A step up from its Estate level of wines, Wakefield’s “Jaraman” name is derived from an Indigenous term meaning “seahorse”—a nod to the discovery of fossilized seahorses in the Clare Valley.

That said, the Jaraman range is meant to showcase the distinctive styles of multiple Australian wine regions—Clare Valley among them—and both Wakefield’s Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon feature intriguing blends from these various areas.

Both wines have also benefitted from this particular vintage. With respect to the Clare Valley specifically, VineHealth Australia reported that 2022’s red varieties showed “a combination of quality and yield not seen for several years, with Cabernet Sauvignon looking like a real standout.”

Note that neither of the below are big fat reds. If you like thick, sweetish California cabs that you could pave your driveway with, you might want to move along. While the alcohol is 14.5% for both wines, there’s a racy acidity and minerality that keeps them in balance and provides more food flexibility. Think a hair shy of full in body with plenty of character.

And if you’re planning to gift either, those Jaraman labels are handsome!

Wakefield Jaraman 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon — Clare Valley/Coonawarra, Australia ($24.95)
Released in March, this is pretty much a 50/50 split of grapes from two regions. The Clare Valley component, as is typical, adds a fresh, bright character with telltale notes of mint and herbs (I always get After Eight chocolate mints). Coonawarra, meanwhile, contributes richer, more concentrated flavours of dark fruit and spice. The pronounced nose features blackcurrants, raspberries and black cherries along with and a hint of crushed violets. On the palate, look for rich flavours of cassis and blackberry along with violets and mint. The 14.5% alcohol is not overly prominent—well folded, as it is, into this balanced, dry red (just 4 g/L of sugar). Elegant, well-integrated tannins provide structure, while the length impresses. 90

Wakefield Jaraman Shiraz 2022 — Clare Valley/McLaren Vale, Australia ($24.95)
With a mere 2 g/L sugar, this new release has an intoxicating nose of ripe black plum, blackberry and raspberry fruit along with hints of vanilla bean, coffee, clove, cinnamon and pepper. It’s that spice collection that really draws you in. The 14.5% alcohol, though, is much more prominent on the nose than the cab. On the palate, this is a silky, lush, layered wine with ripe cherry, plum and red currant fruit. The oak tannins are smooth. Pair it up with lamb. 91