Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2003 Saturday, Mar 17 2007
Tasting Notes and Australia and Margaret River and Wines of the Month and Tip Top Tipple and Variety and Red and cabernet et al
As much as I do like Coonawarra and Yarra cabernet I still like Margaret River the best and Voyager Estate is one of the best of the best. We bought plenty of the 98, 99 and 01 vintages but seem to have missed 00 and 02. Won’t be missing out on this vintage though. Half a dozen will be going straight to the pool room.
A great smelling wine offering up blackcurrant, cherry, dark chocolate, tobacco and pencilly oak. Classic cabernet. On the palate medium to full bodied with firm ripe long grained tannins. The tannins are particularly good and sit beautifully within the wine. It has rich blackcurrant and cherry fruit balanced with more earthy tobacco, dark chocolate and cedar flavours and blah blah blah… at this point I stopped analysing and starting drinking because all you really need to know is that this is a top shelf Margaret River cabernet. Fill your boots.
Rated : 96 Points
Tasted : Mar07
Alcohol : 14%
Price : $45
Closure : Screwcap
Drink : 2007 - 2023
Source : Winery Sample
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March 17th, 2007 at 5:46 pm| Quote |
Yikes.
Have to track a few magnums down.(if they make them?)
Not been many 03’s for brookes birth year that were worth it.
March 17th, 2007 at 7:04 pm| Quote |
Leave the Cullen and Moss Wood to those who love parting with their hard earned, This will do me fine
March 18th, 2007 at 11:32 am| Quote |
Voyager are smart. Look at the quality of this wine in comparison to the other benchmark Margaret River Cabs.
April 16th, 2007 at 7:22 pm| Quote |
Well said big boy. I just opened a bottle of this to have a looksee myself, and I’m very impressed. Great finesse. No herbaceousness (though this can be ok). Nothing over extracted or over cooked. Beautiful profile. Great length!
May 1st, 2007 at 11:26 am| Quote |
After tasting the 99 cab/merlot I could not help but be reminded of a warm year Bordeaux, perhaps a Margaux or St Julien. i noticed my local supplier has the 03 for $30.00. No import tax from w.a.
May 1st, 2007 at 12:27 pm| Quote |
I love Voyager wines. I suspect Cliff is also something of the ladies man (nice work if you can get it).
May 2nd, 2007 at 6:34 pm| Quote |
The guys from Voyager are not doing any wrong steps during the last years. Their ‘Girt by Sea’
is a very nice smaller brother to this one
and only half the price again.
September 13th, 2007 at 3:15 am| Quote |
GW.. if you could take a case of these voyagers with you, between 01, 02 and 03.. what combination would you get?
September 13th, 2007 at 8:00 am| Quote |
8×01 4×03 or similar
GW
February 10th, 2008 at 11:57 pm| Quote |
A local wine shop has put down end-Apr as the launch date for the 2004 Cab Merlot… will you be getting a sneak preview?
February 11th, 2008 at 6:18 am| Quote |
Probably just pre or on release I would imagine. A highly anticipated release to say the least.
GW
March 11th, 2008 at 9:51 am| Quote |
Had a first tasty taste of the 2004 last night. Very good. More like the 2001 in style. Dense. I’ll revisit tonight and write it up. There will be no 2006 vintage of this wine either. All the grapes went into the 2006 Girt by Sea (which I will also open tonight).
GW
March 11th, 2008 at 12:40 pm| Quote |
I have to say I really liked the 2003. It drinks very well even now I think. Though maybe I’ll open my sample of ‘04 tonight.
March 11th, 2008 at 8:32 pm| Quote |
Agree Jules - a lovely wine - lovely depth of fruit and great length on the palate helped by the beautifully ripe tannins.
I must admit I cannot enthused about paying around $45 for the 2004 of this wine - just seems a ridiculous price increase in these times.
March 11th, 2008 at 10:02 pm| Quote |
I’d say $45 is still very fair value for a MR cab of this quality…you old cheapskate!
GW
March 12th, 2008 at 8:54 am| Quote |
it’s ok for you young rich boys - I’ve got to fund 30 years of retirement!!
So the 2005 Vasse Felix Cabernet at around $28 a bottle which you and other wine critics are similalrly impressed with, and produced in a great cabernet year is what — more than fair value. I mean how much of this stuff does Voyager make - the 2003 has been on the market for nearly 18 months and it was hardly a dog, and 2004 was a big yielding year.
Now that WA is the richest state in oz, they will probably sell it to all the mining truck drivers over there!!
Rant over - yeah in retrospect the 2003 was pretty much a bargain.
March 12th, 2008 at 9:22 am| Quote |
Paul, I’m with you mate. With a large mortgage and rising interest rates, $45 is more a special occasion wine.
March 12th, 2008 at 9:44 am| Quote |
2003 has been on the market for one year as far as I know. WRT the 05 Vasse Felix, and I don’t know if this makes sense, but it’s the MR Cab I have most enjoyed drinking recently over all the others - regardless of scores.
GW
March 12th, 2008 at 10:06 am| Quote |
Mining truck drivers in WA drink Cullen Diana Madeline. Voyager Estate indeed …
March 12th, 2008 at 11:21 am| Quote |
2003 Voyager Cab /merlot released in Dec 2006
March 12th, 2008 at 12:01 pm| Quote |
14 months..
GW
March 12th, 2008 at 3:03 pm| Quote |
Gary Walsh said :
Any news about the 2006 Girt by sea?
Cheers
Michael
March 12th, 2008 at 3:12 pm| Quote |
Oh yes. It’s pretty interesting. I like it but it may polarise. Drinks really well and has good drive and length. Has a thread of spearmint and green bean running through it but with ripe blackcurranty fruit. Typical of 06 MR reds but one of the better ones I have tasted. I’ll write it up tonight..along with 02 Reschke Empyrean and a few others..need to catch up.
GW