voyager estate shiraz 2010

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2010 Voyager Estate Shiraz

Shiraz ( syrah ).

• > Western Australia
• > South West Australia
• > Margaret River

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Community tasting notes ( 14 ) avg score: 91 points.

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5/3/2022 - kfjincott Likes this wine: 95 Points

True peppery. Full mouth fruity shiraz. Balanced , fresh and delicious. Drinking well.

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3/30/2022 - cerobo Likes this wine: 92 Points

This was initially a little closed and dry on opening but blossomed in the glass with lovely supple fruit and smoothness from ageing. Colour was still deep red, not showing signs of old age. Suspect it will keep for a few years yet.

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9/4/2021 - Praxis wrote: 90 Points

Clear dark purple red in appearance with a clear watery edge. Initially the nose was reticent but after 30 minutes of aeration the red and blue fruits began to emerge with lots of meaty, animal characteristics, accented by menthol, cedar and vanilla. The palate is towards the fuller-end of the medium-bodied spectrum and initially quite rich, spicy, with lots of cedar, oak and vanilla characteristics shortly after opening. However, a few hours later in the evening as I re-tasted in for a more detailed assessment, it was quite apparent that this had transformed into a completely different wine. The once spicy, oaky, mentholated fruity richness now tasted greenish, acidic and primary without much of anything else. I’ve never had a wine that turned south like this so quickly before. It’s remarkable how this perfectly delicious wine had completely collapsed and fell apart into this incoherent plonk in just a few hours time. Therefore I decided to rate this based on my earlier impression of it while it was still drinking well. I will confirm tomorrow to see if this just a phase of its development or if it is just deteriorating. My suspicion is, this wine has much more to offer, will wait and see. Well, well it's the 2nd night and this wine is back to it's old self again. It tasted a lot more soft and balanced than when I initially opened it and it also seemed to be of lighter textured than what I recalled from yesterday. It's really amazing what the wine goes through in terms of its chemical process which goes to show that wine is indeed a living thing which changes with time (and it's reaction to oxidation). The score remains as it is.

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9/1/2018 - Jimmy_D wrote: 88 Points

This has more regional than varietal character. It’s a nice enough wine for the price point, it’s not unenjoyable, it’s just a bit anonymous. Haven’t yet come across a Margaret River Shiraz worth noting, which to be honest, is a fool’s errand with so much quality Cabernet on offer.

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6/19/2016 - chatters wrote:

Game of Rhones (Carriageworks, Redfern) : Closed, muted, meaty black fruit, slight salinity. Fleshy and juicy, almost too acidic, there is a certain sharpness here, meaty and peppery with chalky tannins but lacks a bit of fruit on the palate

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• Halliday Wine Companion

By James Halliday 8/27/2012, ( See more on Halliday Wine Companion... )

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By Campbell Mattinson 4/3/2012, ( See more on The WINEFRONT... )

By james halliday 12/21/2011, ( see more on halliday wine companion... ), note: some content is property of halliday wine companion and the winefront., add a pro review add your own reviews:  .

• Vintage 2010
• Producer Voyager Estate
• Variety Shiraz
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country Australia
• Region Western Australia
• SubRegion South West Australia
• Appellation Margaret River
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Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010

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Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010

Speaking of tannins, I do wish we could see more emphasis on tannin structure in many Australian reds actually, but its not going to happen when the prevailing culture is to avoid excessive maceration and press reds off skins as soon as they hit dryness. Good to see some of the more progressive makers of cool climate Shiraz in particular are addressing that, but its only on the ‘dabble’ scale considering the size of the industry. Of course the commercial imperative dictates that rich fruity wines will sell, but I think the pursuit of tannins will reward more in the longer run.

Anyways, enough half cocked rant. This is a bright purple coloured wine – plum jam colour even, which is apt considering the concentrated sweet berry on both nose and palate. The berries are edged with bitter gravelly tannins, fennel and earth. It’s a sneaky sort of wine in that regard, initially looking a little too berried and bold but every sip brings out more little flourishes – an extra layer of tannins here, acidity there. You ultimately can’t help but admire the craftsmanship and style of what is a pretty clever Margaret River Shiraz. Good stuff.

