HEART AND SOIL
Chardonnay is the heart and soul of our craft at Voyager Estate.
As we wrap-up the harvest of this year’s chardonnay grapes, we are excited to unveil two new Certified Organic releases – the Voyager Estate Chardonnay and Broadvale Block 6. Nurtured from the ground up, these wines reflect our aim to shine a light on Margaret River and mark a special moment in our organics journey.
We have been farming sustainably for decades and with every passing year, our team learns more about the unique qualities of each vineyard site. Since beginning the journey to organic certification in 2017, we have shifted our operations in various ways, including using beneficial bugs to combat pests, making our own compost, and evolving our irrigation system to conserve water.
Through this sustainable ethos, our vines have begun to regulate themselves and show increased resilience, as we put more life back into the soil. With reduced yields, the vines are encouraged to work harder and delve deeper, and we are seeing a marked concentration of flavour, minerality and vineyard character in each release. This is complemented by a ‘less is more’ approach in the winery, allowing the nuances of site, soil, and season to really shine.
The 2020 vintage was truly exceptional, with a near perfect growing season followed by a very warm December. Milder conditions through January ripened the grapes beautifully and saw the team starting harvest in early February. The chardonnay was picked first, with pristine freshness and bright varietal expression – the result is two exceptional wines that tell a unique story of time and place.
The Voyager Estate Chardonnay is our legacy in a glass, crafted from six of our best chardonnay blocks. An initial burst of citrus is complemented by fine, toasty oak and a clean mineral edge – the perfect balance of power and elegance.
Broadvale Block 6 continues to be, hands down, the most exciting parcel of chardonnay on the Estate. Perched atop a gravelly hill that gently slopes to the east, it is planted only with the Dijon 95 clone. This wine has reinforced the need for our team to stand back and let the site do the talking.
“Making Broadvale Block 6 Chardonnay is always exciting. As a juice, it ferments naturally each year due to the lower sugar levels at harvest. It has a flavour profile that builds nicely during ripening and is quite distinctive when ready. Elements of it remind me of Corton wines from Burgundy. This year’s release again shows character and drive in abundance” – Travis Lemm, Winemaker.
These two newly Certified Organic releases are now available via our online shop.
