International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines
International Fine Wines

Voyager Estate

Organic, Vineyard-driven Margaret River at its Finest

The wines of this impeccably run estate ooze style and class. Even better, the quality continues to grow, reflecting the evolution in the vineyard and winery. It was Michael Wright who built this property into the beacon of quality it has become. While Voyager’s founder and visionary sadly passed away in 2012, he left a legacy of commitment to quality that today pervades every aspect of Voyager. The estate remains family-owned, with Michael’s daughter, Alex Burt, matching her father’s fanatical attention to detail with an environmental conscience that has kicked this estate into another gear.

Voyager is certified organic; all wines are estate-grown and reflect the unique climate and qualities of its home base in Steven’s Valley, Margaret River. They are in good company; Leeuwin Estate and Xanadu complete a revered triumvirate in this small but prestigious valley. Long regarded as a key subregion for the finest Margaret River Chardonnay, it can produce much finer and fresher Cabernet than the more northern subregions. The geology is among the oldest in Australia, and the gravel soils (free draining with a high mineral content), aspect and consistent maritime influence form the foundations of Voyager's perfumed, elegantly proportioned wines.

Winemaker Tim Shand joined the team in 2022. Perth-born Tim made the journey back west after an impressive near-10-year-stint at the Punt Road helm in the Yarra Valley. Together with viticulturist Mike Saunders, who joined in 2024, Shand has overseen a seamless transition to a new, exciting chapter, and the wines are reaping the rewards. 

Over the last 25 years, Voyager Estate has put the health of their soils, vines and land first. In conjunction with organic practices in all vineyards and the winery, there are specific clones matched to appropriate soil types; each plot of soil is micro-managed with specific viticulture and harvest dates; grape marc and kitchen scraps are used for compost; a telemetry-controlled irrigation system is used to conserve precious water resources; and each parcel of fruit is hand harvested and fermented separately. Time and resources are deployed where they matter—the vineyard. It promises to kick into another gear with the dawning of the Shand and Saunders era.

Voyager’s marquee wines, MJW Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, are rightly fêted among the region’s benchmarks. The estate also produces a range of Cabernet and Chardonnay wines at different levels, from single-block and estate bottlings to the brilliant, well-priced entry-level Coastal range. Then, there’s a silky and seductive Syrah and a brilliant new bistro-style red blend called Vivid. It’s a range stacked with quality–Margaret River at its finest. 

The Range

Voyager Estate Coastal Chardonnay 2024
$31.00
Added

Voyager Estate Coastal Chardonnay 2024

Voyager’s Chardonnay vineyards are planted in the Stevens Valley area, located towards the coast, close to the township of Margaret River. The area is characterised by gentle slopes of red/brown gravelly topsoils, about one metre deep, with a stony/clay subsoil. Counting on the cooling breezes of the nearby Indian Ocean, this is an ideal mesoclimate for exceptional Chardonnay.These estate vineyards were harvested between 27th January and 5th February 2024. Each parcel was pressed and settled overnight before being sent to a combination of concrete and seasoned French puncheons (10% new) for fermentation. The lees were stirred regularly over the next eight months, building weight, texture and detail,The core grapefruit and citrus backbone is due to the Gingin clone. The small vineyard blocks and subtle nuances of the other clones coalesce to form a wine that displays purity, freshness, and balance. The wine is medium-bodied with lovely texture, vibrant fruit flavours, and clean, saline acidity.

Voyager Estate Coastal Chardonnay 2024
$31.00
Added
Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2023
Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2023
$69.00
Added

Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2023

Organic. Voyager Estate’s superb Chardonnay has all the presence, elegance and fruit purity we expect from this renowned producer. In particular, it reflects the cooler climate of the Wallcliffe subregion and, more precisely, the Stevens Valley—arguably Margaret River’s finest Chardonnay zone. The area is characterised by gentle slopes of red/brown gravelly soils over stony clay. Influenced by cooling breezes from the nearby Indian Ocean, it’s a superb mesoclimate for Chardonnay, and winemaker Tim Shand and his Voyager team pull out all the stops to deliver on this promise.The vineyard comprises six blocks planted to four different clones of Chardonnay, each bringing different nuances to the wine. This includes the well-known Gingin clone, which brings power and concentration, and Dijon clones 95, 96 and 76, which offer a more restrained flavour profile and contribute wonderful texture, finesse and freshness.The fruit was harvested by hand, cooled overnight, then pressed as bunches and transferred to French oak barriques (25% new) for fermentation. Selected parcels went through malolactic conversion. The wine matured for nine months in barriques and puncheons with regular stirring. 

