The tasting of the year: Voyager Estate Masterclass 2014

Each year the team from Voyager Estate do a lap of the country, putting on masterclasses involving pitting their own wines against the best of the world in single blind brackets. It is, typically, the tasting of the year.

Seriously, the whole year.

What makes this masterclass so good is threefold. Firstly, the wines are always top-class international examples. Secondly, the notes on each wine and the presentation is painstakingly detailed and accurate. Third, the Voyager Estate wines typically look good blind, which only makes it that much more rewarding for Voyager themselves.

This 2014 of the Voyager Estate Masterclass iteration sees the range of 2011 Voyager Estate Chardonnays placed in a bracket with various 2011 Chardonnay from around the world, and the same with the 2010 Voyager Estate Cabernet wines paired with various 2010 Cabs and blends.

As you can see by the list of wines, there was no shortage of glory here, with differences often a case of personal preferences (and how individual bottles looked) rather than pure quality. In turn, my scores look rather conservative in the scheme of things and I think most of these I’d appreciate just by themselves.

Anyway, on with the show.

These were served in two single blind brackets in great glassware, under good conditions. Background info in italics and notes as written on the day.

Bracket 1 – Chardonnay

1. Moreau-Naudet Forets 1er Cru Chablis 2011 $76 12.5%
‘The unmistakeable marmalade of botrytis’ according to Steve James. Forets is a lieu-dit in the Montmains cru. Spends 24 months in a mix of 1/3 old barrels and 2/3 in tank.
White peach. Very fine nose. Almost milky yeast and oak yet there is a white nectarine ripeness too. New world. Classy and long with a great balance between oak and yeast. Maybe a fraction warm to finish, with just a little figgy ripeness. Classy though. 18.1/20, 93/100

2. Voyager Estate Project 95 Chardonnay 2011 RRP $55 12.8%
From a single block of clone 95 vines planted in 2004. 11 months in 60% new, 40% one year old oak. pH 3.22, TA 6.95.

Banana and marshmallow sulphides on a palate that is very sleek and clean. Lovely length and that sulphide/acid contrast is excellent. Perhaps too lean? Quite warm finish. Oak juts out a fraction but can’t ruin the overall effect. 18/20, 93/100

3. Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin En Remilly 2011 $125 13%
From close planted vines planted in 1989. Fermentation in 20% new oak and lasts as long as 90 days. Bottled after 17 months.

Slightly overt spicy oak on nose and a big, powerful palate. Warming alcohol but retains its class in the face of big, almost pineapple oak and fruit power. Maybe a fraction rambunctious but super powerful. I think this is just a bit forward. Love the sulphide fattiness though. 17.8/20, 92/100

4. Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2011 $45 13.3%

Sourced from seven different blocks and a mix of different clones. Picked at 11.0-12.5 baume. Whole bunch pressed to 42% new oak, 38% wild ferment and just 45% went through malo. 10 months in barrique. pH 3.19. TA 7.1
Spicy and quite oak drawn nose. The palate looks quite lean, with an acid attenuation that suggests limited malo. Just a bit to sharp edged at present. Classy wine to come though. 17.7/20, 92/100

5. Kumeu River Matés Chardonnay 2011 $75 14%
Whole bunch pressed, barrel fermented, and all wild yeast. Full malo. 12 months in barrel. pH 3.23. TA 7.1. I normally love this wine and unusual to see it show up looking only good. Retaste required.

Biscuity. Much more developed than the wines around, almost golden nose. The palate looks raw, fatty and just a little stripped through the finish certainly big but lacks just a little class. American ? It’s a bit warm for mine. 17.5/20, 91/100

6. Voyager Gin Gin Prioject Gin Gin Chardonnay 2011 $55 13%

From a block planted in 2003 to Gin Gin (also known as Mendoza) clone. Whole bunch pressed to tank and then fermented wild in 60% new, 40% one year old oak. No Malo but battonage every three weeks. 11 months in barrel. A good guess as to the wine! pH 3.27. TA 7.59.

Milky sulphides. Lots of funk and very much a composed and refreshing palate. Milk bottle sulphide character mirrors wine 2. Voyager project? Might be a little leaner than you’d like through the finish, but it build and builds. Classy wine. 18.5/20, 94/100

7. Ocean Eight Verve Chardonnay 2011 $55 12.2%
20% botrytis in the fruit (which shows). Wild ferment in six year old plus oak. 12 months on full solids. pH 3.32. TA 7.4. 

Nutty and oaky nose. Spicy, lumpy palate with some orange cream fat and sweet fruit. Not classy just bold and tart. Botrytis? A bit short. 17/20, 90/100

8. Oakridge 864 Funder + Diamond Chardonnay 2011 $75 13.4%

From a very wet season, fruit was sorted and whole bunch pressed for wild ferment in 30% new oak. Minimal malo. Minimal malo and matured on lees for 10 months. pH 3.13. TA 6.3.  
Classy nose. Full but contained, with pineapple fruit richness on a creamy palate. A leap back to the top step and such a complete wine. Burgundian. Has excellent weight. though might be a bit OTT. Wine of the day. 18.7/20, 95/100

9. Peay Vineyard Estate Chardonnay 2011 US$58 12.7%
From a very cold summer. Half the crop lost to rot and declassified barrels. Whole bunch pressed. Wild ferment with regular lees stirring and full malo. 11 months on full lees on 24% new oak. pH 3.37. TA 6.7.

