"If ever there was a doubt that there was a new top-level name in Margaret River cabernet, Voyager Estate’s 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot puts that doubt to rest. Classically structured around a firm spine of powdery tannins, it revels in its complex perfume of violets, dark cherries and cassis, which it follows up with a sumptuously fruited and handsomely oaked palate backed by appealing undertones of dried herbs and forest floor.Sited close to Leeuwin Estate south of the Margaret River township, Voyager Estate has faced a similar struggle in this cooler macroclimate to achieve full ripeness with its red Bordeaux varieties, but has succeeded more handsomely than its better-known neighbour. Signs that it was likely to turn the corner from some finely crafted but essentially herbaceous reds from the early to mid 1990s came with the stellar 1997 vintage, which has in turn been surpassed by wines from the 2001 and 2002. Western Australian mining magnate Michael Wright has owned Voyager Estate since 1991, and has since ploughed a significant fortune into its underground cellars, vineyards, landscaping and new Cape Dutch-styled buildings. Led by its Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot, the estate is now matching the expectations it generates with results in the bottle."Jeremy Oliver, 24/1/2006, Eight Emerging Australian Classics
