This Voyager Estate Girt By Sea Cabernet Merlot 2020 is the entry-level Cab Merlot for Voyager, and it’s a great ad for the regional style, even in a challenging year.

Great regional footprint too – bay leaves, mint, dark berries, lead pencils. That whole shebang. It threatens to be both mintier and more brooding at first, but the palate mellows out into a lightish, more approachable take on a drying Margaret River red. It’s a big dog wine with training wheels – which is about perfect for the price and intentions.

The finish is a bit disjointed for higher points (tannins, alcohol and more fight each other without the fruit weight to smash them all) but would smash any Bordeaux at a similar price (if you want to play that game). Good silver medal wine.

Best drinking: good now, will be alive in ten but sweet spot maybe before that. 17.5/20, 91/100. 14.5%, $28. Voyager Estate website. Would I buy it? Worth a few glasses.