Voyager Estate Magnum 2024

ISSUE N° 42 | MILESTONES | 2024

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR The new works best when it finds harmony with the old. Celebrating this harmony has been the hallmark of 2023 at Voyager Estate.

However, if we take the bird’s eye view and look back over a generation, we see a sequence of small, deliberate developments that have made each vintage better than the last. Far from being all over the place, our dance footprints form a clear pattern of solid rhythm and progression. And all credit is due to our fantastic team, of both long-timers and new faces, working together to pull off some great choreography.

We have welcomed the freshness and energy of new members in the team, including, among others, Chief Winemaker, Tim Shand, and, Head Chef, Travis Crane, as well as the long-awaited return of Josefine Boehm to the wine room. Each in their own ways, they bring expertise and passion to the fore in their new setting. It is a joy to watch.

The pièce de resistance is the completion of our organic certification process and I’m as proud as punch to confirm that all our wines from the 2023 vintage are now certified organic.

It has taken us 19 years all up, which sounds like a long time, but getting there slowly and steadily has ensured we have built the resilience to be able to grow and make our wines organically forever. Thank you to all the team, both past and present, and to the many industry colleagues who have helped us along the way with counsel and guidance. And thank you to you, our customers and visitors, who have followed us on this journey. Your support means everything.

We also marked 25 years of welcoming guests to our cellar door, and we took a moment to reconnect with some of the many people who have been a part of building, styling, maintaining and operating the unique place that is our cellar door and gardens.

It gave us time to reflect on the many thousands (we think it could be in the millions!) of wonderful visitors and guests who have made the trip to see us, some of them hosting celebrations of their own, some just coming to explore, learn and enjoy a sample of what Margaret River does best.

This reflection of old and new is beautifully portrayed in a short film on our website. It is ostensibly about Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, but the story it really tells is about how the old and the new work together along a continuum, in an ongoing dance between hard-earned wisdom and untested ideas.

Even in our world of slow-growing vines and quietly fermenting and maturing wines, this dance can feel almost wild at times.

Wishing you all a fabulous 2024.

PROPR IETOR

ALEXANDRA BURT

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PHOTOGR A PH Y

TIM SHAND

GAVIN CRAWCOUR TOM BENSON

EIGHT WEEKS

CHIEF W INEM A K ER , TIM SH A ND, SH A R ES A LL THE M AGIC A ND MOMENTUM OF OUR FIR ST FULLY-CERTIFIED ORGA NIC V INTAGE.

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In general, 2023 will go down as an excellent vintage. The weather leading up to harvest was clear and fine, perfect, really.

The water table was full after a wet start to spring, and fruit set coincided with a glorious run of weather from November right through until Easter. That being said, it wouldn’t be our first fully-certified organic vintage without some heartache. Interestingly, it didn’t come from the heavens. Weevils, spring beetles and snails provided this year’s challenges, but our enhanced understanding of growing with a ‘tread gently’ philosophy allowed us to respond and carry on effectively.

It’s been a long road to organic certification, but one of which our vineyard team can be justly proud. Their commitment will bear fruit in more ways than one for the future of our piece of the earth. Given this year was such an important harvest for us, I carved out a moment at the end of each week to put my thoughts down. I’m so glad I did. These eight dispatches tell an interesting tale and one that suggests there is always more detail and nuance to vintage than a five-star rating or a couple of well-chosen adjectives! Happy reading.

WEEK ONE It was all smiles in the vineyard and winery as we finished week one! Picking started on Wednesday in Broadvale Block 6 with our Clone 95 Chardonnay. A universal truth of white grapes is that your best vineyards ripen first, which was the case again this year. Flavour (lime and pear drop) came at low sugar levels, as well as a lovely acidity – a sure sign of a standout vintage.

We moved over to Broadvale Block 5, the Gingin clone, on Thursday. The block copped an early weevil attack in spring, but quick work from Glen and the team saw a Lazarus-like recovery! Warm days and cold nights continued on Friday and Saturday, appreciated by the Chardonnay vines and harvesting humans alike. Birds remained a constant threat as the Marri failed to blossom, but with nets going out fast, there were no complaints and plenty of optimism.

WEEK TWO All of the Chardonnay is in the house, and we can safely call this an excellent vintage for the variety. This year, we took a different approach, taking the luxury of two separate passes through the vineyard to pick the last of the Chardonnay. It was a long three days of chasing birds around the (netless) block for Glen!

