Blackberry, sage and mint, toasted coconut oak, chocolate and spice. Full-bodied, lavish oak and black fruit, but keeps its shape and doesn’t bloat, tannin is thick and grainy, balanced acidity, toasted oak and raspberry on a long firm almost grittily tannic finish. Plenty to get your teeth into here, that’s for sure.

94 points, The Wine Front (September 2018)

Very deep, bold youthful purple colour; lovely fresh, clean aromas with perfectly ripened black fruit and violet aromas; oak is well in harmony... The wine is elegant as well as full-bodied, tightly framed and stylish, not at all overripe or over-built. The tannins are generous, savoury and long, finely grained and suave. A very fine wine indeed, elegant and balanced... Evolution of the style is apparent. Drink 2019-2046. 95 points, Real Review (10/2015).

Explosive, spicy and punchy with a lovely attack and impressive, dry tannins, this has blossomed into a work of rare art.

96 points, Decanter

Opens with a nose of black walnut liqueur, dark chocolate, freshly roasted coffee, palo santo, salted caramel and nutmeg that swirls around a core of ripe, fleshy spiced plum, black cherry and cassis flavors. The tannins are plush and polished, lending an elegant air to this powerful wine. Tremendous finish.

96 points, MaryAnn Worobiec, Wine Spectator (November 2020)

Deep black-ruby. Lifted, ripe raspberry, dusty earth tones, with an extra dimension of depth that the other Jim Barry reds don't have. Cinnamon, dried herb and subtle, meaty spice. Rich, dense raspberry palate fruit, velvet texture, with firm, very fine tannins. Salty, then a long, vanilla-cream finish. Top class.

18 points, Tim Jackson MW (January 2019)

This flagship shiraz is both measured and richly fruited. It has a strong serve of bold oak across ripe, rich and dense old-vine fruit. Smells of mulberries, red plums and sweet baking spices. The long and silky palate is plump and supported by ample, silky tannins.

95 points, jamessuckling.com (December 2018)

The 2014 The Armagh Shiraz boasts intense aromas of vanilla, cedar and boysenberries. It's a full-bodied, creamy-ripe wine, big and rich, yet it's held together by bright acids, with 20 years of potential ageability. The Armagh vineyard Shiraz isn't that old by South Australian standards, having been planted in 1968, but it consistently yields one of Clare's top Shiraz bottlings.

94 points, Wine Advocate (February 2020)

The 2014 The Armagh Shiraz that I have in front of me here is bottled under Stelvin. This is sensational: fresh, pert, meaty, savory, ferrous. It has a plump core of fruit in the mouth and is so beautiful, contained and restrained. "Away from rack and return, just sulfur on malo lees and topped," said winemaker Tom Barry. "Rack out at end of maturation period and to bottle." It's really gorgeous, supple and mid-weight. It has 14.1% alcohol and was matured for 16 months in 70% French and 30% American hogsheads (300 liter), 86% new and the balance one year old.

97 points, Wine Advocate (May 2023)