Nose
A complex and evolving bouquet displays notes of sweet and dried cassis fruit, delicate hints of dried roses, a lovely array of savoury bayleaf, sage and earthiness, intertwined with oak notes of vanilla pod, dark chocolate and cigar box.
Palate
A rich palate displays sweet dark and red berry fruit upfront, following through to savoury bayleaf and black olive character with beautifully integrated earthy, gravelly notes and toasty oak. The wine is well balanced, supported by fine-grained velvety tannins and a long finish.
Growing Conditions
Following a challenging spring growing period, summer and autumn provided some of the best weather ever experienced in the region. A classic "Indian Summer" resulted in warm, dry days with cool nights. These conditions are ideal for producing exceptional red wines as the fruit ripens slowly, allowing sufficient time for excellent tannin and flavour development.Fortunately, there were no heat spikes, which can have a detrimental impact on ripening and fruit flavours. The 2009 vintage will be remember as a classic for Cabernet Sauvignon from the Voyager Estate vineyards, producing refined and concentrated fruit flavours combined with finegrained and physiologically ripe tannins.The core Cabernet Sauvignon components for this wine were sourced from three exceptional vineyard blocks - our V9 Old Block planted in 1978, our North Block U12 planted in 1995 and a component of fruit from an outstanding Wilyabrup vineyard. These three vineyards all display exceptional consistency from season to season and showcase clear vineyard site expression, producing wines with great intensity and individuality.
Harvest
Hand harvested fruit was de-stemmed to retain as many whole berries as possible, after which the parcels were fermented separately in open and upright fermenters with regular, gently pumpovers or plunging. Fermentation temperatures were kept below 28 degrees and lasted as long as 12 days.
Winemaking
The warm and extended ripening period afforded by the 2009 vintage has produced a rich and concentrated wine reflective of the season. This classically styled Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon displays all the vibrant fruit, layers of complexity, structure and extraordinary longevity so characteristic to the region.Following primary fermentation, two parcels were left on skins for an additional 19 days before being pressed. The wines from each parcel remained separate during 18 months of maturation in tight-grain French oak and were racked every three months to aid clarification. Following the maturation period, the batches were blended, egg-white fined and filtered prior to bottling.
Aging
Drink now to 2024
Appearance
Deep ruby with garnet hues.
Food Pairing
Medium to long-cooked red meats will highlight this wines complexity. Pasty aged Cheddar or Manchego would be a great cheese match.
