After a brief hiatus in 2020 due to low yields, the MJW Chardonnay is back and better than ever. Voyager’s flagship white is sourced from the finest organic blocks in the Broadvale vineyard: Block 5 (Gingin clone), Block 6 (Clone 95) and V12 (Dijon 76). All three plots have granite soils overlying a stony clay base.
The 2021 season was tricky in Margaret River; cold and wet conditions in November affected fruit set, resulting in a second season of reduced yields—though not as low as 2021. Thankfully, the fruit that made it through to harvest at the end of this cool, long season was in great shape—bursting with brightness and purity. Without doubt, this was thanks to the Voyager team’s unwavering commitment to organics in the vineyard; these vines are thriving, that much is clear in the glass.Each parcel was handpicked and vinified separately. The grapes fermented spontaneously in French oak barrels, with only the Clone 95 batch undergoing malolactic conversion to add structure and weight to the wine and reduce the natural acidity. The barrels were stirred regularly over their nine months’ maturation, followed by blending in November and bottling in January 2022.