Continuing our reflection on 30 years of Voyager Estate, Cliff Royle talks about the evolution of one of his favourite varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon.

The very first vine planted at Voyager Estate was Cabernet Sauvignon. That was 30 years ago when Peter and Jenny Gherardi recognised the potential of the land on the corner of Stevens and Gnarawary Roads in Margaret River. The Cabernet they planted is the first thing visitors see today when they enter the drive – a majestic block of mature vines sloping gently away to the South. Watching the evolution of Cabernet on this site has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my time in winemaking.

The Gherardis had made some really solid wines from that block, particularly in the good Margaret River vintages such as 82, 86, 88 and even 90. On the downside they showed a lot of ‘green’ characters, particularly eucalyptus, which was the style at the time, but they also had a depth of fruit with a beautiful chocolate core which suggested they could do even better. We were closer to the mark in 98 and 99 with more of a focus on balancing out these eucalyptus flavours and both wines were vastly improved as a result.

However, it wasn’t until viticulturist Steve James and our consultant viticulturist, David Jordan, came on the scene that we started to question whether the influence of closely planted blue gums was in part responsible for some of the eucalyptus flavours. These are not native to the area and were causing nothing but problems. We removed them and, as if by magic, the eucalyptus characters disappeared.

Steve also brought with him some ideas on how to manage the vineyard for maximum flavour. Improved canopy management, crop-thinning, and judicious use of irrigation, along with the removal of the blue gums in 2000, collectively made such a significant change that by 2001, when the season was so perfect, we made what is still probably my favourite Cabernet of ours so far.

Not all the improvements have been in the vineyard. These days we handle the fruit differently. We ferment at about 28 degrees instead of 32/33. Five degrees doesn’t sound like much but the higher the temperature, the more chemical reactions are taking place extracting more colour and tannin. Dropping the temperature preserves the fruit freshness without overextraction and produces softer, fleshier wines. This is supported by the use of open fermenters and a pumpover regime that is more selective for tannin management. If you look at the 99 and 04 wines together, the difference in tannin structure is phenomenal. Whilst both wines are terrific, the 1999 shows that we were focusing a lot on structure, whereas by 2004 we were thinking more about softness and roundness yet still keeping an eye on tannin.

2001 onwards has produced a whole host of interesting vintages. After the hugely successful 2001, the savoury 2002 kept up the momentum (96 points from Halliday and in Phillip Rich’s top 20 wines that year). The 2003 topped several blind tastings and showed rich ripe fruit, chocolate and crushed cassis with cedary oak. The superb 2004 is along the same lines but even a bit riper and fleshier, reflecting the warmer vintage. To me, 2003 feels like classic Bordeaux; 2004 is classic Margaret River.

As for upcoming wines, the 2005 is in bottle and may come out better than both 03 and 04. Even I know that’s a big call! 2006 was a very tough vintage and, after a year in barrel, it was clear that it would not quite stack up against our previous vintages and we took the difficult decision to not make a Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot from 2006. On the positive side, the fruit has been put into our 2006 Girt by Sea and actually improved the Cabernet component of this wine. 07 and 08 are both looking sensational. The 2007 is being bottled this December and will need some time in bottle before I confirm my thoughts on where it sits in the line-up. The 2008? Well, I reckon it’s looking as good as 2001 at this early stage, but I think I’ve made enough big calls for one article so I’ll reserve any further comment for now!

Looking ahead to the future we definitely start to see the benefit of some vine age for these wines and that’s not just on the original Freycinet block. The North Block is 15 years old and showing maturity well beyond its years. I am also personally excited about the new clones of Cabernet that we are planting at the moment. The site boasts some of the best soil in Margaret River on rocky, North East facing slopes. I believe the potential is unlimited on those blocks and the best may yet be to come. In my job, patience is definitely a virtue.