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Voyager Estate Masterclass 2010
North Sydney Cellars
Tasted September 8, 2010 by chatters with 829 views
Introduction
Benchmark tasting tour that is run by Voyager Estate. 20 wines over 3 flights - Chardonnay, Shiraz and Bordeaux blends. Attended by the General Manager (Alexandra Wright), Manager of winemaking and viticulture (Steve James) and Winemaker and Winery Manager (Travis Lemm)
The only issues with a tasting like this is that you'll always have vintage variation and some wines are designed to be drunk younger than others. The vintage variation certainly knocked out Burgundy in tasting flight 1 and the ageability of wine probably shot some of the bordeaux blends in flight 3 out.
Flight 1 - Chardonnay (6 notes)
White
2007 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne
Nose: Smoked Bacon, Oak, light fruit with tropical notes
Mouth: Acid, spice, alcohol heat, not so much oak on the mouth. Not as much fruit either. Still tastes quite young.
Mouth: Acid, spice, alcohol heat, not so much oak on the mouth. Not as much fruit either. Still tastes quite young.
White
2007 Craggy Range Chardonnay Les Beaux Cailloux
Nose: vanilla, coconut, pineapple, very tropical, some spice
Mouth: spice, oak, tongue coating oak and vanilla. Quite hot. Okay
Mouth: spice, oak, tongue coating oak and vanilla. Quite hot. Okay
White
2007 Voyager Estate Chardonnay
Nose: touches of elderflower not much else. Under considerable agitation melon and stone fruit show through
Mouth: Medium acid, stone fruit and touches of tropical fruit, also tannin and cream. Okay
Mouth: Medium acid, stone fruit and touches of tropical fruit, also tannin and cream. Okay
White
2007 Kistler Chardonnay Vine Hill Vineyard
Nose: Butter, malo, toast, tropical fruit, honeysuckle
Mouth: Meaty and chunky, plenty of spice, oak, vanilla, coconut and tropical fruit
Absolutely huge and terribly good rambunctious fun.
Mouth: Meaty and chunky, plenty of spice, oak, vanilla, coconut and tropical fruit
Absolutely huge and terribly good rambunctious fun.
White
2007 Giaconda Chardonnay Estate & Nantua Vineyards
Nose: Touch of greeness/unripe leaf. Stone fruit - nectarine and apricot. touch of smoked bacon
Mouth: Apricot, touch of bitterness, quite dry acidity. Hmm. not for me.
Apparently there is Roussanne in this blend as well.
Mouth: Apricot, touch of bitterness, quite dry acidity. Hmm. not for me.
Apparently there is Roussanne in this blend as well.
White
2007 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay Art Series
Nose: pineapple, perfume, touch of vanilla
Mouth: spice, dry acid, some oak and little fruit. Bit light. Not working for me.
Mouth: spice, dry acid, some oak and little fruit. Bit light. Not working for me.
Flight 2 - Shiraz and Shiraz blends (6 notes)
Red
2008 Dalwhinnie Shiraz Moonambel Pyrenees
Nose: Perfume, black and red fruit, some savoury
Mouth: little acid, lovely perfume, black fruit, not much finish but a big oaky, tongue coating. Hmm
Mouth: little acid, lovely perfume, black fruit, not much finish but a big oaky, tongue coating. Hmm
Red
2007 Rene Rostaing Côte-Rôtie Cuvée Classique
Nose: Sublime rose perfume, some damp dark fruit, something slight off though
Mouth: Rose and smoke, spice, tannin, long finish, glycerol. Very good
Mouth: Rose and smoke, spice, tannin, long finish, glycerol. Very good
Red
2007 Shaw and Smith Shiraz
Nose: Bacon, lack of fruit but then opens to jammy fruit with hints of rhubarb
Mouth: tight, black pepper, tannin, very young and lack of fruit leads me to have aging concerns
Mouth: tight, black pepper, tannin, very young and lack of fruit leads me to have aging concerns
Red
2008 Voyager Estate Shiraz
Nose: perfume & smoked/BBQ meat, black fruit and, perhaps, touches of cinnamon
Mouth: savoury black fruit, not much acid but plenty of tannin. Peppery long finish. Quite nice, far better than in April
Mouth: savoury black fruit, not much acid but plenty of tannin. Peppery long finish. Quite nice, far better than in April
Red
2008 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
Nose: perfume & red and black fruit
Mouth: spice, black fruit and apricot, medium tannin, long finish. Oddly enough a little fruity for me and, perhaps, a touch to obvious.
