Jim Barry The McRae Wood Shiraz

In 1964 Jim Barry and his wife Nancy bought 70 acres of land from their friend and neighbour Duncan McRae Wood. On this prime farm land they planted their first ever Shiraz. The rest, as they say, is history.

The Barry’s are one of Clare Valley’s iconic producers and if you’re into the top shelf stuff you’ll know all about The Armagh Shiraz, often thought of as the Clare Valley’s pinnacle when it comes to Shiraz. The Armagh will typically set you back around $400 per bottle but if you that’s a bit much you can always treat yourself to The McRae Wood, where the declassified Armagh juice ends up!

Think of McRae Wood as the poor man’s Armagh!

This latest 2019 McRae Wood is a beauty with the rave reviews we come to expect from it…

96/100 (James Halliday’s Wine Companion)
“Matured for 12 months in French oak (20% new). Savoury, spicy and intense shiraz here, with emphasis on the savoury. This has layers of shaved hung deli meat, Amaro herbs, a hint of bacon fat, mulberries, blood plums, salted licorice and tapenade, too. The tannins are firm, promising a long life in front of it, although everything is already so nicely integrated, you could drink it tonight. You could, but you shouldn’t – it’ll evolve so nicely over the years to come.”

90/100 (Huon Hooke, The Real Review)
“Good depth of red-purple colour and a black pepper, graphite, ironstone kind of bouquet, the palate very firm and tannic with a full bodied presence and serious grip. A gutsy, chewy wine but lacks elegance. It demands time, and has what it takes to reward substantial cellaring.”

This is a red built for the long term. Try cellaring until 2040.