Voyager Estate is one of the better wineries in the Margaret River region of Australia. Margaret River lies in the extreme southwest of the country, in the state of Western Australia. It’s a remote area, 175 miles south of Perth and nearly 1,800 miles west of the famed Barossa Valley. 

That corner of Australia is at the junction of the warm Indian Ocean and the very cold Southern Ocean. So, despite its very sunny, Mediterranean climate, ripening conditions in Margaret River are moderate, similar to Bordeaux. The key grape varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon.

I participated in a very interesting comparative tasting this week with Steve James, manager of winemaking and viticulture at Voyager Estate. A flight of six Chardonnay compared three Voyager Estate wines with ones from the Santa Cruz Mountains, Willamette Valley, and Meursault. A flight of six Cabernet Sauvignon compared three Voyager Estate wines with a Pauillac and two from Napa Valley. The tasting wasn’t meant to be either competitive or exhaustive, but rather illustrate similarities and differences in the wine styles.

Steve James, Voyager Estate

About Voyager Estate

Founder Michael Wright established Voyager Estate in 1978, planting their its first vines in the region’s Stevens Valley. That was actually relatively early for Margaret River as a whole, where no vineyards existed until 1967. There were still just 20 wineries in the area as the 1970s drew to a close.

The soils at Voyager Estate are part of a geological complex said to be the oldest in Australia. The gravelly topsoil of granite and ironstone is shallow—just 18 inches in some spots—and lies atop stony clay. Vine roots penetrate that clay meters deep in search of water, leading to complexity and concentration in the grapes. 

Voyager Estate Viticulture

As of next year, all of Voyager Estate’s 200 vineyard acres will be fully organic. Official certification will come in 2023. Viticulture is all by hand.

Voyager Estate makes wine from several varieties. The primary foci, though, are Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. The climate is ideal for both. And certain blocks of the vineyard with particularly shallow and well-drained tops soils are among the region’s best for Cabernet Sauvignon. Steve James says Voyager Estate, “strive(s) to make a balanced Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s a savory, gravelly note to the wines.”

Voyager Estate Master Class — Chardonnay

The first of our blind tasting flights was Chardonnay. Each of the wines was very fine and from cool or moderate climates. None were of a full-bodied, buttery, oaky style. Most will appeal to a broad range of palates, while the Arnot Roberts and Meursault will be more polarizing. All three Voyager Estate wines showed very well and offer excellent value.

2016 Arnot Roberts Chardonnay Trout Gulch Vineyard, Santa Cruz Mountains 94+ 13.5% 750ml $70

This Wente-clone Chardonnay comes from one of the coldest sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wine clearly demonstrates the influence of both. It offers plenty of flavor with fine texture on a medium-bodied palate defined by copious acidity. Aromas and flavors include warm yellow apple, green apple, and tart minerality. The finish is long, yet it is, as several tasters said, “tightly wound.” There’s no doubt this wine will be more generous and complex with a few years in bottle. And it has the structure for a very long life.

2016 Voyager Estate Chardonnay Broadvale Block 6 93 12.5% 750ml screw cap $60

This Chardonnay is solely from Dijon clone 95 on very gravelly soil. The wine went through 100% malolactic conversion, but remains nicely juicy on the palate without a trace of butter. The fetching nose offers yellow apple, dried lemon, and oak, accented by sweet baking spice. The palate is notably savory, showing plenty of salty mineral and toast, along with dried yellow apple and lemon pith. The palate is lithe and fresh but, despite minimal alcohol, has satisfying body.

2016 Voyager Estate Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia 91+ 13.5% 750ml screw cap $45

Aromas of yellow and green apples, pear, baking spice and a trace of oak lead into a medium-bodied palate of excellent balance. There’s a textured, grippy mouthfeel and leesy flavors—Voyager Estate barrel-ferments their Chardonnay and stirs regularly—but also tart, juicy apples, spice, zesty lemon, and grapefruit.

2015 Evening Land Summum Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, OR 92 12.9% 750ml $120

This supple, balanced Chardonnay comes from Evening Land’s estate Seven Springs vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA of Willamette Valley. Afternoon, ocean breezes pass through the Van Duzer Corridor, leading to cooler afternoons and evenings which preserve acidity. Volcanic soil inhibits vigor. This all evident on the juicy, medium-bodied palate with aromas and flavors of pear, lemon, tart yellow apple, spice, and toast.

