Ray Jones has been quietly achieving a reputation for producing outstanding red wines from grapes sourced from the surrounding region. Undoubtedly some of the biggest and best wines coming out of McLaren Vale.
Arakoon aspire to make elegant, restrained and sophisticated wines that will complement food, as they believe that good wine should be drunk with good food (and good company!). However, the grapes they obtain and convert into wine vary greatly from vintage to vintage.
In order to obtain a certain degree of consistency Arakoon process as many batches as possible separately, and later blend prior to botltling. At blending they attempt to prepare wines of unique styles. For example, The Lighthouse (Dingabledinga) is an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz wine modelled after wines such as Dom. du Trevallon. Elegance with power, not always easy to reach, however these are Arakoon's aspirations.
The Clarendon Shiraz, produced in its miniscule quantities, represents best the exceptional results of small lot production. This sexy, spicy wine oozes a Gucci-like sophistication with a surprising amount of bright, red fruit rising up from a wash of plum and bramble-blackberry flavours. Drop a pebble in a pond and see the circles lap outward, increasing in scope and dimension. So to, the complexity of this wine will open up to continued layers of intensity and pockets of flavour. This is a standout wine, not to be missed.
