Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2008

[Waiters Friend]

This is a quote from a Grand Cru tasting in April 2014:

"Devils Lair (Margaret River) 2008: Deeper yellow in colour. Toasty and smoky oak hit the nostrils along with some BIG fruit. The peachy character is heading into secondary territory, with quince, marmalade and cardamom also noted. The toast persisted through to the very textured palate. Good drinking now – may not improve much. 6 votes and wine of the flight."

Having another look 9 months later, some of the oak has moved into the background on the nose, which is now more fruit and spice dominant. The palate is still the selling point of this wine, however - layered and rich but retaining a freshness and lightness that belies the wine's age. Sensational.

[Hacker]

Hi Allan, is this the Devils Lair you are referring to, just the heading of the thread is referring to another of my favs, being the Voyager. Both lovely wines

[via collins]

Love the VE 08 chard like I love my wife.

Pony up Allan - was it the Devil's Lair, or the VE you wanted to tell us about?

[Waiters Friend]

To quote "'Allo 'Allo": "What a mistake-a to make-a" poor Italian accent.


Ignore the Devil's Lair references, and I have swiped the wrong quote. It was definitely the Voyager Estate 2008 I was waxing lyrical about. Mea culpa

[felixp]

there are a number of WA chardonnays that are approaching 1er and even Grand Cru Burgundy level. Sensational stuff, I love both the Voyager and Leeuwin in particular.
it will always remain a mystery to me why we make so many brilliant Chardonnays but simply cannot get our act together with Pinot.`

[Tucker Wine Studios]

WA Chardonnays are the ones that also often really excite me. Just had a 2007 Picardy Chardonnay (under screw cap) - it's rich, complex and has a good length - absolutely loved it. Think it's often worth to keep these WA Chardonnays for a while and not to drink them too young.
Mario

[Tom A]

WA Chardonnays are the ones that also often really excite me. Just had a 2007 Picardy Chardonnay (under screw cap) - it's rich, complex and has a good length - absolutely loved it. Think it's often worth to keep these WA Chardonnays for a while and not to drink them too young.
Mario

Picardy under screwcap, brilliant!! back on the radar.
Cheers
TA

[griff]

Very surprised about the Picardy closure as well. I have 2007's under cork (just checked).

[Rocky]

WA Chardonnays are the ones that also often really excite me. Just had a 2007 Picardy Chardonnay (under screw cap) - it's rich, complex and has a good length - absolutely loved it. Think it's often worth to keep these WA Chardonnays for a while and not to drink them too young.
Mario

Picardy under screwcap, brilliant!! back on the radar.
Cheers
TA

Don't get too excited. Only a few of the Picardys are under screw cap, most are still cork.

[Tucker Wine Studios]

Sorry guys, looks like I had a bad Alzheimer moment. I wanted to write about the Pierro Chardonnay. No idea why I wrote Picardy - haven't had one for a while.
Sorry again - it's the Pierro Chardonnay I was talking about.
Mario

[Waiters Friend]

So that's two of us who have misquoted in the same thread! I wonder what the record is?

[via collins]

Glad to hear it was the VE Allan.

I took a bottle of this to a friends' in London last year - table groaning with French whites, and all they could talk about was the 08 VE that I had brought, and rested a few days.

Twas a very proud moment

[Waiters Friend]

Glad to hear it was the VE Allan.

I took a bottle of this to a friends' in London last year - table groaning with French whites, and all they could talk about was the 08 VE that I had brought, and rested a few days.

Twas a very proud moment

Damn! Where's the 'like' button on this forum

[Hacker]

Any thoughts on the latest release of the VE 2011? Not much love from the critics apparently.

[Waiters Friend]

Any thoughts on the latest release of the VE 2011? Not much love from the critics apparently.

I've not tried the 2011 VE, but the 2011 vintage was a cracker in WA, so VE would have to have done something terribly wrong to make a bad wine.

[Hacker]

I think Cliff Royle may have moved on by this vintage? Maybe a change in style or quality perhaps. Not tried it though. The WF guys rated it lower than prior years.