With about an hour left in picking, the heavens opened and gave us our first decent rain in four months. It was a good feeling to have the Chardonnay all picked when it came down.

Ferments kicked off spontaneously in barrel, with estery stone fruit aromas filling the air – a great time to visit the winery on a tour, as a few lucky guests discovered.

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WEEK FIVE Seasoned heads in the region cautioned patience as we began to harvest the Shiraz. It looked like a vintage that would keep giving if the fruit was held on the vine a little longer. A ‘Goldilocks’ season indeed – not too hot, not too cold and rain at just the right times. Low-ish crops and a well-balanced canopy meant the fruit spectrum ripened evenly into delicious blueberry and mulberry notes with good intensity. We grabbed a touch of Viognier to co-ferment with the Shiraz, too.

The white harvest finished with our intriguing old blocks of Chenin Blanc and Semillon, both planted in 1978. The fruit characters from these blocks are more opulent and complex.

They will see skin, whole-bunch ferment for enhanced texture and weight, and a nice mix of oak (the Semillon will have our concrete egg as its home for the next few months).

A sneaky bottle of 2015 Pol Roger Vintage Brut was opened to celebrate a leisurely white grape harvest, which we’re confident will capture the generosity and detail of the season.

WEEK THREE

We had a few days’ breather from harvest early in the week, which allowed us to check on the Chardonnay ferments and top up the barrels. By Wednesday morning, it was time to push go on picking our Chenin Blanc fruit for the Voyager Estate Sparkling Chenin Blanc. Whilst we love to see crisp acidity in the sparkling base, it’s crucial not to jump too early when picking Chenin. This year, we were blessed by even ripening and picked the fruit at excellent acidity, with Pink Lady apple notes and not a hint of greenness. Then we were into the Sauvignon Blanc. The picking decision here was about finding a distinct passionfruit character in the fruit.

Silvereyes, twenty-eights and crows descended upon us en masse, so the vineyard crew were also busy netting the Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet to keep them safe over the next month.

WEEK FOUR

Week four was all about Semillon – my first extensive experience with this grape variety. Our main block of Semillon is U10.

Adjacent to our best Shiraz and Cabernet sites, this may be the best dirt on the property. We grabbed the west side of the block prior to the rain on Friday but were forced to wait four long days and nights to go in and pick the east.

Semillon presents challenges to vignerons and winemakers alike. In the vineyard, it ripens a bit more slowly and loves to get botrytis at the slightest whiff of rain. In the winery, the grapes tend to ‘slip out of their skin’ when pressed, leaving a little jelly blob behind that is very difficult to press the juice from. Grapes that keep their flesh on the skin give the press some purchase to squeeze out the juice. It’s a long, painful process extracting juice from Semillon, but it’s worth it. It’s absolutely the most delicious juice to drink fresh during vintage.

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WEEK SIX

Week six was all about Shiraz as we harvested the last fruit from U11 – our best Shiraz block. We were keen to pick in the ‘Syrah’ zone of ripeness (think savoury and spicy!), so we were cautious not to let it hang too long. We deliberately picked one portion of fruit a touch early, chasing pepper and tension in the wine rather than power. We also picked another portion that has ripe fruit sweetness against a wall of tannin – to bring the ‘muscle’ to the blend.

Our approach with whole-bunch is multi-dimensional. We’ve got a small batch of 100% bunches, chasing carbonic maceration character and made in the full Beaujolais style. Another batch sees 50% bunches and 50% whole berries in one fermenter.

A warm, quick, natural ferment should maximise the power of this wine without over-extracting green stalk tannin. It will be interesting to see how the different elements blend together.

WEEK EIGHT The vintage gods opted to unleash their wrath upon us. The rain set in for four days – 40 mm in total! Our ‘wait and see’ approach quickly turned into a logistical exercise of picking the remaining Cabernet blocks as quickly as possible. With an experienced crew in the vineyard and winery, we were able to flex up, and with some long shifts over the weekend, we were all done by Monday. That left small hand-picks of Grenache and Petit Verdot on Tuesday, and before we knew it, Vintage 2023 was in the bag. As the dust settles, a reassuring mix of Cabernet batches emerges.

It's been a rewarding and enjoyable harvest with exciting wines from across our vineyard – a testament to our wonderful site and diligent team. In some wine regions, vintage is a sprint.

In other regions, it’s a marathon. After my first vintage here, I’d say Margaret River is a marathon... with a mad sprint at the end!

