voyager estate 2009 cabernet sauvignon merlot tn - ho
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2009 cabernet sauvignon merlot
Vintage
Following a challenging spring growing period,
summer and autumn provided some of the best
weather ever experienced by the region. A classic
“Indian Summer” resulted in warm, dry days
with cool nights. These conditions are ideal for
producing exceptional red wines as the fruit ripens
slowly, allowing sufficient time for excellent tannin
and flavour development. Fortunately, there were
no heat spikes, which can have a negative impact
on ripening and fruit flavours. The 2009 vintage
will be remembered as a classic for Cabernet
Sauvignon from the Voyager Estate vineyards,
producing refined and concentrated fruit flavours
combined with fine-grained and physiologically
ripe tannins.
Vineyard
The core Cabernet Sauvignon components for this
wine are sourced from three exceptional vineyard
blocks - our 30-year-old Estate “Old Block”, Block
12 from our North vineyards and a component of
fruit from an outstanding Wilyabrup vineyard.
These three vineyards all display exceptional
consistency from season to season and showcase
clear vineyard site expression producing wines
with great intensity and individuality.
The vineyards are all planted on gravelly soil types
with an underlying stony/clay base, characterised
by excellent drainage properties but allowing a
slow release of moisture to the vines during the
growing and ripening phases, due to the clay’s
ability to store moisture.
Viticultural management is intensive, with the
single-minded philosophy of achieving exceptional
uniformity through a natural, back-to-basics
farming approach, combined with the following
practices: meticulous hand pruning, shoot thinning,
delateraling of the fruiting zones, yield regulation,
green thinning, hand harvesting and fruit sorting.
The Wine
The fruit for this wine was harvested between 27
March and 17 April. Bunches were de-stemmed to
retain as many whole berries as possible, after
which the parcels were fermented separately
in open and upright fermenters with regular,
gentle pump overs or plunging. Fermentation
temperatures were kept below 28˚C and lasted as
long as 12 days. Following primary fermentation,
two parcels were left on skins for an additional
19 days before being pressed. The wines from
each parcel remained separate during 18 months
of maturation in tight-grain French oak, of which
50% was new. The wines were racked every
three months to aid clarification. Following the
maturation period, the batches were then blended,
egg-white fined and filtered prior to being bottled
in December 2010.
The wine is blended with a small portion of Merlot
and Petit Verdot - the Merlot adding flesh and
earthiness to the mid-palate whilst the Petit Verdot
adds great aromatics with violet nuances.
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 94%, Merlot 5%, Petit Verdot 1%
Colour: Rich, dark red.
Nose: The lifted bouquet displays perfumed notes of violets, cassis and mulberries with hints of dark chocolate, cedar and bayleaf.
Palate: The palate displays sweet dark and red berry fruit with earthy gravelly notes and hints of bayleaf and black olive adding a savoury element to the wine. The wine is rich and complex with great length and balance supported by fine grained layered tannins and seamlessly integrated French oak.
Style: The warm and extended ripening period afforded by the 2009 vintage has produced a rich and concentrated wine reflective of the season. This classically styled Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot displays all the characteristics looked for from this region, vibrant fruit with layers of complexity, structure and extraordinary longevity.
Food Match: Tenderidge eye fillet, char grilled with parsnip and potato dauphinoise, spinach puree, roasted mushrooms and black truffle butter.
Alc/Vol: 14.0%
pH: 3.73
Total Acidity: 6.6 g/L
Harvest Date: 27 March to 17 April 2009.
Oak Maturation: Seasoned in 50% new and 50% two year old French oak for 18 months.
Bottling Date: 6 December 2010.
Cellaring Potential: Up to 15 years.
Steve JamesManager of Winemaking and Viticulture with Winemaker, Travis Lemm, and Vineyard Manager, Glen Ryan
For more information contact: Fiona Findlay, Sales and Marketing Manager Telephone: +61 8 9385 3133 Email: [email protected]
From the beginning, founder Michael Wright’s vision was to deliver a wine
experience not previously seen in Margaret River. With over 150 years of
family farming in his blood, Michael’s fascination with agriculture and in
bringing produce to life led him to the wine industry in 1991. In developing
Voyager Estate, he used his extensive knowledge of soils and climate to help
him in his choice of vineyard location. This in turn has enabled Voyager Estate
to grow the grape varieties best suited to the area and to make elegant and
sophisticated wines that tell a site-specific story. For Michael, bringing his
produce to life meant not only the creation of these sensational wines, but
also bringing out the best in food and hospitality to share with the world.
Voyager Estate is located in the southern part of the Margaret River region
in Western Australia, just a few kilometres from the ocean. Michael settled
on the sub-region of Stevens Valley because it had the ideal characteristics
to create wines that are at home amongst the world’s best. The gravel soils,
microclimate, aspect, and consistent maritime influence are the foundations
of the Voyager Estate wine style.
The viticulture and winemaking teams work as one to create distinctive wines
from each vintage displaying elegance, complexity and balance that are
true to the individuality of the vineyard blocks. The genuine dedication to
viticulture can be seen in the fruit, which shows depth of flavour and finesse,
and the winemaking approach is subtle, yet curious, continually exploring
new ideas.
Voyager Estate wines are of a consistently high quality, sitting in the top
echelon of wines from this region. Making great wine is a delicate balance
between science and art, and it is in knowing intuitively what’s right for each
parcel of fruit that separates good from great.
When you visit the Estate, you will discover you have arrived somewhere
inspirational. Every aspect of the grounds, from the Cape Dutch architecture
and Restaurant to the stunning gardens and meticulous vineyards, highlights
the Voyager Estate team’s care and attention to detail. The Voyager Estate
Restaurant is consistently recognised as one of the region’s best through
the numerous awards it has received for the quality of food, wine and
service standards.
Voyager Estate is also taking significant steps every day to achieve its long-
term objective to be a wholly sustainable enterprise and a model business
to the Australian wine and tourism industries. Balanced and sustainable
stewardship of the land and the environment in which it operates drives
Voyager Estate’s environmental philosophy. All Voyager Estate activity – in
the vineyards, winery, cellar door, restaurant, gardens as well as marketing
and administration aims for balance by avoiding waste of natural resources
and responsible planning and use of resources. The efforts are led by
the Voyager Estate Environmental Stewardship Team (EST) made up of
representatives from every part of the business. The EST’s role is ensuring
the existing environmental standards are maintained and communicated,
while at the same time researching and developing new initiatives to ensure
Voyager Estate remains at the forefront of environmental best practice.
The Voyager Estate team consists of more than 60 people all working to
ensure that the extremely high standards set by Michael are consistently
achieved and maintained. It is this dedication to excellence which has
led Voyager Estate to establish itself as one of Australia’s most memorable
wine estates.
The Estate
Stevens Road, Margaret River 6285, Western Australia, Australia
Tel: +61 8 9757 6354, Email: [email protected]
Administration, Sales and Marketing
PO Box 319, Cottesloe 6911, Western Australia, Australia
Tel: +61 8 9385 3133, Email: [email protected]
voyagerestate.com.au
voyager estate is at the forefront in margaret river
Voyager Estate Cellar Door Michael Wright, 1937 - 2012