The Jim Barry The Armagh Shiraz 2023 is Clare Valley Shiraz at full stretch — deep, dense and unmistakably regional, yet carrying more lift and line than its reputation for sheer power suggests. This is a big red built with real detail rather than bulk.

Blackberry, satsuma plum and dark cherry lead the aroma, with black olive, dried thyme and a graphite edge sitting underneath. The palate is broad and generous through the middle, then narrows into firm, finely grained tannin that holds the fruit in shape. Acidity runs clean down the centre, and the finish is long, savoury and faintly peppery rather than sweet.

The 2023 season across the Clare Valley was cool and slow, with harvest arriving weeks later than growers had grown used to. That extra hang time shows in the wine as freshness and definition — the fruit is dark but not baked, and the tannins feel drawn out rather than thickset.

Serve The Armagh Shiraz with food that can meet it: a standing rib roast, slow-cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary and anchovy, oxtail braised in red wine, or a wedge of well-aged cheddar.

Drinking well from 2028 and worth cellaring confidently through to 2043 and beyond in good storage.