Our Head of Viticulture, Mike Saunders, shares the all the vineyard activity as spring growth surges and the team prepare for a new season.

"Budburst is now complete across all our blocks, with Cabernet Sauvignon being the last to emerge. Chenin and Chardonnay, on the other hand, have been charging along for about a month and are already reaching the 7–8 leaf stage in some areas.

This is a crucial time in the vineyard as we focus on maintaining healthy vines. We're busy managing sprays to protect against powdery mildew, and potentially downy mildew if the rain persists. We’re also closely monitoring the moon phases, as weevils tend to appear around the first full moon in October. However, early soil checks suggest they might arrive sooner this year.

As part of our organic approach, we don’t use herbicides. Instead, we manage competition under the vines through mechanical weeding, which we’ll be doing full-time over the next few weeks. This method not only helps reduce competition for nutrients but also controls weevils in the soil.

Canopy management is also top of mind right now. We’re going through the process of shoot thinning, leaving only the shoots that bear fruit or originate from the buds we selected during pruning. This ensures consistent fruit quality and gives the vines ample time to ripen throughout the season. We’ll begin with Chenin and Chardonnay, moving on to the reds in the next week or two.

With the vines in a period of rapid growth, we’re also feeding them with seaweed and fish-based fertilisers to support healthy shoot development.

In Block 8, we’re rejuvenating a section by re-trunking half the block to combat trunk disease. Rather than replanting, we’re cutting the vines low to encourage new watershoots that will replace the old trunks, giving these vines a fresh start."

Our Chief Winemaker, Tim Shand, shares the latest from the winery as the team prepares to blend our Chardonnay.

"Blending our 2024 Voyager Estate Chardonnay is a task we usually tackle in November. However, due to the earlier and warmer harvest this year, we’ve noticed the wines evolving a little faster than usual. As a result, we'll be bringing them out of the barrel and starting the blending process sooner.

The journey begins with blind tastings of every Chardonnay batch that's been aging in oak. By tasting blind, we remove any biases, ensuring we're grading based purely on quality. From there, the batches are assigned to one of three categories: MJW, Voyager Estate, or Coastal. Next, we individually taste every barrel in each batch to ensure the consistency we expect across the group.

For the blending process, we start by combining all the barrels graded as Voyager Estate and above. We then refine the blend to ensure it meets our standards in both style and quality. If possible, we’ll pull aside a few exceptional barrels for our MJW Chardonnay, only made in really great years.

We're pleased with the quality of the 2024 vintage, but as with every year, we will be selective to ensure only the best wines make it into bottle."

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We're thrilled to launch our brand-new certified organic 2023 Voyager Estate Syrah—a meticulously crafted wine three decades in the making. Sourced from our finest Shiraz vineyards, our vision for the Syrah was to express the detail and finesse that is possible from our cooler coastal site in Stevens Valley.

For those curious about what makes it truly distinct, Chief Winemaker, Tim Shand, delves into the Syrah story—from the handpicked vineyard blocks to the subtle shifts in winemaking, and how the cooler season shaped this vintage.

How do you interpret the Syrah style in general?

Syrah, for me, is mostly about tension. While Shiraz can be rich and opulent with its fruit, Syrah is about balancing that richness with savoury notes and bright, light fruit. It’s a style where the tannins hold everything in check, giving the palate focus.

How did you approach making our new Syrah at Voyager Estate?

Our approach at Voyager Estate was to focus on expressing tension and balance. We used whole bunches not just for tannin and dusty savouriness but also to enhance the aromatics, which helps to clip the natural generosity and voluptuousness of Shiraz. We've also made significant changes in our use of oak—only 10% is new, with larger puncheons and less time in barrel.

How would you describe our Syrah in terms of style and flavour?

It all goes back to tension. That aromatic bright fruit meeting graphite and spice. It’s not light in body but feels lighter on its feet. It offers a savoury finish rather than one that's oaky or sweet. The tannins are supple and consistent, without being over-extracted, providing a dustiness that complements the red fruit profile. The oak presence is very much in the background.

