Wakefield Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon

Description

Wakefield Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit sourced from both the Clare Valley and Coonawarra wine-growing regions. The Jaraman range of wines is made from extraordinary parcels of fruit, producing wines that demonstrate distinctive regional characteristics and styles.

Wakefield Wines, also known as Taylor’s Wines, is situated in the heart of Clare Valley, South Australia. Founded by wine merchant Bill Taylor Senior in 1969, the winery’s origins began with the purchase of 178 hectares of vineyards near the Wakefield River in Auburn. Bill Taylor carefully selected this site for its red-brown loam over limestone soils, known as “terra rossa”, and the region’s cool climate. That same year, the first Cabernet Sauvignon vines were planted. Wakefield Wines is known under its original name of Taylor’s Wines in Australia and they are a member of Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW) alongside other prestigious producers such as Jim Barry, Tyrrells and d’Arenberg.

Today, the winery is managed by Mitchell Taylor, the third-generation winemaker and grandson of Bill Taylor Senior. Under his leadership, Wakefield Wines has gained recognition as one of Australia’s esteemed cool-climate producers. Almost all grapes come from 300 hectares of family-owned vineyards in the Mt. Lofty Ranges, making it one of the largest single-estate plantings in the country. While the focus remains on their estate fruit, they also source grapes from trusted growers in regions like Coonawarra. Various varieties are planted including Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chardonnay, Merlot, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Tempranillo, Carménère and Grenache. 

Wakefield Wines produces a range of wines, including their estate offerings and the Jaraman and St Andrew’s ranges. With a commitment to sustainability and a focus on expressing the unique terroir of Clare Valley, Taylor’s Wines continues to craft exceptional wines that reflect the family’s legacy and dedication to quality. They are also at the vanguard of sustainability among Australian wineries with many initiatives including drip irrigation, ammonia energy-saving refrigeration, solar panels etc. and are on track to become a carbon-neutral winery.

The grapes for the Wakefield Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon are sourced 60% from the Coonawarra and 40% from the Clare Valley. After harvest the grapes for this wine were de-stemmed and transferred to potter fermenters where the juice was fermented using a Cabernet-specific yeast isolate. Post fermentation, a small percentage of the fruit was left ‘on skins’ and soaked for around 4 weeks to achieve better integration of tannins. The wine was then gently pressed to tight-grained French oak hogshead barrels (50% 1 year old, 50% 2-3 year old) for secondary, malo-lactic fermentation. After oak maturation for 10 to 12 months, the wine was fined, filtered and bottled.

The fruit for the 2019 Wakefield Jaraman Cabernet Sauvignon is 60% Coonawarra / 40% Clare Valley.