Perhaps the most powerful with cream pineapple palate. Loads of sexy oak. Too much oak? Lacks delicacy. Has a place but largesse in spades. 17.5/20, 91/100

Cabernet + blends

1. Yeringberg 2010 $75 13%

62% Cab, 11% Cab Franc, 11% Merlot, 10% Malbec, 7% Petit Verdot. Hand-picked into small open fermenters. Each days pick in separate batches. Hand plunged every 8 hours and when fermented was done left on skins. Basket pressed and went through malo in tank. 21 months in 35% new oak. pH 3.48. TA 6.0. I wouldn’t mind owning some of this.
Succulent. A quite transparent and pretty nose with a fine, subdued palate. Straight Cabernet? Very linear but also has some warm season confection. Yeringberg? Has a Cab Franc like liveliness. This will make ethereal old bones. On second look this looked almost Pinot like. Long haul glory. 18.5/20, 94/100+

2. Voyager Estate North Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $90

94% Cabernet, 6% Petit Verdot. From a block planted in 1995 to the Houghton clone in a very gravelly patch. Hand-harvested in five passes. Fermented in open fermenters at sub 25C for 10 days, spending another 16 days on skins. 19 months in 50% new French oak. pH 3.65. TA 6.6.   
Gravelly notes. Overt leafy varietal character. For all that tobacco and mint, however, it’s nicely ripe and doesn’t look herbal or overripe. For a classic Cabernet style this is really quite beautiful, if somewhat of a caricature – big and bold. Maybe just a little raw and drying. Length is very impressive though. 18/20, 93/100+

3. Te Mata Estate Coleraine 2010 $90 14%
58% Cabernet. 36% Merlot. 6% Cab Franc. Warm ferment with extended maceration on skins. 19 months in predominantly new French oak. Herbal as always. But I’d drink it.

Light colour. Subdued nose and subdued palate, the overall interpretation just ripe, licoricey and a little herbal. Cab Mer blend? Certainly has intrigue and excellent length, but an oddity. There’s a distracting herbalness here. Will be long lived but always drying. 17.7+

4. Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2010 $70 13.6%

89% Cabernet. 7% Merlot. 4% Petit Verdot. Estate fruit plus a Wilyabrup component. Cool ferment below 25C for 10 days and 16 days on skins.19 months in barrel, 50% new oak. pH 3.62. TA 6.4. ‘A hint of bay leaf’ according to Travis Limm.

Closed, firm and classy. Graphite and leaf. Definitely new world and almost certainly Margs. Pointy acid suggests Coonawarra though? A little confection through the finish. Looks long but desperately needs to settle down. 17.7/20, 92/100

5. Voyager Estate Project Old Block Cabernet 2010 $90 14%
96% Cabernet. 4% Petit Verdot. From a block planted in 1978. pH 3.74 TA 6.56. I honestly thought this was Bordeaux.

Oh so closed. Compact. Superb tannins though – really lively and with a mouth coating shape. Long term wine. Sturdy. Superstar length. Bordeaux? The oak sticks out on the second taste but really delicious tannins. Perfectly shapely and so different! Lovely fine tannins and a gentlemanly finish. 18.7/20, 95/100

6. Chateau Lynch Bages 2010 $350 13.5%

79% Cabernet. 18% Merlot. 2% Cab Franc. 1% Petit Verdot. 15 months in 70% new French oak. This just looked a little lumpy, meaty and not yielding much. 

Dense colour. Rare roast beef. Serious, mouth coating tannins. Italian? Has an unusual look to it and a sense of accomplishment to those tannins. Classy and very long. Has perhaps a little confection to finish. 18.5/20, 94/100

7. Cullen Diana Madeline 2010 $115 13%
77% Cabernet. 10% Merlot. 6% Petit Verdot. 4% Malbec. 3% Cab Franc. Wild ferment. No acid addition. 19 months in French oak. 51% new. pH 3.61. TA 5.56.

Welcome back to Australia. This looks just a little dull in context, a bit broader through the middle and even a bit bacony. Nice but not superstar. Looks quite light in this context. A fraction short too. 17/20, 90/100

8. Wynns Messenger Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $50 13.5%

From a dry-grown block planted in 1975. Fermented in a static fermenter for eight days. Malo in tank. 17 months in 30% new oak. 

Margs again? That fern leaf meets blackberry richness. This looks like a single block wine, with quite a deal of oak sweetness and a broader finish. A bit simple. 17.5/20, 91/100

9. Far Niente Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $140US 14.7%
97% Cabernet. 3% Petit Verdot. 16 months in 76% new and 24% one year old oak. pH 3.67. TA 6.5.  

Complex. Really chocolatey though, the cocoa powder oak is sexy. Beyond the oak this is very sexy and ultimately lavish and hedonistic. I rather like this. 18.5/20, 94/100