How does our Syrah express a sense of place?

In Stevens Valley, the cooler climate and coastal breezes give our grapes extra time to develop on the vine, especially the tannins, which ripen at a relaxed pace. This results in a Syrah that expresses a beautiful balance between boldness and savouriness – a hallmark of Shiraz from our unique site. Carefully selected gravel vineyards and vine age bring complexity and depth. These older vines, rooted in certified organic, free draining soils, produce fruit with a concentration that’s not easily achieved elsewhere in Margaret River.

What do you love most about it?

I love that this wine encapsulates 30 years of work in both the vineyard and the winery, into a wine that we want to make and that we want to put all our energy behind. It reflects our commitment to organic practices, the unique vineyard site, and our overall vision for Voyager Estate.

What is your favourite way to drink it?

Definitely with lamb dishes! North African or Middle Eastern cuisine. Anything where the meat will be a little lighter and has more spice. A tagine would be epic. Its elegance makes it a very versatile red though – it could suit many different situations.

Add the new 2023 Syrah to your collection here.

   

We're thrilled to welcome Mike Saunders to Voyager Estate as our Head of Viticulture. Mike’s passion for viticulture traces back to his childhood, where his love for farming first took root. At just seven years old, he was already behind the wheel of a tractor alongside his grandad, captivated by the outdoors and the land. This early connection led him to pursue a Degree in Horticulture and sparked a lifelong fascination. Mike brings a wealth of experience and deep expertise in managing organic vineyards to the team, having honed his skills over many seasons at some of New Zealand's most celebrated wineries.

What drew you to Voyager Estate in Margaret River?

Moving from one beautiful part of the world to another! If you're going to go anywhere in Australia, everyone I've spoken to says Margaret River is the place to be. It almost feels like there's a memo going around, because every person I meet tells me this is the most amazing place. So, either everyone's just on the same page, or it really is the best place in the world!

What fascinates you most about viticulture?

It’s the vine’s ability to grow in any situation, in any environment worldwide. Give the vine two or three core ingredients, and it will do its thing, producing an infinitely variable product. The same vine in different circumstances will create something you’ve never tasted before.

For you, what is the most rewarding aspect of farming organically?

The most rewarding time is that minute that last bunch is picked for the season and you’ve done everything you possibly can to create the best possible fruit and convey that through to the winery. It’s this real mixture of relief and pride and a little bit of grief. It’s the end of one great chapter, but the beginning of another.

What about the most challenging aspect?

Organic viticulture is about doing a million little things at exactly the right time. As we don’t have the silver bullets with organics, we’ve got to be so much more observant. We’ve also got to be so much more proactive and in tune with the environment that the vines are in. But if we’re doing our job right, nailing the balance within the ecosystem, then everything else kind of just flows on from there.

How do you think farming practices manifest in the final wine?

Everything that has impacted those grapes, and then the wine, is reflected in the final product. The wine is the ultimate distillation of an entire year’s work—of the vineyard team’s commitment, the climate, the weather, and how we treat the fruit when it hits the winery.

In Margaret River, we are known for our worldclass Chardonnay. What excites you about this variety? 

I think Chardonnay is one of those wines that has got an incredible ability to be infinitely variable. So it takes on the persona of the viticulturist, it takes on the persona of the winemaker, and it takes on the flavours of the environment that it’s grown and made in. It takes on all the outside impact and outside influences, brings them all into itself, and radiates out something beautiful.

What will your first year at Voyager Estate look like?

There’s going to be a lot of observation, a lot of getting to know the vines, getting to know the people, getting to know the climate, and then seeing how we can start to shape those things into what we want them to be. So yes, a lot of observation in the first year, get a harvest under the belt, get the fruit into the winery, and start tasting.