WEEK SEVEN As we watched the second cold front cross the capes, whoever was silly enough to call this the “Goldilocks season” quickly realised that with every Goldilocks comes a big angry Papa Bear at the end.

We rely on three sources for our weather forecast: the Bureau of Meteorology or ‘BOM’ (blissfully optimistic, for those seeking solace), the Windy app (prudent and detailed, more for the intellectual) and finally, the MetVUW website, whose grim colour scheme indicating imminent rain brings together the palette of Jackson Pollock with the bitter reckoning of Nick Cave. It’s best taken with three fingers of Scotch or a double espresso.

All three sources agreed this week that trouble was on the way.

Cabernet, which had such a good run to this point, suddenly found itself exposed. On the cusp of greatness, but with disaster knocking on its door. To pick or not to pick, it was time for decisive action. So, as a true Libran, I chose both!

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PHOTOGR A PH Y

TRAVIS CRANE

GAVIN CRAWCOUR

FORGED & FORAGED AS W E LEA R N SEV ENTEEN THINGS A BOUT OUR NEW HEA D CHEF, TR AV IS CR A NE, IT'S EASY TO SEE HOW HE LEA NS INTO SIMPLICIT Y A ND PUR IT Y TO CR EATE M AGIC IN THE K ITCHEN.

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and was immediately inspired to start utilising the berries at every stage of ripeness. This resulted in three courses featuring mulberries in various forms, from fresh ripe mulberries to pickled green mulberries, and a mulberry wine sorbet.

Once the season for berries stopped, the tree kept on giving, with mulberry leaves grilled on our hibachi and filled with a smoked labneh for a snack. THE PROUDEST MOMENT IN MY CULINARY CAREER TO DATE IS watching my teams and chefs develop, grow and succeed in the industry. The kitchen forges a very special and unique bond within a team, so there is very little that is more rewarding than seeing a teammate succeed.

These moments could be someone moving into an exciting role, or little everyday things like a teammate executing a new skill or excelling in their position. THE FIRST TIME I SAW THE VOYAGER ESTATE CELLAR DOOR AND RESTAURANT I was absolutely blown away by the stunning gardens, the spectacular cellar door building and the abundant kitchen garden.

THE MOST MEMORABLE DISH I’VE EVER EXPERIENCED is the mussel éclade at In De Wulf. A traditional dish from the South West of France, where new season mussels are packed onto a plank with a perimeter of nails, tightly enough that when they I WAS DRAWN TO VOYAGER ESTATE IN MARGARET RIVER

cook they are unable to open. They are then covered with pine

BECAUSE of the beautiful location, access to incredible produce,

needles, which are lit on fire. The result is a perfectly steamed

stunning wines, and the amazing culture within the business.

and lightly smoked mussel in a shell still full of its own juices

I WOULD DESCRIBE MY CULINARY PHILOSOPHY AS honest,

and singing of the sea. They were served in a bowl with half a

produce-focused cooking. By sourcing thoughtfully, prepar-

loaf of fresh sourdough to mop up the juices. It was incredibly

ing simply and presenting beautifully, we give our guests an

simple, but absolutely mind-blowing. I AM INSPIRED BY produce,

honest snapshot of the South West, its seasons and its producers.

producers and passionate people. I AM MOST CURIOUS ABOUT

THE CONCEPT OF A WINE-LED MENU EXCITES ME BECAUSE

the 'why' behind what we do. Never satisfied with just know-

constraints force creativity. By always having the relationship of

ing how to do something, I want to know the science behind

food and wine front of mind when creating dishes, we become

it, the history of it and what’s going on to get the result we’re

far more conscious of our own cooking and why we do what we

looking for. Whether in cooking, growing, preparing or sourc-

do in the kitchen. WHEN THINKING ABOUT A NEW DISH CONCEPT,

ing produce – the more we understand and the more questions

I START WITH the produce that is available to us and ask myself,

we ask, the better we become. MY FAVOURITE WAY TO BEGIN

what is the most delicious thing I can do with this item? From

THE DAY IS with a mug of black coffee and some toast, followed

here, I start to piece dishes together. THE GREATEST THING ABOUT

by a visit to our farm to check on our plants and to say g’day to

BEING A CHEF IS coming to work every day and doing something

the cows. WHAT SETS THE VOYAGER ESTATE RESTAURANT APART

that I love. THE CHEFS WHO HAVE INFLUENCED ME THE MOST

is an honest commitment to sourcing and supporting local

ARE my first Head Chef when I started my apprenticeship, and

producers, including our own farm. ON A NIGHT AT HOME,

Kobe Desramaults from my time at In De Wulf in Belgium.