2016 Voyager Estate Chardonnay Broadvale Block 5 92+ 13.5% 750ml screw cap $60

This Voyager Estate, single-block wine is predominantly Gingin clone, named for the Australian town in which the Wente clone first arrived from U.C. Davis in 1957. Fermentation and aging was in 17% new oak, as opposed to 39% for the Block 6, and ML was not allowed. The result is an extremely juicy Chardonnay of medium-plus body. The nose is gently aromatic with green apple and apple leaves. The palate is bold with mineral, lemon, green apple, a bit of toast and a savory undercurrent of mushroom. The finish is very long and mouthwatering.

2015 Benjamin Leroux Meursault Genevrieres-Dessus 1er Cru 91 13.5% 750ml $220

Made in a reductive style, flinty notes rise above poached pear, yellow apple and spice on the nose. The attack is soft and finely textured in the mouth with flavors quite similar to the nose. There’s an ethereal quality to the wine, but brimstone wins out at the moment. Consider decanting this one.

Voyager Estate Master Class — Cabernet Sauvignon

The Cabernet Sauvignon flight was very good as well, though the differences between producers—both stylistic and regional—were more pronounced. All these reds will age well, some for decades, yet only one demands aging. In this flight, the Voyager Estate wines again stood in a middle ground, this time between Bordeaux and Napa Valley, and presented very good value.

2014 Chateau Pontet Canet Pauillac, Bordeaux 95 13.0% 750ml $140

This is a very sophisticated wine which has a lot to say, but does so in a calm, conversational voice. The nose is dignified black currant, spice and a hint of dry herb. The very long, savory palate is gravel, clay, and dry herb with black currant succulence. Body is on the generous side of medium. The elegant, fine-grained tannins are well-matched by acidity. This Pontet Canet is less robust than one might expect from Pauillac, but more drinkable. Please, sir, may I have some more?

2014 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon North Block 93 14.0% 750ml $90

The North Block, planted in 1995, is distinguished by tannins which are weighty, but softish and fine grained. Carob, oak and blackberry syrup aromas recur on the palate, joined by salty mineral, lemony acidity, and dried tobacco leaves. Body is a supple medium-plus. Very enjoyable, and will gain nuance with age.

2014 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Old Block 92 13.5% 750ml $90

The Old Block includes the original Voyager Estate plantings. It’s more red-fruited than the North Block and vine age appears to result in slightly lighter structure—fine-grained and chalky. It’s a fruit-forward wine with complementary spice, carob and oak. Dry leaves and citrusy freshness round out the finish. It’s another wine that will happily drink now, but reward patience.

2014 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 92+ 13.5% 750ml $65

This blend of the North and Old Blocks naturally shows characteristics of both. Flavors include gently sweet red and black fruit, drying leaves and oak. The palate is supple with medium-plus body. The firm, chalky tannins are moderate in weight and well-balanced by acidity that persists on the finish. It’s an earlier drinker than the single-block wines, but will be oh-so good for the next decade.

2014 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, Napa Valley 95 13.9% 750ml $175

I knew this beauty was the Dunn as soon as it hit my palate. The nose is a generous melange of earthy spice, grilled herb and ripe, leathery black fruit. Flavors are much the same, and intense, but not shouty, on the extremely long, full-bodied palate. Structure comes from a wealth of fine, sumptuous, softly chalky tannins. Moderate alcohol and refreshing juiciness make it easy to drink, which you can do now or in 25 years.

2014 Larkmead Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley 92 14.7% 750ml $140

The nose on this wine—spirity with ripe dark fruit behind a sturdy oak fence—clearly identified it in this flight. The full-bodied palate is built for aging with very grippy, heavy chalk tannins.  The flavors of wrinkly black fruit, earth and dark mineral are intense and long, despite the structure, but still finding their own voice. Best from 2023.

Verve Wine

The master class was held at Verve Wine, a fairly new shop on Fillmore Street in San Francisco. Co-founded by Dustin Wilson, MS, it’s associated with the Verve shop in New York City. The shop is clean, elegant, well-lighted and offers a focused, well-chosen selection of wines. I noticed prices ranging under $20 to well above $100. It’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area.

Copyright Fred Swan 2018. All rights reserved.