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Voyager Estate Masterclass 2012
Officers mess, Victoria Barracks, Oxford Street, Sydney
Tasted August 29, 2012 by chatters with 606 views
Introduction
Completely blind tasting. Great fun and a brilliant tasting. Hosted by Voyager Estate.
Flight 1 - Chardonnay (6 notes)
Representatives from NZ, SA, Burgundy and Australia
White
2009 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard
Nose oak, butter, peach, stone fruit, spice, alcohol heat
Mouth Apple, lees, oak, massive spice.
Okay
Mouth Apple, lees, oak, massive spice.
Okay
White
2009 Hardys Chardonnay Eileen Hardy
Nose herbal notes – thyme/sage, toasted oak, mineral, stone fruit and oak with touches of apple
Mouth Lees feel, medium plus acid, spice, apple and a touch warm.
Mouth Lees feel, medium plus acid, spice, apple and a touch warm.
White
2009 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay
Nose Farmyard funk, mineral, biscuit, slight apple, cream, butter
Mouth lacks acidity which leads to a certain flabbiness. Bitter spice over slight citrus notes of lime, oddly enough
Mouth lacks acidity which leads to a certain flabbiness. Bitter spice over slight citrus notes of lime, oddly enough
White
2009 Voyager Estate Chardonnay
Nose slight dish water, stone fruit, slight apple, cream and butter
Mouth Spicy oak, apple, medium plus acidity. Not so much butter in the mouth but touches of cream. Young, balanced, good. Needs time.
Mouth Spicy oak, apple, medium plus acidity. Not so much butter in the mouth but touches of cream. Young, balanced, good. Needs time.
White
2009 Yabby Lake Vineyard Chardonnay Single Block Release Block 1
Nose creamy rich, toasty with tropical fruit and buttery notes
Mouth Doesn’t really match the nose – the fruit is tart – green apple and citrus, there are cream notes but the finish is slightly flabby (which contradicts the fruit profile)…hmm. Out of whack.
Mouth Doesn’t really match the nose – the fruit is tart – green apple and citrus, there are cream notes but the finish is slightly flabby (which contradicts the fruit profile)…hmm. Out of whack.
White
2009 Blain-Gagnard Bâtard-Montrachet
Nose Medium minus intensity, very muted, slight candy floss, slight sulphur
Mouth medium plus acid, green apply, very tart, mineral, tight, crisp, mineral notes, lees time. Very nice.
Mouth medium plus acid, green apply, very tart, mineral, tight, crisp, mineral notes, lees time. Very nice.
Flight 2 - Shiraz (6 notes)
Representatives from Northern Rhone, NZ and Australia
Red
2010 Glaetzer Dixon Family Winemakers Shiraz Mon Pere
Nose Leather, cherry, sl. dirty notes, spice, cream, black pepper dominates
Mouth Savoury blackberry and spice, black pepper, front of mouth phenolic grip, slight bitter on the finish
Mouth Savoury blackberry and spice, black pepper, front of mouth phenolic grip, slight bitter on the finish
Red
2010 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
Nose Muted green and black pepper, deeply perfumed, red cherry, earthy, spice. Slightly metallic note
Mouth black pepper, red cherry, spice, slight leather, cream, meh for me.
Mouth black pepper, red cherry, spice, slight leather, cream, meh for me.
Red
2010 Voyager Estate Shiraz
Nose medium minus intensity, clean and developing. Cedar wood, cream, slight black fruit and touches of red currant over black pepper and slight caramel
Mouth juicy black fruit, tight, tannic grip, dry savoury and spice. It’s a little old school new world, but very nice none the less. Well balanced
Mouth juicy black fruit, tight, tannic grip, dry savoury and spice. It’s a little old school new world, but very nice none the less. Well balanced
Red
2010 Mac Forbes Syrah Gruyere
Nose Medium minus intensity, clean, developing, green and black peppercorn, sweet spice, concentrated but not jammy black fruit, cedar wood, herbaceous, leather.
Mouth Red currant, black and green pepper, spice, plenty of front of mouth phenolic grip. Very nice.
Mouth Red currant, black and green pepper, spice, plenty of front of mouth phenolic grip. Very nice.