I’M COOKING a simple, veggie-focused meal that I can eat with

Most often, I am inspired by the individuals on my team.

a fork or a spoon. WORKING IN KITCHENS HAS TAUGHT ME

MY FAVOURITE LOCAL INGREDIENT TO COOK WITH is a tough

patience, empathy and compassion. I’M MOST LOOKING

one… it’s between Geraldton Wax and our Wallcliffe mulber-

FORWARD TO furthering Voyager Estate's sustainability goals

ries, however the mulberries probably take the top spot. When

by becoming more self-sufficient, growing more of our own

I first saw our 150-year-old mulberry tree I was blown away

produce, lowering food miles, and reducing waste.

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PHOTOGR A PH Y

TRAVIS CRANE

GAVIN CRAWCOUR

PÂTÉ EN CROÛTE IN CELEBR ATION OF THE 25 T H A NNI V ER SA RY OF THE VOYAGER ESTATE CELL A R DOOR , TR AV IS CR A NE SH A R ES HIS R ECIPE FOR A PÂTÉ EN CROÛTE W ITH R HUBA R B A ND SPA R K LING ROSÉ JELLY, PA IR ED TO OUR STUNNING 2020 PROJECT W10 MER LOT.

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BRIOCHE

MAKE BRIOCHE DAY ONE

500 g baker’s flour

1. Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a standard mixer, then add milk and eggs. Mix with a dough hook until developed.

The dough should pull away from the bowl as it mixes, and you’ll be able to pull a very thin window with the dough that you can almost see through. If unsure, Google “gluten windowpane test”.

6 eggs 130 ml milk 15 g dry yeast 10 g salt 10 g sugar 250 g butter

PORK FILLING 700 g coarse pork mince (30% fat)

You can make the mince yourself using pork collar or shoulder with backfat, alternatively ask your local butcher

2. Once gluten is fully developed, add diced butter, and mix until fully incorporated. There should be no lumps of butter remaining.

3. Press the dough into a lightly oiled container, cover and pop in the fridge overnight or until chilled.

PREPARE PORK FILLING DAY ONE 4.

Put mince, diced pork, diced fat, cherry port, salt, spice blend, pepper and mandarin peel in a bowl. Combine well, cover and put in the fridge overnight to marinate.

300 g pork, diced 300 g pork backfat, diced 20 g salt 100 ml cherry port 1 tsp spice blend of equal parts juniper, clove and star anise 1 tsp cracked black pepper 1 tbsp powdered dried mandarin peel

You can substitute fresh orange zest

RHUBARB AND SPARKLING ROSÉ JELLY 200 g rhubarb, sliced

MAKE JELLY DAY TWO

500 ml 2022 Voyager Estate Project Sparkling Rosé

1. Bloom the gelatine sheets in ice-cold water until soft and pliable.

70 g sugar Handful of fresh rose petals 6 sheets gelatine 1 tsp agar-agar 1 lemon, juiced and zested

2. Place rhubarb in a pot with the sparkling rosé, rose petals, sugar, agar-agar and lemon zest. Bring to the boil and simmer for a minute or two or just until the rhubarb has softened, then take off the heat.

Add the lemon juice and gelatine, stirring to dissolve, then pass pulp through a sieve. Pour mixture into silicone moulds or into a dish, and place in the fridge until set. Turn out of mould and serve.

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PÂTÉ EN CROÛTE

ASSEMBLE PÂTÉ EN CROÛTE DAY TWO

Prepared pork filling

1. In the morning, form your pork mix into a shape roughly the same size as your loaf tin. Chop all the herbs together, then coat your pork mix, pressing the herbs into the meat so it’s wellcovered. Place back in the fridge.

1/2 bunch parsley 4 sprigs thyme leaves 1/4 bunch sage 3 sprigs Geraldton Wax leaves 1/2 bunch marjoram If you can't get fresh marjoram, oregano will work too

400 g smoked streaky bacon, sliced 2 eggs

2. Lightly oil the inside of a 30 cm terrine mould or loaf tin and line with baking paper. You don’t want any overhang, so trim any excess paper.

3. On a generously floured bench, roll two thirds of the brioche dough to approx. 2 mm thick and line the terrine mould so that the edges have some overhang. You’ll need this excess later to join the lid, so don't worry if it looks a little messy at this stage.

