Blog

White Burgundy Staff Tasting

Here at Voyager Estate we’re pretty lucky. We’re always encouraged to constantly learn more about wine. So, when our winemakers organise a tasting, especially when they tell you they’ve, and I quote “raided the winery cellar”, come hell or high water, you just KNOW you’ve got to be there.  And wow, what an great tasting!!!

Assistant winemaker, James Penton brought a 2-metre long glass-framed map of Burgundy, which came in handy as he started explaining how a slightly different aspect, position on the hill and/or soil type along the famous Côte-d’Or made such a difference to the character of the wines.

Some of the wines we tasted were from iconic family-run producers who have been working the land for many generations, over which time plots have been split amongst children, then grand-children and so on, so they are the product of grapes from only a few short rows within a vineyard that, itself, might be no larger than the smallest of our own nine Chardonnay blocks. In turn, that means often only one or two barrels can be made per year, and then only when the conditions allow for the all the grapes to be picked. When you consider the stream of bad luck that seems to constantly plague Burgundy (hail, storms, frost, heatwaves, disease), you start to appreciate both the rarity and the diversity of these wines.

Here’s a run-down of a few of the wines that left a particular impression on the group…

Jean-Louis Chavy’s Puligny-Montrachet 1er cru Les Folatières had a list of descriptors as long as the wine's length. The 2012 vintage was the first wine in our line-up and certainly didn’t disappoint in its freshness, but interestingly, was just as great in maturity as the final wine, made under his father’s name, Gérard Chavy , from 1999 vintage. Certainly one of James's favourites and a wonderful opportunity to understand how youthful character transforms over time in the bottle.

The Bruno Colin 2010 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er cru Les Chaumées gave a curious combination of chalky, talc-like texture, almost waxy weight and pure lemon blossom and pith character. Still amazingly youthful, I (almost) felt guilty we opened it!

Then along came the 2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne. At 10 years old, it was as fresh as a daisy but far more complex! It stood out as one of my favourites, evolving in the glass and revealing a new character at each sip or sniff. It’s also one of a handful of times I've ever seen Steve James give 19.5/20 points to a wine!

There were some pretty oxidised and just downright old little numbers in the line-up too, particularly from the 2002 and 2001 vintages, allowing us to reflect on the enduring purity and age worthiness of our own 2002 Chardonnay, even as aged wine, and to appreciate benefits screwcap closures have afforded us.

Thanks must go to our winemaking team who have scrupulously sourced these wines over the years, stored them, then selected and generously shared them with all of us, but also to the Wright family who has created a culture based upon the pursuit of understanding at Voyager Estate and encouraged in each and every one of us a passion for all aspects of viticulture and winemaking.

~ Claire Tonon, Sommelier

2018 Harvest Update

The New Year is upon us, the sun’s shining, the nets are out, the grapes are developing and the presses have been uncovered. It’s an exciting time at Voyager Estate - the 2018 vintage is on its way! Our production team estimates a 8th or 9th of February start of harvest, but there’s plenty of work to be done before then.

Since the beginning of the year, our viticulture team have been busily delivering rolls of nets around to all the Chardonnay vineyards as the berries are just starting to show some colour development, making them rather noticeable and appetising to the local birdlife. Pictured is our Gin Gin Chardonnay, already showing beautiful bunches.

They’re trimming vines back into shape too. Yes, even vineyards get to have a “haircut” every now and again! It’s as much for the benefit of the workers (who no longer need to fight their way through a jungle of unruly canes), as it is for the vines, maximising light and air flow in the canopy, which helps ripening and lowers the chance of disease but also because, once the growing tips are cut back, the vines tend to slow vegetal growth, channelling all that extra energy into ripening the berries.

Wandering through the winery you notice lots of maintenance going on – we certainly don’t want our presses, pumps and other equipment breaking down on us while we have our precious berries waiting to be processed.

The distinctive and magnificent smell of oak hits you when you visit the barrel hall to discover stacks of empty barrels patiently awaiting use. The winemaking team have spent copious hours emptying and meticulously cleaning some, blending their contents ready for bottling. Others are brand new, still wrapped in the cling film that protected them as they sailed across the oceans toward their new home in Margaret River.

