Voyager Estate Shiraz 2009

Voyager Estate is one of Margaret River's oldest vineyards, located In the Stevens Valley in the subregion of Wallcliffe. The vineyard was first planted in 1978 and subsequently purchased by mining heir Michael Wright in 1991. It is part of what James Halliday refers to as the 'golden triangle' of Margaret River - encompassing Voyager Estate, Leeuwin Estate and Cape Mentelle. This impeccably run Estate crafts a set of wines that ooze style and class.

"Voyager reds are some of my favourites. Despite its youth, this benefits from decanting, revealing heady aromas of intense blueberry and red rose petals. The palate is very rich and chocolately, with a little background oak that melds into the wine with time. Refined, generous, silky and delicious."  Toni Paterson MW

"The 2009 Shiraz is a rich and concentrated wine with fine, silky tannins reflecting the warm, extended ripening season. Small-batch fermentation and sensitive winemaking practices were used to allow the purity of fruit from our vineyards to be fully expressed. It is an impressive wine that continues the evolution of this variety at Voyager Estate.

Dark crimson with vibrant purple hues. Lifted aromas of blackberries, blueberries and black olive with hints of anise and dusty, vanillin oak. A rich, concentrated and generous palate displaying typical flavours of blackberry, blueberry, blood plum and dark cherry with nuances of spice and anise. The tannins are fine and silky and integrate seamlessly with hints of cedar and vanillin."  Voyager Estate

Expert reviews

"Oozes ripe fresh-cut blood plums, wild berries and fine-ground baking spices. Beautifully applied oak. The palate has ripe red berries, blueberries and plums, the same fresh pastry notes as the '07, dense fine tannins and super balance."  Nick Stock, Wine100 – 96 points

"Seductive, perfumed, sweet fruit notes on the nose infused with light savoury and primary spicy characters. A firm and bold palate statement with robust tannins, plenty of well weighted oak and intense concentrated fruit. A splash of viognier brings the added complexity of gingery stone fruit to the table alongside those plummy blueberry notes. Long, powerful finish still quite tight."  Ray Jordan, The West Australian - 96 points

"Deep purple-crimson; the touch of viognier works its magic, lifting the fragrant aroma and palate profile; black cherry, plum, spice and balanced oak are indivisible components of a beautifully structured and balanced wine. Drink: 2029."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 95 points

"Voyager reds are some of my favourites. Despite its youth, this benefits from decanting, revealing heady aromas of intense blueberry and red rose petals. The palate is very rich and chocolately, with a little background oak that melds into the wine with time. Refined, generous, silky and delicious."  Toni Paterson MW, Qantas The Australian Way 

"This is an elegant, stylish shiraz with a lot of charm and rich, fully ripe blackberry flavours. It's succulent and fleshy in the mouth, with juicy fruit and a clean, balanced grip thanks to fine-grained tannins."  Huon Hooke, Gourmet Traveller Wine  ★★★★★

"Voyager Estate are well and truly in the magical upper echelon of Margaret River royalty wineries. Beautiful aromatics that encourage and tempt. Tiny candied fruits, cassis and mulberry then dig deeper and find wafts of ground coffee and baking spice. The palate is oh-so lithe and judiciously metered with a fine, feathery line of tannins and a gently, burry char. It's hard not to embrace the swathe of bright fruit flavours at play and the wine lingers through a fine, euro-accented, savoury finish. This is impressively formed, supple, sensual and seductive Margaret River Shiraz at its best. Pretty to drink, now, and in time. Tasted : July11 Alcohol : 13.9% Price : $38 Closure : Screwcap Drink: 2011 – 2019."  Mike Bennie, The Wine Front – 94+ points

"The wine is all about the fruit. Mulberry and blueberry flavours dominate the palate. There's an intriguing lift of anise with vanilla and raspberries on the nose; the palate is luscious and silky with good mid-palate weight. The tannins play a subsidiary role to the fruit but everything is in check and balance."  Scoop Magazine, Autumn 2011 – 18/20 points

"Inviting inky appearance. Strong black cherry, vanilla and blueberries on the nose. Full bodied fruit driven wine with dry powdery tannins and a sweet oak/ spice flavour reminiscent of cinnamon. Very attractive wine that is drinking well now but will improve in the next 3-5 years. Strikes a cord with beef and red wine pie."  Clive Hartley, The Australian Wine Guide - Highly Recommended

