TN: Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot 2011

[Waiters Friend]

Deep purple almost black in colour. This is at an interesting stage of development, where savoury developed characters match the dark fruits and cedary oak. There's a hint of vanilla, some coffee / mocha, and the palate is well balanced between fresh fruit, integrated and dusty / drying tannins, and those savoury notes again. Long finish and medium palate weight.

Possibly approaching its peak, although I suspect it will hold (or improve) for several years yet.

Cheers
Allan

[Waiters Friend]

Deep purple in colour. Blackberry conserve, blue fruits, mocha, vanilla and no herbal or spice characters whatsoever - this is a very defined nose. There's moderate developed fruits on the front palate, which grows in intensity as it slides down. It's supported by moderate acid and fully integrated tannins. There's a growing velvety feel as the wine heads towards the mid and back palate, which is where it shines. Full bodied, long finish, very satisfying.

[Waiters Friend]

Trying this again 2 years later. The colour has lightened somewhat around the edges, but there's a dark red / purple core.

Fruit has developed somewhat as well, and savoury notes have come to the fore, including a touch of leather. The dark fruits are more noticeable on the mid and back palate, along with mocha and drying tannins. The finish remains long and satisfying, and the nose only gives a hint of the complex, mouthfilling and rewarding palate.

I wonder how much longer this will develop for. I won't be leaving it 2 more years until the next bottle.

[WAwineguy]

I had a feeling that Voyager had gone off a bit - this wine used to be their best one, and the 2004/2005 vintages were stellar, but quality had deteriorated by the early 2010s. Your tasting note however is encouraging!

[paulf]

I had a feeling that Voyager had gone off a bit - this wine used to be their best one, and the 2004/2005 vintages were stellar, but quality had deteriorated by the early 2010s. Your tasting note however is encouraging!

2011 was an extremely good vintage in WA (unlike pretty much everywhere else in Australia) so if they couldn't make a good one in that year they were going to be in trouble. I guess the other thing that has happened with Voyager is that they introduced a some wines that sit above this one for both price and presumably quality, so you do tend to wonder what the impact was on the Cab Merlot when some of the better fruit is being funnelled to other wines.
I do have a few of these left so it might be about time to open one.

[WAwineguy]

I guess the other thing that has happened with Voyager is that they introduced a some wines that sit above this one for both price and presumably quality, so you do tend to wonder what the impact was on the Cab Merlot when some of the better fruit is being funnelled to other wines.
I do have a few of these left so it might be about time to open one.

Yes true, this was their top wine for a long time but they brought in a straight cabernet called the Tom Price - I still have some 2004 vintage - which they later rebranded as the MJW (for Michael J Wright, the founder), which now seems to be their top red. They also apparently now have some single vineyard cabernet sauvignon which, again, they never previously made.

So the old stalwart Cabernet Merlot has gone down a few rungs in the Voyager heirarchy.

[Rocky]

Tend to disagree. Had a 2011 Cab merlot last weekend and found it sensational. Punching up with the MR heavy hitters Moss Wood and Woodlands.

[Alex F]

I found this wine too porty for my tastes and sold my remaining bottles of it. I was also not impressed by the 2010 recently either.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I've said this before, that while Bordeaux chateaux stated introducing second and even third wines, in Australia things went the other way, the top wines became second and third wines. A shame really.