The Farm Cabernet Sauvignon by Jim Barry

The Farm Cabernet Sauvignon by Jim Barry

An opulent, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, rich in ripe dark fruits, with olive tapenade, spice and a hint of tobacco leaf. The supple palate offers an integrated spicy line of oak surrounding a core of dark berried fruit.

Vineyard
The grapes come from a single vineyard: Lodge Hill. Originally a pastoral run named Wolta Wolta dating back to 1839, Jim Barry purchased the land for the Lodge Hill
vineyard in 1977. Situated on the high, eastern ranges of Clare, at 480m, Lodge Hill is one of the highest vineyards in the valley. At this elevation, the vines are exposed to
concentrated bursts of sunlight and cool nights, which encourage slow ripening and natural balancing acidity. The vines were planted in 1997 in brown loam over siltstone
soils and are trained on a permanent single cordon with a rod and spur to promote even canopy growth along the cordon, which helps with shading and avoids crowding
of fruit, thus reducing disease. Foliage wires help to partially lift the fruit to prevent the canopy collapsing and exposing the fruit to sunburn. The vines are sustainably
cultivated and are hand-harvested.
Winemaking
The grapes were destemmed, sorted and gently crushed, allowing a small proportion of whole berries to pass through. Fermentation occurred in stainless steel fermenters
with heading down boards, which submerged the skins in the fermenting must and gently extracted colour, flavour and tannins. Pump-overs were conducted twice per
day, with a rack and return each day. Fermentation lasted for seven to nine days before being pressed. 1/3 of the grapes were co-fermented with 15% whole-bunch fruit
to impart complexity and aromatic lift. Malolactic conversion took place in 100% French oak, encouraging a seamless integration, where it was aged for 12 months.

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 and award-winning wines.

The Clare Valley is a series of undulating hills within the higher ranges of the grape growing area. Vine aspect and row orientation is as critical as soil type in terms of the suitability of a vineyard site for a particular variety. Shiraz is suited to upper slopes with northerly or western aspects. The vines are trained on a single cordon with a rod and spur to promote even canopy growth along the cordon, which allows for shading and avoids the crowding of fruit, in order to reduce disease. The Clare Valley has a high diurnal temperature difference. The cool nights allow the vines to recover from the heat of the day and produce Shiraz with even ripening of tannins and flavour.

The grapes were sorted, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation took place with selected yeasts in stainless steel fermenters with heading down boards, which submerged the skins in the fermenting must and moderated the temperature of the ‘cap’ while gently extracting colour, flavour and tannin. Pump-overs were conducted twice a day with a rack and return occurring each day, early in the ferment. Fermentation lasted for between 7 to 10 days before being pressed. Malolactic conversion occurred in tank before the wine was racked to French oak where it spent 12 months maturing.

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The Farm Cabernet Sauvignon by Jim Barry