“Tim Shand has made such a profound impact since taking over as winemaker in ‘22 and while it’s early days, gee what’s on offer looks very, very good. Vintage ‘23 is his first complete harvest. Already subtlety is apparent, although plenty of flavour here with stone fruit and citrus, wafts of lemon verbena and celery seed. It’s flinty, spicy and creamy with nutty lees. This is moreish and the savoury edge comes through in tandem with tangy and juicy acidity, and almost a pop of saline tang to finish. Impressive.”
95 points, Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion
"This is the best Voyager chardonnay in yonks. It’s all by degrees of course but every degree in wine is hard won. This wine has flavour and texture but it’s the length that gets you going. It shows smoke characters, grilled peach, lemon curd and a jasmine element. There are flint notes here, as a whisper – which is interesting, because Voyager Chardonnay generally doesn’t or hasn’t shown flint characters in the past. It works here. 2023 was Shand’s first full vintage in charge of Voyager’s winemaking and if this wine is an indication, we’re in for a ride."
95 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
“Bright lemon colour. Ripe pineapple and grilled cashew aromatics. Bright and fresh pineapple and stone fruits fill the palate’s core with layers of just-roasting cashew and a saline seaside minerality that accentuates the lovely zip of acidity. Flows long with precision and tension to the crisp finish.”
92 points, Stuart Knox, The Real Review
Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2023
Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2023
$69.00
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Voyager Estate Syrah 2023
$69.00
Added

Voyager Estate Syrah 2023

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. Just two blocks of organically grown fruit 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.Winemaker Tim Shand has brought a fresh take to Voyager’s Estate Syrah, picking earlier and avoiding the use of new oak in search of a more vivid expression. With that in mind, the fruit was picked by hand when the flavour profile was still in the red fruit spectrum. About 50% of the fruit went into the fermenter as bunches to boost structure and complexity. Shand also included a small portion of Viognier (2%) to further enhance the perfume of this year’s release. The fruit was crushed to maximise extraction while minimising time on skins, and the wine matured for five months in tank before being bottled. This beams from the glass with bright red fruits, dusty earth and enticing white pepper spice. It’s juicy, buoyant and deliciously mid-weight, with graphite tension and a seductive tread through the palate. In Shand, we trust!

“The first thing I wrote was this: “Love the grapey stretch of tannin here.” This wine is light, musky, refreshing and silken, its strawberried/cherried fruit singing fresh and harmonious. It’s a delicate wine, perfumed, soft, with fine details of peppers and dry herbs. Freshness in wine is like light in photography and movement in film; as human beings, we can’t help but follow it. This wine has the kind of freshness that you can feel your mouth following, so that it comes as a surprise when you find yourself both caught in the stretch of pliable tannin, and swept out by the rip of fresh fruit.”
95 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
“My, my, this is wonderfully expressive and, as it rightly should be, highly aromatic. Perfumed with Mr Lincoln roses, dark cherries and plums dusted in pepper and baking spices. It’s fuller-bodied but restrained, there’s a succulence, a freshness and vitality with textural, shapely tannins, fine acidity and a lingering finish. The flavours build; it’s savoury, too. There’s plenty going on, but it feels effortless. It’s an outstanding example of the variety in this region.”
96 points, Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion
Voyager Estate Syrah 2023
$69.00
Added
Voyager Estate Vivid Red 2024
$31.00
Added

Voyager Estate Vivid Red 2024

This is the second release of Voyager Estate’s vibrant, fresh and boldly flavoured Vivid Red. Winemaker Tim Shand has taken to Margaret River winemaking like a duck to water and, in no time at all, has put his talented stamp on the Voyager Estate wines. Vivid Red is a light red blend that gives a nod to Shand’s time spent in the Yarra Valley as chief winemaker for Punt Road. It’s a bright, pure-fruited, juicy wine made with spring and summertime enjoyment in mind. From a sun-soaked season in the west, this year’s blend mirrors its immediate predecessor, with Shiraz, Tempranillo, Grenache and Merlot. Fermentations took place in small, open-top vessels and included 30% whole berries, while the rest remained as bunches. After 14 days, the wine was pressed to mature barriques for three months’ maturation. There was no fining, filtration or addition of sulphur. This is jam-packed with bright berry flavour, pepper spice and delicious savoury depth. It slinks through the palate with tannic grip and sappy acidity to counter the textural weight. It may be just the second release, but Vivid Red is already a Voyager mainstay. 

“Gorgeously expressive, buoyant, soft, light but fruity. It’s a touch smoky/meaty/ferrous on the finish and that meatiness tames and shapes the wine. This is a beautiful drink, interesting, vivid in name and vivid by nature. It’s generous, soft and light at once. It brightens the glass and brightens the day.”
92 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
“A blend of shiraz, grenache, tempranillo and merlot, largely whole-bunch fermentation and left on skins for two weeks; as it’s PF (preservative free) there's no added SO2. And vivid red indeed, the colour a gorgeous dark purple shot with red. It’s vibrant and juicy – full of dark fruits and spices – yet savoury, with some charcuterie reduction done nicely, ironstone, too. The palate is lighter framed but not wimpy, tangy with lithe tannins and bright acidity. Chill it down in summer or enjoy as is any other time. Love it.”
93 points, Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion
Voyager Estate Vivid Red 2024
$31.00
Added
Voyager Estate Shiraz 2021
$40.00
Added

Voyager Estate Shiraz 2021

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. 

