Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Margaret River Australia

Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from the gravelly slopes of their Stevens Valley vineyard in Margaret River, Western Australia. This Bordeaux blend of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 1% Petit Verdot has spent 24 months in oak,  50% new, 50% in 1yr old barrels.

 

This deep ruby wine with a mere hint of garnet has fresh elegant aromas of blackberry cassis, sweet spices, cedar which all follow through to the palate, here there are additional savoury notes all kept fresh by the edgy acidity which also helps to balance the alcohol ( 14%) which feels well integrated. The tannins are fine and silky with a good structure and a savouriness and agin well integrated. Great length with cassis all the way through. This is a well made beautifully matured wine with lots of character and interest and tasted balanced and left me wanting more after each mouthful - the sign of a good wine in my book.
This is a wine that will improve in bottle for 3-5 years and would be lovely with a hearty meal! It is available from Justerini & Brooks at a cost of £29.17 .
Score : 90



Margaret River

Located approximately three hours' drive south of Perth, the region was ‘discovered’ in the early 1970s after various pieces of research from Professor Harold Olmo and Dr John Gladstones identified it as a potentially great grape growing region. The Margaret River area includes the rolling hills of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste Ridge, extending 90 kilometres north-south between Cape Naturaliste and Cape Leeuwin, and is bounded to the west by the Indian Ocean. Highly regarded as a producer of powerful yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, the region has also forged a great reputation for its white wines notably Chardonnay and Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends. However, it is capable of producing all the classic varietal wines.

Margaret River wine region first saw European settlement as late as the 1830’s and has evolved from pioneer ‘outstation’, forestry, dairy, alternative life stylers who enjoyed the unique coast and its surfing, to an area dedicated to the pursuit of great vines and fine wine.

The climate is strongly maritime-influenced, as might be expected in a region surrounded by the ocean on three sides. With a mean annual temperature range of only 7.6°C (45.68°F), it has less than 25% of its annual rain falling between October and April. The low diurnal and seasonal temperature range means an unusually even accumulation of warmth. While spring frosts are very rare and highly localised, the lack of winter dormancy for the vines can cause problems that are unique to this region.

Philip Shaw The Architect Chardonnay 2011 Orange Australia

Orange, New South Wales - Originally known as the Central Highlands, the region centres on the slopes of Mount Canobolas an experimental viticultural station was established at nearby Molong in the 1940s, but vines were first planted commercially in 1980. The region's elevation strongly influences the climate and the soils are variable. Overall, mild to warm midsummer mean temperatures, seldom rising above 32°C, but offset by cool / cold nights during the growing season hence keeping fresh acidity in the grapes. Rainfall is predominately in winter and springand  the three driest months are February, March and April hence irrigation is highly desirable. The strong winds reduce the risk of frost but they also hinder fruit set. Another problem that this area ( like quite a few in the cooler Australian growing regions) has are flocks of feeding birds – netting is used by some growers as a necessity. Chardonnay is the most established variety in the Orange region and is noted for its bright elegant styles. It is well suited to the varying altitudes and conditions.

Philip Shaw The Architect Chardonnay 2011  is medium lemon with a limey green tinge, on the nose are subtle aromas of green apple and peaches, on the palate the same fruits exhibit themselves with a sneaky cheesey nuance, this wine has had oak contact - but it is subtle older oak and has a fattness that enrobes the wines flavours. Fresh acidity keeps this wine clean and would work well with food, the alcohol embellishes rather than dominates - a nicely made wine. The maker comments on the production methods 'Fermentation occurred utilising yeast from the vineyard at a moderate temperature taking about 14 days to complete. The wine remained on yeast lees for 6 months in old French oak barrels and small stainless tanks. This allowed a build up of complexity without a noticeable amount of oak character.' The finish is peach and apple with a slightly acidc end. 

This is a wine that will keep - so look forward to drinking it over the next few years.

Score : 82

This is available from Amazon at a cost of £13.30.