And of course, there’s plenty more to do before we’ll be able to ready to start picking those grapes and crafting the 2018 wines…. Stay tuned.

 

Our First Underground Cellar Extravaganza

For the first time, we are opening our underground cellar for a wine clearance on December 2 and 3. We’ve sorted out the cellar and now we have some great pre-Christmas special prices on bin end wines.  We asked Sommelier, Claire Tonon, to take a look at some of the wines on offer.  Here's her thoughts, and her own grape juice & gin cocktail creation!

~

I’m going to admit, I’m a self-confessed Cabernet nerd so Shiraz doesn’t often get a look-in when I consider opening a bottle. But… at the risk of sounding like a complete hypocrite, the 2013 Shiraz is drinking AMAZINGLY at the moment! It’s the product of one of the great warmer vintages of recent past and Shiraz loves a bit of warmth, so gave us a wine of intense, ripe red and black berry fruit, a hint of spice and lovely plush tannins. Yum! On its own or get the Weber fired up!

From the same lovely warm vintage comes the 2013 Girt by Sea Cabernet Merlot. You can never have enough of this wine hanging around… I’m constantly running out because it comes with me everywhere – it’s a great barbeque wine, a easy thank you or birthday present, and, best of all, it is well-priced enough to not feel guilty opening a bottle any (or every) day for dinner! With its combination of summer berries, well-balanced oak influence and a larger component of Merlot making it a great early drinking wine, this is one to stock up on!

The whites are well represented by the intensely aromatic 2015 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon. I’ve always sustained that Voyager Estate wines look better at least a year after their release and this is quintessential Margaret River blend is the perfect example. From the immediate concentration of passionfruit, yellow nectarine and peach aromas, with delicate herbal undertones through to the full-flavoured palate and crisp fresh acidity, this is this summer’s quaffer! A great aperitif with barbequed prawns, excellent with a cold seafood salad at the beach as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean, or just sitting on your deck at home with some fresh Chevre and wood-fired bread.

And look, we’ve even got something for the non-wine drinkers… or for the Gin drinkers wanting to try something a little different to the same old G&T! Our White Grape Juice is made primarily using Semillon grapes so it has a wonderful citrus freshness, almost a crunchiness, no alcohol at all and a lovely spritz. It’s refreshing on its own, but take a look at the cocktail we’ve come up with which has become our summer pool-side and party staple!

330ml (a full bottle) Voyager Estate White Grape Juice
90ml (3 nips) good quality Gin (we like the Margaret River Distilling Co. Giniversity London Dry)
Freshly squeezed juice of one lime
1 heaped teaspoon micro-planed fresh ginger
Mint leaves – a few crushed for mixing plus a small bunch for each glass, as garnish
Finely sliced lime, to garnish
(Serves 2)

Add plenty of ice into two large wine glasses. Divide the White Grape Juice equally between the glasses. Add Gin, lime juice, ginger and crushed mint into a cocktail shaker with a few pieces of ice. Shake well. Strain and divide between the two glasses. Stir. Add lime and mint leaves to garnish.

~

The Underground Cellar Sale is combined with our Laze on the Lawn event on Saturday, 2 December and Sunday, 3 December from 11am - 4pm.  Kick back with a glass of wine, relax with some live music and fill your wine rack, all at one fun event.  Wine specials apply only on the day from the cellar.

A Sensory Platter of Wine Aromas

Our Wine Room team have been asked to each select one of our wines, and write their own tasting notes.  

One of the team, Kerry, took the task a step further by creating a tasting to show how important smell and taste are when exploring wines.  She emphasised that point by taking sight away from the experience.  This is her explanation on her 'tasting notes'.

"Winemakers & viticulturists are amazing servants of Mother Nature; working with her to grow and produce beautiful fruit and then to use their expertise to craft wines that express the best of that fruit’s characteristics. Winemakers also translate their story into tantalising tasting language, which we use to help guide our customers on the flavours and nuances of these creations."

