2016 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Release, Margaret River

This was a very good year for Margaret River, with the management of the firm tannins the focus for winemakers. Having said that the southern Margs vineyards had less of this. This wine strikes a perfect balance between the medium to full bodied elegantly stylish fruit and the fine gained oak. Blackcurrant and minerally graphite and black olive create a wonderfully engaging combination. Drink to 2040.

97 points Ray Jordan for Wine Pilot, October 2020

Medium to full ruby colour with a tinge of purple, the bouquet tobacco-leafy, foresty with notes of burnt vegetation and humus. The palate is full-bodied and firmly structured with authoritative tannins and terrific length. There are tobacco, nori, dried-herb savoury complexities that travel the entire length of the palate. An excellent wine. Drink to 2042.

95 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, November 2020

Voyager Estate has made a name for itself with long-lived Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon – wines with plenty of stuffing and structure to go the distance, particularly in the warmer and dried vintages. A little bit of rain in 2016 has made for a more approachable Voyager style, with a pretty and immediately expressive wine. It is quite deeply coloured with violet, red currant and bay leaf aromas supported by well balanced oak. It is then dry, juicy and supple with a compact core of dark fruits and well-integrated tannins in quite an open knit style. Great concentration and length finishes off a delicious package that will make for attractive drinking over the next decade. Drink to 2032.

94 points Angus Hughson for Wine Pilot, October 2020

There’s a savory edge to the nose here with a dried-berry and leafy edge. The palate has medium body and firm, grainy tannins and a smooth, redcurrant and red-plum finish. Drink or hold.

91 points James Suckling, March 2020

Voyager Estate was established in 1978 on the gravelly soils of Stevens Valley in southern Margaret River, one of the coolest and most maritime-influenced parts of the region. The estate has been farming organically since 2017 and received full certification in 2023. All fruit is estate grown across five vineyards on granite and ironstone soils.

This is a winery matured Cellar Release of the 2016 vintage, a blend that also includes small amounts of Merlot and Malbec. The above reviews were written at the time of the initial release of this wine.