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The results of this year’s edition of Halliday Wine Companion are in, and we’re thrilled to share that along with some absolutely fantastic scores, we have once again been awarded a five-star rating, placing us alongside the top wineries in the region:

"Outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity. Will have at least two wines rated at 95 points or above and has typically held a five-star rating for the previous three years" – Halliday Wine Companion.

We were particularly excited to see four of our wines receive gold and silver ratings from esteemed wine reviewer, Jane Faulkner.

2020 MJW Cabernet Sauvignon – 96 points | GOLD RATED

The flagship, the tribute wine, so no pressure. It must be distinct and the best of the best. All cabernet on show here with its heady aromatics, a whorl of blackberries and boysenberries, bay leaves and some mint plus an array of exotic spices from cinnamon to star anise alongside cedary, choc-creamy oak. Fuller-bodied and flavoursome, richly so but not dense as chalky, textural tannins glide across the palate and the acidity follows closely behind like curling, cleaning and refreshing everything in its wake. Powerful and ready now but so worth cellaring.

2022 MJW Chardonnay – 96 points | GOLD RATED | Fold member exclusive

A powerhouse of a wine, and yet, acidity rules, so it becomes refined, long and pure in its own way. Moreish and savoury with white stone fruit and citrus, flinty and tangy, with the oak completely supportive and unobtrusive. Quite delicious and complex too.

2022 Voyager Estate Chardonnay – 95 points | GOLD RATED

At first, the distinct lime oil and cedar character of the 30% new French oak comes to the fore, but with a decent airing, all the other flavours come into play and meld as one. It’s a very good wine. With white peach, pink grapefruit and zest, this is spicy, savoury and succulent. The palate layered with textural lees and superfine acidity leads it to a long finish.

2023 Voyager Estate Coastal Chardonnay – 92 points | SILVER RATED & SPECIAL VALUE

Such a pleasing drink as it’s not too heavy, not too light, but just right. A complete combo of white stone fruit, woodsy spices, creamy, nutty lees and a lick of vanillin/cedary oak. The acidity keeps this vibrant and refreshing.

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The 2024 vintage saw the return of a much-loved staff training initiative: the Team Winemaking Project. Over the last year, the Cellar Door team have nurtured four rows of heritage Grenache vines, originally planted in 1978, through every stage of the winemaking process – from pruning to bottling.

The journey began with enthusiasm and a thirst for knowledge. With guidance from Chief Winemaker, Tim Shand, our team immersed themselves in every aspect of viticulture and winemaking. This project provided an invaluable opportunity to translate their theoretical knowledge into practical skills while also enjoying the beauty of working outdoors.

The first task was pruning the vines over a couple of cool, sunny winter mornings. The team watched a professional pruning video first to learn the perfect technique, but among the vines, reality set in as they navigated the gnarly trunks out in the field. Despite the challenges, they forged ahead, perhaps with a few too many buds left behind. All part of the learning curve!

Throughout the growing season, the team regularly visited the block, monitoring and completing the manual tasks the vines needed. They extensively shoot-thinned to ensure even distribution of canes and fruit, lifted wires, plucked excess leaves, and removed lateral shoots. In mid-January, about 30% of the bunches were dropped as they went through veraison, allowing the remaining fruit to develop better flavour and ripeness.

As harvest time approached, ripeness was tested. The team carefully harvested a representative selection of the precious bunches. They then took the grapes to the winery, where they destemmed, hand-crushed, and began the fermentation process. After several weeks of testing and tasting, the grapes were finally picked before the rains came.

Following the harvest, the Grenache was processed, retaining whole bunches. The team foot-stomped, tested every few days as the wine fermented, and eventually basket-pressed the fruit. The wine was then racked to a concrete egg for a couple of months before bottling, capping, and labelling with striking artwork designed by team member and emerging artist, Rebeca Vonk Marins.