Drink: 2013-2020 Score: 18.3/20 93/100+ Would I buy it? Yes. For the cellar

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Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010

Style: Red Wine

Closure: Screwcap

Burke Road Camberwell VIC 3124 Australia

Producer: Voyager Estate

Country: Australia

Region: Margaret River

Vintage: 2010

Critic Score: 96

Alcohol: 13.5%

Size: 750 ml

Drink by: 2030

Voyager Estate is one of Margaret River's oldest vineyards, located In the Stevens Valley in the subregion of Wallcliffe. The vineyard was first planted in 1978 and subsequently purchased by mining heir Michael Wright in 1991. It is part of what James Halliday refers to as the 'golden triangle' of Margaret River - encompassing Voyager Estate, Leeuwin Estate and Cape Mentelle. This impeccably run Estate crafts a set of wines that ooze style and class.

"Vivid purple hue; a restrained and highly perfumed, almost exotic bouquet of cranberry, plum, spice, violets and roasted meat; the palate is super fine, lacy, almost ethereal, yet opens up with power and precision in an almost pinot-like sensuality; long precise and destined to go the distance."  James Halliday

Expert reviews

"Vivid purple hue; a restrained and highly perfumed, almost exotic bouquet of cranberry, plum, spice, violets and roasted meat; the palate is super fine, lacy, almost ethereal, yet opens up with power and precision in an almost pinot-like sensuality; long precise and destined to go the distance . Drink by: 2034."  James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion - 96 points

"Deep purple/red colour, dense. Deep, dark, black fruit aromas, blackberries. Super-ripe but not overripe. A fairly conventional Australian shiraz style. Lovely, rich, smooth, softly textured palate with good depth and length in an elegant, medium to full-bodied style. Soft, powdery tannins."    Huon Hooke, The Real Review - 95 points

"Voyager don't use whole bunch – the stalks don't lignify adequately apparently – and whilst there's 1% Viognier in here, I couldn't pick it. As with their excellent 2010 Chardonnay, they've scaled back the new oak too. Just 26%. It's a move in a positive direction, emphasising the quality of the fruit they work with and achieving greater balance and harmony . Fresh blackberry and cherry fruits, some brambly edges and a suggestion of clove and pepper spice. Maybe even a little floral too. Medium bodied and elegant, I found this compelling and extremely tasty ."  Jeremy Pringle, Wine Will Eat Itself – 94 points

"You won’t here me say this often, but the addition of 1% Viognier really helps this Voyager Shiraz. I had this particular wine in a lineup of much thicker and more plush South Australian Shiraz and it really stood out (in a good way) thanks to its more earthen, savoury and properly tannic nature.

This is a bright purple coloured wine – plum jam colour even, which is apt considering the concentrated sweet berry on both nose and palate. The berries are edged with bitter gravelly tannins, fennel and earth. It’s a sneaky sort of wine in that regard, initially looking a little too berried and bold but every sip brings out more little flourishes – an extra layer of tannins here, acidity there. You ultimately can’t help but admire the craftsmanship and style of what is a pretty clever Margaret River Shiraz. Good stuff. Would I buy it? Yes. For the cellar."  Andrew Graham, Australian Wine Review – 93 points

About the winery

The vineyard was first planted in 1978 and at the time was known as Freycinet Estate. It was purchased by mining heir Michael Wright in 1991 and renamed Voyager Estate. Michael's agricultural background and extensive knowledge of soils and climate led him to Freycinet, where the uniform gravelly soils with a stony clay base enable moisture and nutrients to be slowly released to the vines.

Michael gradually acquired adjoining properties of similar soil types over time and today the vineyard occupies over 100 hectares. The regional stars chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon take the lead, though there are another 12 varieties planted - shiraz, merlot, petit verdot, cabernet franc, malbec, tempranillo, grenache, semillon, sauvignon blanc, sauvignon gris, chenin blanc and viognier.

