by Ed Merrison
Tom Barry’s marital contract is pretty much written in Riesling. That’s how much he loves the stuff. When he and wife Olivia tied the knot a couple of years ago, they did so in one of Australia’s most lauded Riesling sites and went head-to-head in noble-grape competition. “We got married in the Florita vineyard with Thai food and German Rieslings from our birth year,” Tom recalls. “It’s a famous German tradition that you compare the vintage of your birth.” That meant 1986 for Tom, 1987 for his bride. The groom was outgunned. “1987 was definitely a bit more youthful and fresh,” he says. “The missus definitely got the nod there.”
If both those vintages sound recent, that’s because they kind of are. But Tom learned the Riesling ropes young. “I think it’s just that typical thing with wine families; you’re always drinking round the table. Riesling was the chosen wine of the time. It started with dad, and granddad before that was a big advocate for Riesling in the Adelaide area.” These days Tom is third-generation winemaker at the helm of Jim Barry in Clare. Together with younger brother Sam, he also runs the clos Clare label, which enjoys acclaim for its own single-vineyard Riesling from the Florita site in Watervale. In 2013 Tom’s achievements earned him the Young Winemaker of the Year gong at the prestigious Gourmet Traveller WINE awards.
Among influences is Alsace producer Hugel, a mainstay of the Barry household growing up after father Peter worked with Marc Hugel at Rothbury Estate in the Hunter Valley. Tom’s European education went a step further in 2010 when he travelled to Germany’s Mosel Valley. Working vintage with family friend Erni Loosen he was struck by the estate’s painstakingly specific treatment of fruit for its myriad single-vineyard wines. This was followed by vintage 2011 at Salomon Undhof in Austria’s Kremstal region. “The wines Bert Salomon makes from those vineyards are fantastic,” he says. Closer to home he reserves praise for what Barrie Smith and Judi Cullam have achieved at Frankland Estate. “They’ve put Frankland River on the map with Isolation Ridge and the other beautiful Rieslings they make.”
As for the Barrys’ not inconsiderable achievements in the field of Riesling, Tom views the purchase of the Florita vineyard as a game-changer. “It was such a bold move by dad and his brothers to buy it back in 1986. It was a huge step forward, being able to work with that very famous piece of land.” With that kind of pioneering spirit, it’s little wonder that Jim Barry has joined forces with revered Riesling peers Pikes and Framingham in taking the Frankland Estate International Riesling Tasting to the next level, reincarnated as Riesling Downunder. The event, a three-day celebration for the general public, media and wine industry, runs from Sunday 8th to Tuesday 10th February in Melbourne.
“I just think it’s such a nice thing to get together and hopefully open more people’s eyes to the joys of Riesling,” he says. “I’ve always enjoyed getting to these events and catching up with people who are so passionate and committed to Riesling.” A personal highlight is always the <em>Riesling: Beyond the Ages</em> masterclass. “All those old wines that people so generously pull out of their cellar to open and taste – they’re phenomenal, and to see how they hold up is really exciting.”
Tom Barry’s Life-Changing Rieslings:
1978 Leo Buring Leonay (Clare Valley)
“We had this wine back in 2009 when we celebrated 50 years of Jim Barry. It was made off the Florita vineyard by John Vickery. We had a couple open; one was a bit far gone but the other was absolutely sublime. It was so beautiful and fresh still. He’s an absolute master.”
1981 Joh. Jos. Prüm. Wehlener Sonnenuhr Riesling Kabinett (Mosel)
“This is one that really sticks in my mind. That wine just blew me away. Just phenomenal.”
Dr Loosen Erdener Prälat Riesling Auslese Goldkapsel (Mosel; no specific vintage)
“It’s just so beautifully concentrated.”
2004 Jim Barry Florita Riesling (Clare Valley)
“The first Florita we did. It’s looking absolutely sensational at the moment.”
2010 Framingham Riesling Auslese (Marlborough)
“At the last Frankland Estate International Riesling tasting, Andrew (Hedley) from Framingham got a standing ovation for his Auslese. It was that bloody good, everyone was thinking it was German. For a New Zealand Auslese to get everyone up applauding was really amazing.”