Words by Aidy Smith
You know what I love seeing? A winery that has a built a global reputation of success and is still very much family owned. That’s the story of Wakefield Wines, who in 2017 when this particular wine was produced were given the title of ‘World’s Most Awarded Winery’. A testament to the hard work they’ve put in over three generations and a stamp of approval for their delicious wines with which have now graced our glasses for over fifty years.
For those less familiar, located in the heart of Clare Valley, Wakefield Wines was founded in 1969 by Bill Taylor Senior, a publican turned wine merchant who took his love of the grape to a whole new level. With his knowledge of the area, Bill began to plant vines in the perfect limestone soils for this cool climate region. Decades later, what was originally just 178 hectares of vineyards has continued to grow, allowing the winery to become one of the most highly esteemed producers in Australia.
The Jaraman range: a taste of terroir
This brings us to the Jaraman range, one of the more recent additions to their portfolio and in this case, the rich and juicy Cabernet Sauvignon. The word ‘Jaraman’ means seahorse in the Indigenous language and refers to when the family discovered tiny seahorse fossils found buried within the vineyards of Wakefield’s Clare Valley properties. Completely submerged by an inland sea for millions of years, the discovery of these little fossils when creating their dams on the property became the inspiration behind the company’s emblem.
This bespoke collection of wines was created to showcase a unique sense of terroir and regional expression. Australia has a massively diverse make-up of wine regions, so Adam Eggins, Wakefield’s winemaker of over 20 years decided to take grapes from two exceedingly quality driven areas – Coonawarra and Clare Valley. Doing so has allowed the family to blend the sumptuous ripe fruits and fine tannins of Clare Valley with the fine tannins and velvety mouthfeel we have come to associate with Coonawarra.
The result? A touch of French oak when ageing lends way to flavours of dark stewed plum, blackberry and blackcurrant with a smooth milk chocolate and tobacco. Great structure meets delicate tannins before the story comes to a finale with its soothing blackberry finish. This is my wind down wine at the end of the day, eagerly awaiting that moment of pure satisfaction as the first sip touches your taste buds. It helps that this wine goes wonderfully with just about anything you’re eating, meat, fish or vegetables, too.
Winery: Wakefield Wines
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon
ABV: 14.5%
Size: 750ml
Buy now from Majestic £17.99 a bottle of £15.99 (mixed case deal)