"Very spicy and silky-smooth, with slightly exaggerated aromas of red cherries, pepper and spice, plus a fragrant lift from newish chocolate/cedar oak. Tightly knit with smoky mocha oak, its intense red berry, cassis, and plum-like fruit is underpinned by suggestions of tomato stalk and fine, dusty, powdery tannins, finishing finely balanced, with genuine length of fruit, structure and fresh acids."  Jeremy Oliver – 93 points

About the winery

Voyager Estate is one of Margaret River's oldest vineyards, located In the Stevens Valley in the subregion of Wallcliffe. It is part of what James Halliday refers to as the 'golden triangle' of Margaret River - encompassing Voyager Estate, Leeuwin Estate and Cape Mentelle.

The vineyard was first planted in 1978 and at the time was known as Freycinet Estate. It was purchased by mining heir Michael Wright in 1991 and renamed Voyager Estate. Michael's agricultural background and extensive knowledge of soils and climate led him to Freycinet, where the uniform gravelly soils with a stony clay base enable moisture and nutrients to be slowly released to the vines.

Michael gradually acquired adjoining properties of similar soil types over time and today the vineyard occupies over 100 hectares. The regional stars chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon take the lead, though there are another 12 varieties planted - shiraz, merlot, petit verdot, cabernet franc, malbec, tempranillo, grenache, semillon, sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris, chenin blanc and viognier.

The highest priority at the Estate has been the transition to certified organic management. That process initially began with a block of the original cabernet sauvignon plantings which has been organically farmed since 2004. As of 2021, the winery and 90 hectares of the vineyard have been certified organic and the transition is expected to be complete by 2023.

The management process doesn't stop at organics, either, with broader issues very much on the agenda. "Climate Change is an issue of paramount importance, not only for the survival of our species, but also in the way it specifically impacts our industry. We are ultimately working towards becoming a carbon negative business. We're currently building and recording baseline soil carbon levels in the pursuit of this goal.”, says Steve James who was Head of Winemaking and Viticulture for 23 years and is now employed in a consulting role.

Michael Wright, Voyager's founder and visionary, sadly passed away in 2012, but he left a powerful legacy of an absolute commitment to quality that today pervades every corner of Voyager. The Estate remains family owned, with Michael's daughter, Alex Burt (nee Wright), matching her father's fanatical attention to detail with an environmental conscience that has opened another important chapter in the history of this Estate.

Sheep grazing through the vineyard in winter

 The following extract is from an article by Paige Taylor in The Weekend Australian

As the golden end of a warm day settles over Voyager Estate, the hills of rolling vines are literally abuzz. Driving slowly past glistening rows of chenin blanc vines, busting with bright new spring buds, the sound of life is unmistakeable. Insects, hawks, eagles, ibis and native ducks fill the air with movement and sound; there's a sense that life is everywhere. "These vines are singing," says Voyager Estate vineyard manager Glen Ryan, looking out over the property, which shares its footprint with native karri, blackbutt and marri trees.

Voyager Estate wasn't always so lively. For decades, the Margaret River vineyard was like so many of its neighbours: a neat, quiet monoculture. Sprayed regularly to ward off pests and weeds, incidental life - chirping insects and squawking birds, in particular found it hard to flourish here.

Then Ryan and his team set about making a profound change.

With the blessing of proprietor Alexandra Burt, Ryan started taking Voyager wholly organic, removing chemicals from the farm and instituting a natural regimen for the soil and the vines. The result has been one of the most dramatic transformations of a large-scale winery in Australia, with Voyager due to be certified organic in January after more than a decade of incremental change. The 110ha property, 280km south of Perth, has been producing its signature wines without pesticides for years, but the bureaucracy of the certification process moves at a slower pace.

As a business proposal, going organic was not an obvious move for a winery that was already commercially successful and producing great wine. Yields are now 30 per cent lower than they were in pre-organic days. The cost of producing the grapes is higher, too. But "it's such a beautiful way to farm", says Ryan, who adds that the property is now on the way to becoming carbon neutral. The use of renewable energy, carbon offsets, waste reduction and comprehensive recycling, land rehabilitation and revegetation activities are all now part of Voyager's focus.