4. Place the mould and brioche in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to firm up slightly. Preheat your oven to 200°C on fan forced.

5. Line the mould with the streaky bacon, so it’s slightly overlapping. There should be enough overhang for the bacon to wrap the top of the terrine once you put the filling in.

6. Place the pork mix into the mould and press it in well.

Bring the overhanging bacon over the top of the pork mix and press it down slightly. Now you’re ready to put on the lid.

7. Whisk the eggs together and using a pastry brush, brush the exposed edges of the brioche and the top of the terrine.

8. For the lid, roll the remaining brioche slightly thicker than you did previously, to line the edges of the mould. Cut the brioche slightly larger than the top of the mould and then put the lid on and gently pinch the top and bottom brioche sheets together.

Trim the excess brioche with a small knife. Pinch the two edges together well to form a seal.

9. Generously brush the top with egg wash. Put one or two round holes in the top with a knife or apple corer to allow steam to escape during cooking. Decorate the top of your creation with shapes cut from your excess brioche dough or simply put straight in the oven.

WINE MATCH 2020 Voyager Estate Project W10 Merlot The nose of dark cherry, plum, and warm earthy spices ties in beautifully with the aromatics of this dish. The bright and complex palate lends itself to cutting through the richness of the terrine, which in turn brings out more of the gorgeous fruit in the wine.

10. Set a timer and after 15 minutes drop the oven temperature to 165°C for the remainder of the cooking time. The cooking time will vary depending on your oven and mould size, but we’re looking to reach a core temperature of 65°C. After 50 minutes, test your core temperature using a probe thermometer and if you’re at or above 65°C it can come out of the oven. If its not there yet, keep checking every 10 to 15 minutes until it's ready.

11. Once cooked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on the bench for about an hour. To portion, turn it out of the mould and cut thick slices using a sharp bread knife.

Serve with the rhubarb and sparkling rosé jelly and a glass of our 2020 Project W10 Merlot. Enjoy!

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PHOTOGR A PH Y

TE XT

GAVIN CRAWCOUR THOMAS DAVIDSON

TOM KLINE

CONCRETE PLANS

OUR R ESIDENT W INE W R ITER , TOM K LINE, DELV ES INTO THE HISTORY (A ND SCIENCE) OF CONCR ETE, A ND HOW THIS OFT-MISUNDER STOOD SUBSTA NCE CONTINUES TO SH A PE THE FUTUR E OF OUR CR A FT.

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For most of its existence, concrete has been about as seductive as a trip to the dentist. Its mere mention conjuring up scenes of industrial sprawl and cold-blooded totalitarianism, it’s a material long pigeonholed as a frigid, weighty, and oppressively dystopian means to an end. However, the platitude of ‘everything old is new again’ has seldom been more apt than when it comes to concrete’s rise to perceived sexiness now. Whether it be a polished floor in the most luxurious of buildings, a raw and unadorned feature of a brutalist architectural façade, or as a vessel for fermenting and maturing wines that result in a unique texture and complexity, concrete is, ironically, hot right now. It’s the new black.

Now, however, the increasingly sophisticated palates of modern drinkers have put the benefits of concrete squarely back in the spotlight, helped along by an array of high-quality vessels being available on the market. Concrete combines the otherwise mutually exclusive benefits of stainless steel and oak.

Stainless steel is inert, meaning there is effectively no oxygen ingress coming into contact with the wine, preserving the fresh primary fruits and brightness. It’s also neutral, imparting no flavour or aroma. Oak is porous, allowing oxygen ingress that not only helps in softening tannins, but also with allowing the development of secondary complexity. This complexity comes from said exposure to oxygen, but also oak characters being imparted into the wine if desired.

Dating back as far as the beginning of the Greek and Roman cultures, concrete was the fermentation and maturation vessel of choice. Sprawled throughout Europe, you’d find concrete vessels of all shapes and sizes – some as big as your average bedroom. But all reigns must come to an end, and concrete’s time in the sun waned with oak’s increase in popularity and the invention of stainless steel during the second industrial revolution. The benefits of these relatively new kids on the block made concrete appear anachronistic and ponderous, causing it to gradually fall by the winemaking wayside.

Concrete sits somewhere in the middle of both vessel types.

