Wakefield Jaraman Shiraz 2017 (Australia) - Wine Review

After enjoying the 2016 Wakefield Jaraman Shiraz earlier this year, I am delighted to try the 2017 vintage of this wine tonight that will be arriving in LCBO VINTAGES on July 6.

It is produced by Wakefield Wines and within their Jaraman range of wines they search for parcels of extraordinary fruit to craft wines that showcase their distinctive regional characteristics and style.

The growing season leading up to the 2017 vintage in Clare Valley was rather wet and, in fact, the wettest recorded since 2000. Soil temperatures remained very low due to the waterlogged conditions, and below average ambient temperatures resulted in later budburst. However, weather conditions during flowering were favourable and, hence, fruit set was good across all varieties. Harvest began in late February and continued through early May. Overall, the winemakers at Wakefield declared the vintage to be an above average vintage in terms of quantity and quality.

In McLaren Vale, winter and spring saw above average rainfall, leading to full soil profiles. Like in Clare Valley, cooler than average temperatures led to delayed flowering and veraison, which also meant that harvest was also slightly delayed with very few vineyards picked in February. The weather during March & April was stable, with warm and dry conditions and little rainfall. Overall, the winemakers reported the reds to be lively, bright, spicy, vibrant, and elegant.

Compared with the 2016 vintage, the 2017 has a bit less fruit from Clare Valley, with the blend consisting of 60.5% Clare Valley and 39.5% McLaren Vale. The grapes were gently de-stemmed and fermented in small static stainless steel tanks using Shiraz-specific yeast isolate. Gentle pressing occurred in a mixture of American oak hogshead and barriques (30% 1 year old, 70% 2 to 3 year old) for secondary malolactic fermentation, and upon completion was transferred back to barrel for maturation before being fined, filtered, and bottled in August 2018.

Tasting Note:

WAKEFIELD JARAMAN SHIRAZ 2017 - Clare Valley/McLaren Vale, South Australia (#377036) (XD) - $24.95
Screw cap. Medium+ intensity nose delivers blackberry pie, plum, dark cherry and spice with hints of violet and mint. The fresh medium+ bodied palate offers more spice notes surrounding a core of blackberry, plum, and dark cherry flavours. Acids are fresh, while tannins are smooth, refined and textured. Finishes on the woody side with a touch of bitter dark chocolate. Very good finish length. Score: 88 pts