[Waiters Friend]

Glad to hear it was the VE Allan.

I took a bottle of this to a friends' in London last year - table groaning with French whites, and all they could talk about was the 08 VE that I had brought, and rested a few days.

Twas a very proud moment

Tried another tonight, for scientific purposes only, of course. This gets better with age. Some butter, white peach, grapefruit, secondary oaky notes, fabulous mouthfeel, all in balance. Just as well I have a few more in the cellar. A very good wine indeed.

[via collins]

That's fortuitous Allan, as I see my last bottle is in the next case to come out of the cellar.

Might have to try and time it for Christmas Day opening.

Hope all is well with you, shall we see you in the new year?

I'm a bit intrigued by the notion that VE may have made a dud - must get hands on a 2011.

[Hacker]

Had the 2011 at the mother-in-laws 80th yesterday. Lovely!

[Waiters Friend]

That's fortuitous Allan, as I see my last bottle is in the next case to come out of the cellar.

Might have to try and time it for Christmas Day opening.

Hope all is well with you, shall we see you in the new year?

I'm a bit intrigued by the notion that VE may have made a dud - must get hands on a 2011.

I hope very much you will see me a couple of times in the NY. I hope to be over at least once for business (and would of course suggest an offline at Moreton's) as well as promising to visit friends on the Mornington (which could be an expensive exercise). That potentially means two offlines, and I'd be disappointed if we didn't catch up, via collins. Also possible we can include sparky in the mix.

So what should the themes be? Forward planning, indeed!

[via collins]

Glad to hear it Allan, and forward planning indeed! And yes to Sparky as well, we can do it all.

Haven't been back to Moreton's since last we saw you, and always happy to return.

"Surprise me! Surprise yourself!" remains my favourite theme. Are you happy to go blind again? Don't mean to be obsessive about it, but one so rarely gets the chance.

cheers,

[Waiters Friend]

Opened another one tonight, possibly the first for a couple of years. If anything, this wine has got better in the intervening time.

Light gold in colour - does not look its age. The nose is a harmonious blend of cashew, ripe yellow peach and nectarine, quince paste, and subtle spices. The palate remains the star - my quote from 3 years ago of "layered and rich but retaining a freshness and lightness that belies the wine's age" still fits perfectly. Acid is supporting but gives the wine a refreshing character, and the palate's texture adds to the complexity.

Bloody marvellous.

Cheers
Allan

[Chuck]

Margaret River chardy in general is just sensational. The good stuff like VE is right up there with the best. Even the lower priced stuff I drink is crowd pleasing. Different from the cool climate Victorian stuff (Yarra, Mornington) but both are good in their own right.

Carl

[Mahmoud Ali]

The Devils River 2012 Chardonnay was brilliant whan tasted a few years ago. Highly recommended in my opinion.

Cheers .................. Mahmoud.

[Waiters Friend]

My final bottle.

Light gold in colour, with no hint of browning, and bright in the glass. The fruit has diminished only slightly, and the stonefruit and quince characters are still there. There's a hint of vanilla, and a little nuttiness as well, with savoury tones settling in. The palate shows more of those savoury characters, over grapefruit, peaches and sweet oak, and the wine finishes very long and clean.

At 12 years of age, I've be extremely surprised if it improves, and, for my last bottle, a very pleasurable experience.

Cheers
Allan

[Dragzworthy]

Once again, many thanks for demonstrating the full evolution of another iconic Australian wine I appreciate these notes immensely

[Michael McNally]

Once again, many thanks for demonstrating the full evolution of another iconic Australian wine I appreciate these notes immensely

Hear hear!

Love your work Allan

Cheers

Michael

[Waiters Friend]

Thanks to those that appreciate the "tracking" posts. For me, this I what cellaring is about, and I'd like to see more of these from other contributors.

[Ian S]

echoing the thanks for such great insight

[Dragzworthy]

The VE 2011 is also a beautiful wine...I’ll add onto this thread on my next two bottles.