Many thanks are owed to Chief Winemaker, Tim Shand, for guiding the team from the very beginning, and to the Vineyard and Winery crew for their assistance throughout the project. The team gained a wealth of knowledge through the process, both in the vineyard, learning about the many tasks required to ensure the grapes reached ripeness and were harvested in pristine condition, and also in the winery, learning about the intricacies of whole bunch fermentation. The best part of course, was taking home their hand-crafted magnum of Grenache at the end – one of only 35 produced – a delicious and exclusive memento for all their hard work!

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To celebrate the release of our new vintages, Voyager Estate Sommelier, Claire Tonon, shares a few thoughts on what makes a glass of MJW so special.

In what ways do the MJW wines embody the ultimate expression of our land?

Our MJW wines, named after Voyager Estate’s Founder Michael J. Wright, reflect his love of the land and passion for farming.

Michael meticulously profiled the land, digging deep to understand the soil types, layers, and nutrients. He planted the most suitable varieties in carefully selected patches, sometimes creating irregular-shaped blocks that followed the lay of the land. Quirky, but functional, just like the man himself.

This careful matching of vines to their soils and micro-climates ensured consistency and distinct varietal expressions from each site. The subtle differences in the grapes become more pronounced as the wines ferment, mature in barrel, and age in bottle, capturing the ultimate expression of the land in every sip.

How does each bottle reflect Michael’s dedication to excellence?

Just as each vineyard planting involved meticulous soil profiling and clonal selection, Michael ensured every part of grape-growing and winemaking focused on excellence, a dedication he instilled throughout the business. Though Michael is no longer with us, his legacy lives on in these wines.

Organic farming, building soil diversity, hand-tending vines, selectively harvesting grapes, delicately handling fruit, and maturing in the finest oak are all part of our careful process. Each step in crafting MJW wines is deliberate and meticulous, showcasing purity of fruit, texture, complexity, and fine structure, which contribute to their quality and cellaring potential.

How does the terroir of our Stevens Valley site influence the sensory experience of our MJW wines?

The 2022 MJW Chardonnay is sourced entirely from Broadvale Block 5, which has very gravelly, nutrient-poor soil that ensures lower yields of more concentrated fruit. The shallow soil with a stony/clay base provides necessary water during dry summers. Planted on a gentle northwest slope and exposed to cooling breezes from the Indian Ocean, the vineyard's early growth is slowed. Established in 2003 with the Gingin clone, the vineyard balances fruit concentration with great acidity.

The 2020 MJW Cabernet Sauvignon benefits from vine age and blending. It is sourced from the Old Block (planted in 1978) and North Block (planted in 1995), both using the Houghton clone. The Old Block, with its orange clay and dark organic topsoil, produces rich fruit, sweetness, and fine tannins. In contrast, the North Block's gravelly slope and rocky ridge result in a more prominent tannin structure and vibrant dark fruit. The blend from these sites creates a wine with a balance of power, structure, elegance, sweet fruit, and savoury complexities.

What gives the MJW wines their ability to age so gracefully?

Structural balance in the wine is key. This comes from every aspect of the wine's life—from vineyard soils and pruning to ripening conditions, harvest characteristics, and winemaking techniques, including fermentation temperatures and barrel aging.

The MJW Chardonnay is at its best between 8 to 10 years, with softened acidity and well-integrated fruit and oak. It can hold strong past 10 years, developing honeyed, nutty notes with a softer mouthfeel into the late teens. The MJW Cabernet Sauvignon can age for over 20 to 30 years. At 10 years, it shows little evolution, with more noticeable changes in fruit character and minor sediment around 12-14 years.

How does a glass of MJW transform an ordinary moment into something really special?

Whether Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon, there’s something deeply reverent about opening a bottle of MJW, and at the same time something delightfully convivial. Most think twice (or even thrice!) about opening one of these special wines. They’re an investment, after all, and everyone wants to capitalise on their investments. What makes this investment different from a piece of land or a few stocks and shares is that you can share it with your important people, enjoy it with your favourite foods, and take it along to your special occasions, to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Visit our online shop to purchase the 2020 MJW Cabernet Sauvignon. To add the very limited 2022 MJW Chardonnay to your collection, sign up to The Fold.