Mouth: spice, black fruit and apricot, medium tannin, long finish. Oddly enough a little fruity for me and, perhaps, a touch to obvious.
Red
2008 Craggy Range Syrah Le Sol Gimblett Gravels Vineyard
Nose: perfume & meat, spice and pepper, perhaps chocolate, toast.
Mouth: tight, very high acid and tannin, very young, pepper. Lacks fruit - some people are never pleased.
Mouth: tight, very high acid and tannin, very young, pepper. Lacks fruit - some people are never pleased.
Flight 3 - Bordeaux blends (8 notes)
Red
2005 Cullen Wines Diana Madeline
Nose: funky, toast, muted black fruit, some meaty overtones, cream, butter and, on aeration, a little more jammy fruit
Mouth: Medium to high acid and tannin, not much fruit coming through at this time. Quaffable.
Mouth: Medium to high acid and tannin, not much fruit coming through at this time. Quaffable.
Red
2005 Mount Mary Quintet
Nose: spice, nominal fruit, more spice!
Mouth: red and black fruit - far more on palate than on the nose - a little wet, low acid but medium to high tannin. Nice long finish. The lack of acidity gives me concern for its ability to age.
Mouth: red and black fruit - far more on palate than on the nose - a little wet, low acid but medium to high tannin. Nice long finish. The lack of acidity gives me concern for its ability to age.
Red
2005 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Nose: green herbaceous tones, cream, vanilla, toast, eucalypt, some jammy fruit
Mouth: medium to high acidity (which I assume has been bumped up but am assured by the winemaker that it hasn't been) and tannin, toast, leather and a certain gritty, bitter tannin. Black fruit here as well. Hmm, nice.
Mouth: medium to high acidity (which I assume has been bumped up but am assured by the winemaker that it hasn't been) and tannin, toast, leather and a certain gritty, bitter tannin. Black fruit here as well. Hmm, nice.
Red
2005 Stags' Leap Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley
Nose: lovely briny seaside, leather, cedar, mint, venison, blue and black berries
Mouth: jammy initially, medium acid and medium to high tannin, diminishing fruit, spice. More on the nose than the mouth but quite pleasant none the less.
Mouth: jammy initially, medium acid and medium to high tannin, diminishing fruit, spice. More on the nose than the mouth but quite pleasant none the less.
Red
2005 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Nose: chocolate and black currant
Mouth: bitter and tannic, very tannic, medium acidity and, under this, some fruit. Needs more time. Far too young. As it is, it's not very pleasant. Come back in ten years.
Mouth: bitter and tannic, very tannic, medium acidity and, under this, some fruit. Needs more time. Far too young. As it is, it's not very pleasant. Come back in ten years.
Red
2005 Te Mata Estate Coleraine
Nose: Fruit cake, toast, black and red fruit, something almost citric
Mouth: Beautifully balance acid, tannin and fruit. Still a touch young but drinkable now. Lovely.
Mouth: Beautifully balance acid, tannin and fruit. Still a touch young but drinkable now. Lovely.
Red
2005 Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
Nose: Biscuit & toast, black currants, cream, cake mix but pre-cooking
Mouth: high acid & tannin which dominate wet fruit, more on the nose than the palate. Very young.
Mouth: high acid & tannin which dominate wet fruit, more on the nose than the palate. Very young.
Red
2005 Balnaves of Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon The Tally Reserve
Nose: Almost chemical, candied peel, black fruit, cassis & spice, some hot jammy tomes, leather? Mint? Dill? Lots going on.
Mouth: Leather, mint, spice, high tannin and good acidity. Hmm, needs more time but rather pleasant.
Mouth: Leather, mint, spice, high tannin and good acidity. Hmm, needs more time but rather pleasant.
Closing
Cracking evening had by everyone. After each round of the tasting the wine three 'experts' discussed the wines we'd had and at the end there was a three course meal accompanied by the Voyager Estate wines. I had a lovely time but would re-iterate my point about vintage variation and ageability above. In the end I picked up two cases of the Voyager Estate Cab Sav Merlot (which performed a lot better than it had done in Margaret River in April 2010).