Wakefield Estate

Wakefield is a real family affair, but their story began three generations ago with Bill Taylor Senior and his two sons Bill and John. They were wine merchants in Sydney and passionate about wine, especially red Bordeaux - in fact it was a 1966 Château Mouton Rothschild that motivated them to make one the finest Cabernet Sauvignons in Australia! In 1969 after a considerable search for land suitable for planting a vineyard, they found a 178 hectare site by the Wakefield River in the Clare Valley. The Clare Valley is characterised by warm days and cool nights – ideal for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to perfection. Additionally, the plot’s soil was red brown loam over limestone – this is now commonly called Terra Rossa, and is famous for making wines with more weight, firmer structure and intense flavours, but at that time its special properties were not fully understood in Australia. However, the Taylors were convinced that this soil type would prove favourable to the production of quality wines. Their vision and conviction was proved right when, in 1973 they entered their first vintage release in the Royal Adelaide Wine Show, and won the coveted Montgomery Trophy for the best red wine in show – and the accolades just kept on coming. That same wine won a gold medal at every national show in which it was entered! Today the business is headed by Bill Senior’s grandson Mitchell in their winery by the Wakefield River in the Clare Valley. Known as Taylor's wines in Australia, Wakefield’s symbol is the seahorse – during excavation of the vineyards dam the fossilised remains of tiny hippocampi were found in the bedrock. You will find three seahorses on every bottle of Wakefield wine, not just as a mark of quality, but as a tribute to the three generations of Wakefield winemakers. Wakefield are true innovators - they were the first Australian winery to only use screw cap closures. They now have a portfolio of wines with unmatched style and quality with several of them (Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz) holding the distinction of being the most awarded single varietal wines in the world! The Estate Collection are crafted with care to capture the essence of the vineyard sites and the characteristics of individual grape varieties. The St. Andrews Collection are Wakefield’s flagship wines, only produced in the finest vintages and are benchmark examples of the best handcrafted Clare Valley wines - their St. Andrews Shiraz has the prestigious honour of being the most awarded wine in the world – a title their Jaraman Shiraz has also held! The Visionary is a legendary wine representing the utmost refinement of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety and The Pioneer is their pinnacle Shiraz. Both are phenomenal wines, only produced in extremely limited quantities in exceptional vintages. Legacy is a sensational heirloom wine, an extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon, limited to just 1,080 bottles. This is a tribute to the past and a treasure for the future, the culmination of Wakefield's 50 year winemaking journey. 2021 saw Wakefield once again being awarded the highest ranking permissible for an Australian winery – the coveted 5 stars by leading Australian wine writer James Halliday and now it is officially the worlds most awarded winery! There is hardly any room on their labels for all their accolades! We urge you to try these legendary wines - iconic not just in Australia, but worldwide!