 

John Duval Entity Shiraz 2009 Barossa Valley Australia

John Duval Entity Shiraz 2009

A deep ruby core has exciting and complex aromas of black and red berry fruits, spice, tobacco and a hint of game. The aromas lead to similar flavours on the palate with spice and mint intermingled with the vibrant elegant fruit, the fine etched tannins have a savoury grip and act as structural support for the body of the wine, underpinned by fresh acidity underwrites this wines longevity. The alcohol at 14.5% seems well tucked in and enriches the wine which is not overawed by its strength. This wine has elegance and freshness, careful making has made this wine what it is - enjoy it for some time to come. You can buy this from Slurp at £24.90 or the 2008 from Divine Wine at £21.95 - do!

Score : 90

Other reviews.

96pts “Crimson-purple; the perfumed bouquet proclaims the class of the wine, it’s array of blackberry, plum and spice fruit duly delivered on the medium-bodied palate; silky tannins and quality oak complete the picture.”
James Halliday, 2012 The Wine Companion
93pts “Bright purple. Black raspberry, cherry and violet on the nose, complicated by bitter chocolate, minerals and cracked pepper. Juicy and precise, with strong spicy lift to its red berry compote flavors. Not an overly rich style of shiraz, but offers a silky texture and serious depth of flavor. Finishes long, with fine-grained tannins and lingering red fruit and pepper notes.”
Josh Raynolds , Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar – New York July 2011

 

One of the world's great winemakers, John Duval of Grange left Penfolds to start out on his own with the 2003 vintage, sourcing fruit from some long-time friends in the Barossa. His red wines - a Shiraz and a Shiraz/Grenache/Mourvedre blend - are sourced from old Barossa vines aged between 50 and  100 years old and showcase the best of the Barossa region. Sourced from old vineyards in the Krondorf, Marananga, Tanunda, Light Pass and Eden Valley regions of the Barossa.

The 2009 vintage was very successful with some excellent wines made. After the extreme temperature of the second half of the 2008 vintage average, rainfall over winter and follow up rains of 100mm in November and December replenished water reserves. This was followed by a period of hot weather in late January, lasting through to early February. Conditions from then on were favourable with no extreme heat and little rain until late April. Vintage started two weeks later than 2007 and 2008 with yields generally down. Shiraz yields were particularly down, the lowest since 2003. 

 

Traditional, low intervention winemaking techniques were employed with Entity. Fermentation was with submerged cap in both traditional old open and small stainless steel fermenters. The wine underwent 100% barrel maturation for 18 months, with 39% in new fine grain French oak and the balance in two, three and four year old French oak hogsheads (300 litres).

 

The Barossa Valley has a great winemaking and grape growing heritage dating back to 1842 with a German influence who first settled here from Silesia and is home to some of the oldest vines in the world. In some families, there have been six generations of grape growers and winemakers. German culinary traditions and Lutheranism are still important aspects of the local culture; Barossa Valley even has its own German dialect, "Barossa Deutsch." Johann Gramp is said to have planted one of the first vineyards in the area, near Jacob's Creek. The Aldenhoven brothers and Joseph Gilbert are also thought to be some of the first growers in the Barossa Valley. Around the same time, Dr. Christopher Penfold moved to the valley, bringing with him some vine cuttings from France. He planted them near his new house and became a grower as well as a physician. Several other vineyards were established in those early years, including Joseph Seppelt's Seppeltsfield and Auguste Fiedler's vineyard, now part of the Château Tanunda estate.

The Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The North Para River runs through the middle of the region. The climate is ideal for full bodied red wines, fortified wines and robust white wines and is said to be Mediterranean, but some of the higher areas can bedescribed as Continental. Barossa Valley is about 35 miles northeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. The North Para River runs through the middle of the region.

The region produces a great variety of wine, with the main styles being Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Grenache, Mourvedre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. One important fact is that the Barossa Valley is Phyllowera free due to strict quarantine rules and working with local residents and visitors, South Australia even has an official board dedicated to these tasks, the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board of South Australia, which works with growers and winemakers to prevent infestations and promote use of phylloxera- and nematode-resistant rootstocks. The first vines planted were of course Phylloxera free.

Barossa Valley Shiraz: Shiraz is recognized universally as the Barossa Valleys signature wine. The wines are lush, velvety and mouth-filling. The flavours range from black cherries to blackberries and the tannins are generally ripe and soft. Many of the wines have