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Vintage 2024 has wrapped and it's looking like a standout year for Cabernet Sauvignon. Chief Winemaker, Tim Shand, shares a few thoughts on how the season unfolded for Voyager Estate and the wider Margaret River region.

"The 2024 vintage was marked by an extended warm and dry period following reasonable winter rains and an early bud burst. From mid-September until early May, the region experienced warmer-than-usual temperatures, including three distinct heatwaves, which influenced yields across all varieties. The extended dry spell led to lighter yields but also promoted even and early ripening. Harvesting commenced historically early, with picking completed well before Easter. Despite the rapid ripening, it happened evenly, unlike the elongated ripening process seen in 2023.

Cabernet Sauvignon benefited from milder weather in March, allowing for extended hang time and optimal tannin development. The Cabernet showcased excellent fruit weight and freshness, positioning 2024 as one of the best years for this variety in recent times. Chardonnay was picked early to preserve flavour, freshness, and acidity. The season produced solid Chardonnay with generous fruit weight. Although Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz did experience the brunt of the heatwaves, we carefully nurtured them to preserve their freshness, and we're delighted with the final result. Chenin Blanc thrived in the warmer conditions, resulting in great ripeness, fruit flavour, and vibrant acidity.

The increased organic matter and intelligent viticulture practices contributed to the vineyard's resilience, maintaining good health despite some challenging conditions. This year saw minimal botrytis pressure and low snail presence, though there was an increase in weevils due to the dry, warm weather.

The focus during the red wine harvest was on achieving tannin ripeness without compromising fruit condition. Both Cabernet and Shiraz needed careful timing to balance tannin development with fruit quality, a challenge that all producers in the region faced. Overall, the 2024 vintage, particularly for Cabernet Sauvignon, stands out for its fruit weight, freshness, and vibrancy. The wines exhibit significant tannins and flavours in the dark fruit spectrum, without signs of premature aging or over-ripeness, promising a quality that ranks alongside the excellent 2022 vintage. We're excited to see how these develop."

   

As part of our feature artist program, the Estate welcomed guests to the sold out launch of Margaret River painter Tamika Hogan’s solo exhibition, 'Colours of Kambarang', this past weekend.

Over 55 visitors hailing from various corners of Western Australia and beyond gathered in the Cellar Door for an evening filled with delicious wine and food, soulful melodies, vivid artwork, and creative musings from our guest of honour.

At the heart of 'Colours of Kambarang' is a collection of ten original oil paintings, each a reflection of wildflower season—a time of renewal and abundance along the Western Australian coastline. Tamika's bold strokes and vivid palette evoke the dynamism inherent in Kambarang, infusing her work with a sense of rejuvenation and hope. Emerging from a period of personal struggle, Tamika's art mirrors her own rebirth, a testament to resilience and the embrace of new beginnings.

As guests journeyed through the exhibition, savouring each painting with a glass of wine in hand, they were treated to an array of delicious bites from the Voyager kitchen, including a chickpea and avocado tart, a blini with sardine, pickles and labneh and a mini brioche roll with smoked lamb and capsicum.

Accompanying the food was the enchanting jazz vocals and keyboard prowess of singer-songwriter, Jinna Yang, whose music matched the energy and enthusiasm of the room. Tamika herself also offered intimate insights into her creative process, sharing the challenges and triumphs of balancing motherhood with her career as an artist.

Reflecting on her journey, Tamika spoke of the unwavering support of her family and friends—a community that has been instrumental in realising her dreams. Tears mingled with applause as her words resonated with all present, affirming the power of passion and perseverance.

Tamika said the evening was a great success, commenting "I heard someone say recently that the artist never sees their work for the first time. And I really felt that. We’re too close to our emerging art to ever feel its impact. But on these special occasions, we get a little glimpse into that experience through the lens of others. We get to see how our art impacts our audience."

