The Jim Barry 2005 Silly Mid On Sauvignon Blanc Semillon comes from a family of selfconfessed cricketing tragics who regard this bold, zippy dry white as the perfect accompaniment to fresh seafood, salads and a tense Ashes series between the game’s most long-standing foes. "We’ve had a bit of fun with the packaging of this wine, presenting it with three different labels that highlight the heroism and perils of fielding in cricket’s most dangerous position," said Peter Barry, managing director of Jim Barry Wines.
The wine is a blend of 31 per cent sauvignon blanc and 21 per cent semillon from the Barry family’s own vineyards in the Clare Valley, together with 48 per cent sauvignon blanc from the Adelaide Hills. "The Adelaide Hills region is recognised internationally as producing pungent, highly aromatic sauvignon blanc of great quality and we’re confident that my brother Mark has fully captured the hallmark aromatics of freshly picked passionfruit and freshly mown grass," said Peter.
"The key to the palate structure, though, is the Clare semillon. It’s a variety all too often underrated in the Clare Valley but it produces wine that combines zesty lemon and lime flavours with excellent depth and fullness on the palate. "That has enabled us to release a wine that has length without perceptible sweetness. I’m really proud that we could achieve that palate structure with a genuinely dry white of less than 2g/L residual sugar.
"To me, it’s a very slippery wine. The aromas urge you to taste it, then the palate reinforces the impression and demands a second and third glass. It’s a great aperitif and a fine match for the sort of alfresco dining many Australians regard as a summer staple. "It’s not a wine to be taken too seriously but I do think it’s a seriously good wine — win, lose or draw."
