Stones and gravel work best for Shiraz grown in Margaret River, and Voyager Estate has plenty of both. These rock-rich soils help reduce the natural vigour of Shiraz, ensuring yields are low and concentration high. Four blocks go into the estate Shiraz, all planted on Voyager Estate’s toughest, most inhospitable soils. In recent years, Voyager’s Shiraz has gone from strength to strength; this example is another leap forward. It embodies the understated elegance of the Voyager style: bright and juicy, underlaid with earth and spice.
Hand-harvested grapes were picked in mid-March and destemmed but not crushed. The fruit fermented as whole berries at cool temperatures in concrete and small, open-top steel fermenters, with gentle hand-plunging and pumpovers twice daily. After fermentation, the wines were pressed, transferred to barrel and matured in quality oak (33% new) for 11 months. The parcels were blended before bottling. The quality of the vintage beams bright in the 2021 release—a punchy, juicy, rich wine packed with earth and spice.