Adam Elton, Cellar Door Manager, agreed saying that it was fantastic to meet so many visitors and locals in support of local and emerging Margaret River artists. “Tamika is a perfect reflection of the many wonderful creatives in the region that have committed themselves to their passion; to make a living doing what they love and that we get to enjoy! Walking down our hallway is like walking down the beach for a surf in the morning. Tamika’s work is so vivid and true to the beauty of our coastline and all that we love about it.”

Tamika’s collection will remain on display in the Cellar Door daily from 10am – 5pm, Monday to Sunday. We invite visitors to drop in and experience the exhibition until 12th May.

Images courtesy of Ovis Creative.

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In the lead up to her exhibition 'Colours of Kambarang', launching at Voyager Estate on 30th March, we chatted with celebrated Margaret River painter, Tamika Hogan, about what inspires her to put brush to canvas.

Was there a particular person or moment that first inspired you to begin painting?

To be honest art has always been a lifeline for me, but there was definitely a pivotal point in my early teens. I was going through a hard time with my parents' divorce and that was when I started to delve deeper into my creative explorations. Creating became a sanctuary or a refuge for me during that time, where no matter what was going on around me, I could create worlds of colour and beauty. My dad seemed to understand that. One day I came home from school to find a beautiful new easel and a fresh set of paints and brushes he’d bought me as a surprise. That was when I started really trying my hand at painting and family and friends started to order a commission here and there in return for pocket money. It kept me grounded and planted the seed that one day I could make a living doing what I loved most. 

Do you have any rituals or habits that aid your creative process?

Morning movement, always! I usually go for a beach walk and swim, which always sets me up for a motivated, inspired day ahead. But, my true inspiration comes from being out on country. Hiking into remote pockets of the coast, going on camping adventures as far away from the masses as possible. And surfing! Something about sitting out in the ocean in communion with the elements always gets the fire in my belly blazing.

What mediums do you prefer to work with, and what attracts you to them?

I work with oils and have done so since I was 16. Something about the idea of oil paints being the medium the masters used attracted me in the beginning. I came to love the thick consistency, the colour richness, and the fact that there is such a process to building layers. They always felt special and sacred to work with somehow.

Was there a particular artist or movement that influenced your style as a painter?

To be honest I always felt fascinated by the Dada movement. That always stood out as an interesting and pivotal era in art history. I wouldn’t really say that’s reflected in my art, so much as the way I think and view the world. My taste in art versus what I create are so infinitely different. What influenced my style and choice in subject matter the most is my immediate environment and the need I feel to recreate what I see.

What message or emotion do you hope viewers take away from experiencing your paintings?

I want people to be transported to a space that fills them with calm allure. I want them to feel the same awe and wonder that compelled me to recreate the experience in the first place. A huge part of my practice is getting out on country and immersing myself in the land, then communicating those experiences through painting. I like to think of my paintings like portals that can transport us to those far away places.

Could you give us a sneak peek into what guests can expect to see when you exhibit at Voyager Estate in April?

I’m really proud of this new collection. It’s some of my best work to date and I’m elated to be sharing it with the guests at Voyager Estate. It’s bold, it’s colourful, and it musters up all the feelings of joy that come with Kambarang season here in the South West.

For the last few years I have worked with a fairly subdued colour palette, so it’s been such a pleasure to work with unrestrained colour, and in many ways it feels very reflective of my own inner landscape and seasons. I’ve recently come out the other side of a really tough few years of my life. I feel like I’ve entered my own inner spring; a period of coming to life again. This collection really does feel like a celebration of new beginnings. I hope that the celebratory mood permeates through the canvas and leaves you feeling uplifted too!

Meet Tamika and delve into her artistic practice at our special evening exhibition on Friday, 5th April – book your tickets here.

 

Images courtesy of Bianca Kate Photography.

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