Red
2009 Domaine du Coulet (Matthieu Barret) Cornas Billes Noires
Nose Cork taint, clean, medium intensity, developing leather, black fruit, and wet wood
Mouth savoury, tannic grip, mineral notes – graphite, black pepper and fruit (black berry) massive! Very nice indeed.
Mouth savoury, tannic grip, mineral notes – graphite, black pepper and fruit (black berry) massive! Very nice indeed.
Red
2010 Trinity Hill Syrah Gimblett Gravels
Nose clean, medium intensity, developing, cream, toast, black cherry and berry, cedar wood, spice and alcohol, touch of black peppercorns
Mouth Blackberry, damson, almost plum. Tight savoury tannic grip that is not intrusive, fruit carries on
Mouth Blackberry, damson, almost plum. Tight savoury tannic grip that is not intrusive, fruit carries on
Flight 3 - Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blends (6 notes)
Representatives from Italy, USA, Bordeaux and Australia
Red
2008 Wantirna Estate Cabernet Merlot Amelia
Nose Ribena, Blackcurrant, graphite, pencil shavings, cedar
Mouth Juicy black fruit, cedar and spice and cream. Quite savoury. Medium plus acid, body, alcohol and tannin. This is a big wine, built to last. Very nice but, perhaps, the alcohol is a little hot and intrusive on the long finish.
Mouth Juicy black fruit, cedar and spice and cream. Quite savoury. Medium plus acid, body, alcohol and tannin. This is a big wine, built to last. Very nice but, perhaps, the alcohol is a little hot and intrusive on the long finish.
Red
2008 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Nose slightly closed, brambles, cream, vanilla, graphite, black currant and cedar.
Mouth juicy bramble and blackcurrant, vanilla, lacks spice. Immediate up front fruit appeal but finishes a little wet. But very good indeed.
Mouth juicy bramble and blackcurrant, vanilla, lacks spice. Immediate up front fruit appeal but finishes a little wet. But very good indeed.
Red
2008 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
Nose Cream, jammy black fruit, spice, slight floral top notes, and alcohol heat
Mouth Savoury and juicy black currant and spice. Medium plus tannins that grip. Medium plus body is mouth coating. Having said that the oak is savoury and the wine has a very long finish that carries the fruit. Good.
Mouth Savoury and juicy black currant and spice. Medium plus tannins that grip. Medium plus body is mouth coating. Having said that the oak is savoury and the wine has a very long finish that carries the fruit. Good.
Red
2008 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia
Nose Closed, muted, cream and vanilla, jammy black fruit, slight herbal, slight stalkiness
Mouth vanilla cream, black over red berry fruit, stalk in the mouth. Bit warm, bit short. The tannins feel a little chalky and grippy
Mouth vanilla cream, black over red berry fruit, stalk in the mouth. Bit warm, bit short. The tannins feel a little chalky and grippy
Red
2008 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon Estate
Nose cream, vanilla and muted black fruit, slight dusty, slight cherry
Mouth Jammy red and black fruit, Christmas cake, sweet spice, dry, savoury. Oak there but non-intrusive. Bit warm on the finish. Very well balanced though. Good.
Mouth Jammy red and black fruit, Christmas cake, sweet spice, dry, savoury. Oak there but non-intrusive. Bit warm on the finish. Very well balanced though. Good.
Red
2008 Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon John Riddoch
Nose Cherry and currant over graphite and bramble and cream, vanilla, herbaceous notes and touches of biscuit
Mouth medium plus acid, jammy blackcurrant over vanilla, slightly bitter on the medium plus finish. Medium plus body. Alcohol slight warm. Okay
Mouth medium plus acid, jammy blackcurrant over vanilla, slightly bitter on the medium plus finish. Medium plus body. Alcohol slight warm. Okay
Closing
Lovely tasting...In the Chardonnay bracket the Batard Montrachet was pretty special. In the Shiraz bracket, which was my favourite bracket, there were four winners for me - The Voyager Estate Shiraz, The Mac Forbes Gruyere Syrah, the Dom du Coulet Billes Noires and the Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels - the latter of these opened beautifully over the course of the tasting. From the Cabernet Sauvignon blends the Voyager Estate Cab Merlot, Ducru Beaucaillou and the Spottswoode were very nice but all different in their own way.