The highest priority at the Estate has been the transition to certified organic management. That process initially began with a block of the original cabernet sauvignon plantings which has been organically farmed since 2004. As of 2021, the winery and 90 hectares of the vineyard have been certified organic and the transition is expected to be complete by 2023.

The management process doesn't stop at organics, either, with broader issues very much on the agenda. "Climate Change is an issue of paramount importance, not only for the survival of our species, but also in the way it specifically impacts our industry. We are ultimately working towards becoming a carbon negative business. We're currently building and recording baseline soil carbon levels in the pursuit of this goal.”, says Steve James who was Head of Winemaking and Viticulture for 23 years and is now employed in a consulting role.

Michael Wright, Voyager's founder and visionary, sadly passed away in 2012, but he left a powerful legacy of an absolute commitment to quality that today pervades every corner of Voyager. The Estate remains family owned, with Michael's daughter, Alex Burt (nee Wright), matching her father's fanatical attention to detail with an environmental conscience that has opened another important chapter in the history of this Estate.

Sheep grazing through the vineyard in winter

  The following extract is from an article by Paige Taylor in The Weekend Australian

As the golden end of a warm day settles over Voyager Estate, the hills of rolling vines are literally abuzz. Driving slowly past glistening rows of chenin blanc vines, busting with bright new spring buds, the sound of life is unmistakeable. Insects, hawks, eagles, ibis and native ducks fill the air with movement and sound; there's a sense that life is everywhere. "These vines are singing," says Voyager Estate vineyard manager Glen Ryan, looking out over the property, which shares its footprint with native karri, blackbutt and marri trees. Voyager Estate wasn't always so lively. For decades, the Margaret River vineyard was like so many of its neighbours: a neat, quiet monoculture. Sprayed regularly to ward off pests and weeds, incidental life - chirping insects and squawking birds, in particular found it hard to flourish here. Then Ryan and his team set about making a profound change. With the blessing of proprietor Alexandra Burt, Ryan started taking Voyager wholly organic, removing chemicals from the farm and instituting a natural regimen for the soil and the vines. The result has been one of the most dramatic transformations of a large-scale winery in Australia, with Voyager due to be certified organic in January after more than a decade of incremental change. The 110ha property, 280km south of Perth, has been producing its signature wines without pesticides for years, but the bureaucracy of the certification process moves at a slower pace. As a business proposal, going organic was not an obvious move for a winery that was already commercially successful and producing great wine. Yields are now 30 per cent lower than they were in pre-organic days. The cost of producing the grapes is higher, too. But "it's such a beautiful way to farm", says Ryan, who adds that the property is now on the way to becoming carbon neutral. The use of renewable energy, carbon offsets, waste reduction and comprehensive recycling, land rehabilitation and revegetation activities are all now part of Voyager's focus. 

Western Australia

Western Australia is home to more than 400 wineries across nine vast and extraordinary wine regions which are almost entirely concentrated in the south-west and great southern land divisions of the State. The regions are Blackwood Valley, Geographe, Great Southern, Peel, Pemberton, Manjimup, Margaret River and Swan District.

The oldest region is the Swan Valley, the best known both nationally and internationally is Margaret River and the largest is Great Southern. The Great Southern region is further divided into the five subregions of Albany, Denmark, Frankland River, Mount Barker and Porongurup.

The history of wine production in Western Australia dates back to 1840 with the establishment of Sandalford in the Swan Valley region. The recognition of the fine wine possibilities started to be realised after the establishment of the Margaret River Region in 1967, which has become renowned for its high quality Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. The other regions produce a diverse range of regionally distinct wines, from stunning Rieslings and evocative Shiraz, to a range of unique Cabernet Sauvignon blends.

Voyager Estate, Shiraz, Margaret River, 2011

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“With an average vine age of 29 years, our Shiraz blocks can truly express their unique character. From this, we see a natural evolution in the Voyager Estate style; aromatic and bright with ripe fruit and a gentle savouriness that makes it great drinking all year round.”

- TIM SHAND, CHIEF WINEMAKER

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