Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz 2022

Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz is Clare Valley Shiraz with plenty of depth, but enough freshness and finesse to keep all that dark fruit moving. Blackberry, mulberry and ripe plum meet violets, black pepper, dark chocolate and savoury spice, supported by polished oak and fine, velvety tannins. The Lodge Hill vineyard sits high on the Clare Valley’s eastern ranges, where low-yielding vines push their roots through rich loam and fractured rock. Concentrated without becoming jammy, this is a very smart match for steak, slow-cooked beef or anything smoky coming off the barbecue.

What the winery says:

Jim Barry purchased the Lodge Hill property in 1977, originally believing its elevated position would be ideal for Riesling, before planting Shiraz there two years later. The vineyard’s chocolatey loam lies over near-vertical sheets of rock, providing excellent drainage and naturally low yields. After a cold soak, the fruit is fermented in open-top vessels and matured in French oak of varying sizes. Blue and black fruits, plum, violet and black pepper are layered with integrated oak and savoury spice, leading into a rich, focused palate with fine tannins and a long finish.

What the experts say:

Ray Jordan, 95/100
“It's lively, vibrant, and there's a real energy that shines through. This is a simply wonderful wine and one of the best in the tasting.”

James Suckling, 94/100
“Layers of blackberries, mulberries, dark chocolate and spices. The palate is medium-bodied with finely tuned tannins.”

Cuisine, 4.5 Stars & Top 10
“The palate is plump and approachable with a lovely concentrated fruit weight counterbalanced by bright acid that gives this wine a lifted finish.”