Jim Barry Watervale Rhine Riesling 1977: a Peter Pan first vintage from Peter Barry

I’ve been a spoiled with museum release tastings lately. What with Jim Barry Riesling and Shiraz verticals yesterday and the Landmark Riesling tasting which I presented last week (reported here).

Sealed under screwcap, all the Landmark Rieslings were pristine, even the honeyed 1997 Pewsey Vale The Contours Riesling (bottled under screwcap because it’s released with five years bottle age).

For the Jim Barry tasting, it was another story – Russian roulette with corks! The oldest wine – a rare bottle of Leo Buring Riesling DW E13 Watervale 1975 was sadly over the hill, as was the second bottle of Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Riesling 1999 (pictured right glass), while the white noise of cork taint detracted from the first of the 99s (pictured left glass).

But my wine of the tasting – Jim Barry Watervale Rhine Riesling 1977 – was exceptionally pure and fresh. A thrilled Peter Barry couldn’t believe his luck – he told me he’d pay AUS$1000 bottle for such a good bottle, before fondly reminiscing about this, his first vintage.

Apparently 1977 was a hot year (surprising in a wine still so pure and given Barry had none of the fancy kit back then, just pad filters). Short of labour and with ripe grapes on the vine, Barry had to call in the cavalry – Roseworthy students. Flagging by the last couple of rows, Barry recalls coaxing them to finish the job with a carton of Coke and ice-cream. Clearly the sugar fix worked because the 77 retains lovely, integrated acidity – there’s not a scintilla of sun burn or over-ripeness. Here’s my note:

Jim Barry Watervale Rhine Riesling 1977 (Clare Valley)

Gold with amber glints. This is exceptionally fine, pure and delicate for its age – even more so than the preceding 89 and 86 vintages which, in texture and flavour, showed the (attractive) marmalade and toast notes you’d expect after 25 years or so. Barry was delighted that you could still detect lime in the mouth of the 77, such is its freshness. With ripe rolling pink grapefruity/stony acidity, it finished long and very pure. A joyous wine. Outstanding. 6g/l residual sugar.