"Tasting notes are always so subjective and suggestive. They can instantly trigger your mind into believing that the wine you are sampling is exactly as the winemaker has described."

"I was thinking about my job and all the people we have the privilege of talking with about our wines. Then I started thinking … just image if my customer was sight impaired. How could I create an amazing tasting experience? Now there’s a challenge; to describe the typical characteristics of a particular wine…challenge accepted."

"I created a ‘sensory platter’ that hopefully captured all the basic characters and nuances of the 2014 Project Sauvignon Blanc, and held a tasting with some blindfolded colleagues."

"I presented the tasting with the emphasis on touch and smell. We worked through the sensory platter to identify the primary aromas and flavours, mixing each element into a bowl – although in this case, a spittoon was used. This is the only time I have ever heard anyone say “my spittoon smells amazing”!

Kerry Farrelly, Wine Room Attendant

Mixing all the elements really was like smelling a glass of the wine, and was a fun way to make the wine aromas come alive.  It was really interesting to directly correlate the smell of the fruit, leave or blossom to the wine.  In saying that, some, like the passionfruit, made that aroma jump out of the glass while some, like the vanilla pod, neutralised that aroma in the wine.  

Next time you have a glass of wine and the tasting notes for that wine, see if you have any of the tasting descriptors in their real form to hand, and give this a go.

Sensory elements used

Australian native finger limes
Cape Gooseberries
Cumquats
Citrus blossoms
Fennel leaves
Kaffir lime leaves
Lemon blossom
Lemon grass
Lemons, juice and peel
Lime, juice and peel
Passionfruit
Vanilla pod

World's Best with us at Gourmet Escape

We are delighted to welcome the world’s top female chef, Ana Roš, to collaborate on a special event on Saturday, 18 November, 2017 for Gourmet Escape.

Named World's Best Female Chef for 2017 at the World's 50 Best Restaurants Awards earlier this year, Ana is the powerhouse behind her family restaurant, Hiša Franko in Kobarid, Slovenia. Her story is best told in her words;

“After I met my future husband we travelled all around the world to see and understand the best kitchens in the world, from Adria Ferran to Heston Blumenthal, Roca brothers, Carme Ruscalleda, Heinz Beck, Alajmo family…it is funny to see now, these same people visiting our beautiful and rural Hiša Franko,” Ana said.

“I closed myself in the kitchen working hard on techniques, flavours, studying from many books I have (traditional and modern), trying to understand my own way. I wanted to be able to express the season, the territory, my character, my travels, my femininity.”

"At the beginning I was completely self-trained, playing on my talent of combining tastes and on what my mother-in-law was able to transfer: the knowledge of bread, meat, simple and basic desserts, pastas. After a few years I had a chance to work and become friends with some world famous chefs and some of them gave me the best possible bases for my cuisine.”

Ana will work closely with Voyager Estate Head Chef, Santi Fernandez to create a six-course menu, paired with wines from our cellar as well as other Margaret River greats.

Our other guest chef for Gourmet Escape is Kevin Cherkas, of Cuca in Bali. Kevin is bringing his team to Margaret River for part of our In Residence series, Bali Eats and Beats, on Thursday, 16 and Friday, 17 November, where guests can expect our wines paired with Cuca’s brand of delicious Bali-inspired quirky comfort food.

“Margaret River was a discovery we did not expect,” said Kevin.

“We knew it was good but underestimated its ability to produce world class wine in a magical place filled with truly great people.”

“Ironically the first winery we tried was Voyager Estate and they seemed to set the tone for everything that followed. Since that trip we became determined to showcase what we do alongside their shockingly excellent wine and timeless property. We can finally say we are back baby. Come hungry, we will be ready!”

Tickets for Ana & Santi’s World Discovery Dinner presented by Audi are available via Ticketek from 12pm AWST on September 9.

Tickets for our Kevin’s In Residence Bali Eats and Beats dinners can be booked through our website here or call us on +61 8 9757 6354.