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: ffindlay@voyagerestate.com.au

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: wineroom@voyagerestate.com.au

Administration, Sales and Marketing

PO Box 319, Cottesloe 6911, Western Australia, Australia

Tel: +61 8 9385 3133, Email: wine@voyagerestate.com.au

voyagerestate.com.au

voyager estate is at the forefront in margaret river

Voyager Estate Cellar Door Michael Wright, 1937 - 2012