“No shortage of excellent fruit with flavours of plums and cassis, yet this is wonderfully savoury with wafts of pepper, squid ink and earthy tones. It’s also super fragrant with plenty of florals, cedary oak and the aforementioned fruit. It comes in as mid-weighted with slightly raspy, textural tannins, yet fresh and lively to the end. Nice one.”
93 points, Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion
“Ripe dark and purple fruit, but with freshness and tension. Spicy, peppery undertones, too. Medium- to full-bodied, concentrated, characterful and juicy with bright acidity coming through. Crunchy and refreshing. From organically grown grapes. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap.”
93 points, Ned Goodwin, jamessuckling.com
Voyager Estate Shiraz 2021
$40.00
Added
Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
$98.00
Added

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

This classic Margaret River Cabernet comes from two of Voyager Estate’s exceptional vineyard blocks: Old Block, planted in 1978, and Block 12, from the north vineyard, planted in 1995. This comprises 94% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance Merlot. The Merlot was harvested by hand on 5th March, followed by the Cabernet a few weeks later. The fruit was destemmed and sorted to retain as many whole berries as possible. Fermentations occurred at cool temperatures in a mix of small, open-top vats and concrete fermenters and saw twice-daily plunging or pumpovers. After 17 to 23 days, depending on the parcel, the wines were pressed to tight-grained French oak (47% new) for maturation until blending in October 2021. 

“Medium depth of red/brick colour, somewhat light for a young cabernet, and the bouquet is mellow and cedary/earthy, dusty/leafy, complex and meat-stocky, with cigarbox developing. In the mouth it's full bodied, rich and multi-layered, the flavour long-lasting and uber-satisfying. A distinct nod towards the Medoc here.”
94 points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review
“This shows intense dark-fruited character with hints of walnut, pine needle and licorice. Medium- to full-bodied, dense and succulent with impressive fruit concentration and a spiced, flavorful finish. From organically grown grapes. Sustainable. Drink now. Screw cap.”
92 points, Ned Goodwin, jamessuckling.com
“At first, this is pretty and fragrant with an easy appeal. It’s the florals, the cassis and mulberries, whiff of eucalyptus and baking spices. Yet the medium-bodied palate teases with lithe, fine tannins, lively acidity and a smoothness throughout. There’s a subtlety yet complexity. Lovely now and will take the next two decades easily.”
95 points, Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion
“It bursts from the blocks with sweet raspberry jam aromas, edging as it breathes towards cloves and gravel. The palate reflects the nose, adding bay leaves, blackcurrant and tobacco. Fine, brick-dust tannin leads the wine out. This looks very good but it also looks a touch advanced; I’d drink this on the earlier side.” 93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
93 points, Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
$98.00
Added
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AT-A-GLANCE

• The 1978-founded estate joined Margaret River's top flight under the late Michael Wright, who purchased and expanded it in 1991.

• It is now run by his daughter, Alexandra Burt (née Wright).

• The family's custodianship is characterised by fanatical attention to detail with an environmental conscience, culminating in organic certification in 2023.

• With Leeuwin Estate and Xanadu, it makes up a triumvirate of esteemed producers sharing Stevens Valley.

• Since 2022, talented winemaker Tim Shand has been at the helm, joined in 2024 by Kiwi head of viticulture, Mike Saunders.

• Free-draining gravel soils with a high mineral content, aspect and consistent maritime influence form the foundations of Voyager's elegant, aromatic wines.

• Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon—from entry level through estate to single block— form the backbone of the estate, with exceptional wines from Syrah, Chenin, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc also produced.



IN THE PRESS

“Voyager Estate is located on Stevens Road in the Boodjidup Valley, which is emerging as hallowed ground (Leeuwin, the western neighbour, Xanadu’s Stevens Road vineyard and the vineyards of Voyager Estate complete the trinity of prestige in this neck of the woods). The estate was established in '78 by viticulturist Peter Gherardi, and later purchased and expanded by Michael Wright in ’91. Michael’s daughter, Alexandra Burt, has been at the helm since ’05. As of ’23, the vineyard and winery are certified organic and there is extensive clonal and varietal experimentation in the estate vineyards.”★★★★★ Halliday Wine Companion

Country

Australia

Primary Region

Margaret River, Western Australia

People

Winemaker: Tim Shand

Availability

VIC

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