorrect, I guess I’ve typed explanation in the past but not exclamation!!
Good morning fellow Casemates! Living north of the Mason Dixon, I expected this bottle to arrive cold, and it did! We generally like our reds a bit cooler, around 50, but this time, it accidentally hit about 45. Being active parents to 3 kids and a dog, we pulled it from the fridge and poured it straight into our 14 oz Yeti mugs. These things are wonderful! They keep the temp consistent long enough to enjoy, and also hold our weekly 2 glasses of wine all at once! Anything to prevent getting up again, am I right? Once we settled down to continue ‘History of the World Part II’, I took my initial glance. Dark red, smooth and glassy. That first sip of wine at the end of a week (Sunday evening for us, before we do it all again Monday), is typically the best! However, I had a slight underwhelming with this one. It was ok, not great. As said before, I didn’t get much fruit, barely any cherry flavors, and I didn’t get much in the way of anything on the nose. It was smooth, I’ll give it that. Even at 14%, I didn’t think there was a super strong bite at the finish, I would have thought this around a 12.5% or so. I’m not sure how it earned a 90 points. It’s decent, but next time I would try and warm it up to 53-54F or so, the cold probably suppressed the nose a bit. Even after 2 episodes, it wasn’t much more fragrant. That being said, for a budget wine at $9.17/btl (12 case), it would probably do the job it’s paid to do at that level. Easy to drink, but not to taste. If I were going to a friends house for a gathering, but didn’t really need to “inspect and taste it without distraction”, it would be a great fit. A red wine for red wine’s sake, as it were. It won’t impress anyone, but it sure would get the party started.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2017 Jim Barry Wines The Barry Bros Australian Red Blend - $30 = 21.43%
Here’s what Wine Enthusiast had to say:
90 Points! This Shiraz-Cabernet blend shows off the freshness, linearity and high-toned fruit of the Clare Valley! There’s bright red-berry fruit, stalky green herbs, peppery spice and an earthy, roasted beetroot tang! The wine is medium to full bodied, with supple fruit and chalky, if slightly astringent, tannins! CP 12/31/21
Spectator says:
87 Points! This is defined by a strong toasted herb angle, especially sage and eucalyptus, with a touch of star anise and toasted cumin! Dried berry and cherry flavors and chewy tannins are there for balance! Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec! Drink now! 500 cases imported! MAW 11/30/20
Somewhere there is an 88 Point Decanter World Wine Awards review hiding!
fwiw!
(apologies to Boatman, couldn’t resist!)
@kaolis Listing references
Not saying the points are wrongly listed, however, the reviews are 1 and 2 years old at least, and if improperly stored/shipped over that time, could have effected what we are tasting today (esp since Spectator said to ‘Drink Now’).
Thanks for listing these!
@ kaolis @alacercogitatus …but wait, there is more. One cannot forget Ken’s Wine Guide can one? Well can one? No!
Ken’s Wine Rating: Very Good (88)
Review date: July 28, 2020
This deep purple colored Shiraz based blend from the Barry Brothers opens with a black raspberry, black cherry, cinnamon and cedar bouquet with a hint of tobacco leaf. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with flavors of red plum, red raspberry and blackberry. We also detected hints of earth and cedar. It finishes dry with well-integrated sticky tannins that linger. This is a food friendly red wine that would pair well with rosemary encrusted lamb pops. – Karen & Stuart
once again and as always,
fwiw
@alacercogitatus @kaolis Those first two reviews from Winemag and Spectator, were really exciting. Riveting. Like I was on a breathless, exhilarating, wine adventure. That 3rd review . . . I could barely get through it. Lacked pace. It was as if wine is nothing to get excited about. Karen & Stuart need to find something their interested in.
@alacercogitatus @wardad Karen and Stuart just need to add a few explanation, I mean exclamation points!
@alacercogitatus @kaolis @wardad @karenhynes Tough crowd.
@kaolis you all really crack me up!!
Karen & Stuart’s review seemed to be somewhat like I noticed, but the wine I had fell apart with only an intense alcohol burn! Yet, on the nose I couldn’t pick up any alcohol. Even pulled pork with the fat couldn’t over come the burn! Hopefully, Kaolis buys a case and shares it with all his close friends!
We’ve been enjoying the 2016 that was offered here some time ago – even passed some out as gifts at the office (the red and white labels seemed to match the season)