The pores within concrete are smaller and differently structured, allowing for micro-oxygenation and the preservation of fruit freshness but also allowing a degree of tannin and flavour development. It’s also thick and holds a steady temperature, and its neutrality means no flavour or aroma is imparted into the wine. Hence, you get more of a primary fruit profile, but with an elevated level of complexity and texture due to its porosity, not to mention a finer tannin structure in reds.

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“WE WANTED TO MAKE WINES THAT WERE FRESHER, BRIGHTER, MORE APPROACHABLE AND DIDN’T RELY ON OAK IMPACT, BUT ALSO GAVE YOU LENGTH OF PALATE.”

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Add to all of this its various options of size and shape, and winemakers have a lot to play with. This is fitting for the time, as modern-day drinkers are progressively looking for wines with texture and complexity without the presence of oak character.

The early 2010s saw Voyager Estate’s production team beginning to think about shaking things up around fermentation and maturation vessel types. However, the initial consideration wasn’t around vessel material, but rather vessel shape.

“We wanted to experiment with the ‘Eiffel’ (trapezoid-shaped) tanks, not just with concrete, but in general,” says Winemaker and Winery Manager, Travis Lemm, “mainly because we wanted to change the way our tannin profiles were extracted on red wines. We knew that having the Eiffel shape would mean a thicker cap, more juice in contact with skins, meaning more fleshiness, more brightness, and more tannin.

That was our lead in.”

The decision to introduce these vessels was made through a red wine lens, but the happy surprise was around the influence on whites. “In Chardonnay, we definitely see a more textural element more quickly in the wine, and more savouriness,” says Travis.

A 2016 trip to Bordeaux for Travis set things firmly on the path.

“I spent a good week on the Right Bank looking at Merlot and Right Bank varieties,” he says. “Everywhere we went, we saw more and more concrete being used.” The name ‘Nico Velo’, a respected Italian producer of concrete vessels, kept coming up in conversation, and was performing brilliantly. “I worked out that if you’re going to buy one, it should be a Nico Velo,” says Travis.

From a Cabernet perspective, finer tannin structures were observed along with an overarching leaning to freshness. These findings resulted in further purchases. “We grew from one tank to seven. We wanted to make wines that were fresher, brighter, more approachable, but also gave you length of palate.”

But it was a visit to Saint-Émilion powerhouse, Château Cheval Blanc, that really sealed the deal. “Cheval Blanc’s entire walled cellar consists of the exact same shape of Nico Velo that we have now,” he says. “I figured that if it was good enough for them, it was good enough for us!”

Outside of the beneficial qualities concrete can bring to wine, there’s also a huge benefit from a sustainability perspective, particularly in comparison to oak. The need for new oak means the annual ordering of several new vessels, which is taxing on the environment in a multitude of ways. “The concrete tanks we have in the winery mean a certain percentage of oak that we don’t need to buy, which is obviously a percentage of trees that aren’t removed for us each year,” says Travis. “We’re also not transporting those containers across the world every year to a depot and then having them trucked to us. The concrete is made in one factory in Italy, shipped to a port in Australia, and then trucked to us and unloaded. From there, it doesn’t need a replacement for thirty years.”

Add to that the exponential rate of price increases across oak and freight, and it’s another tick for concrete. “Some of our concrete tanks would hold the equivalent of fifteen 225 litre barrels, and the others hold the equivalent of twenty four.” Over 30 years, using concrete means a marked reduction in both environmental and financial pressures in comparison to oak. And as for the needs of the immediate future? “We’re set up now,” says Travis. “We haven’t got any plans to buy more concrete at this point in time.” Better qualitatively, better quantitively, better environmentally, and better financially? A trip to the dentist certainly can’t compete. It’s not often you can say this with conviction, but the future seems set in concrete.

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PHOTOGR A PH Y

ALEXANDRA BURT

ARCHIVAL

THE PAST IN OUR HEARTS THIS YEAR MARKS THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE VOYAGER ESTATE CELLAR DOOR TO THE PUBLIC. SETTLE IN WITH A GLASS OF WINE AS OUR PROPRIETOR, ALEXANDRA BURT, TAKES A STEP BACK IN TIME TO SHARE HOW ONE MAN’S VISION CAME TO LIFE.

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that came to life in multiple stages over many years and was realised with limitless passion, determination, and an unwavering commitment to detail.

First and foremost, Michael chose the Cape Dutch style of architecture and landscaping simply because he really, really liked it. The blend of highly-detailed, crisp, white edifices with formal yet verdant gardens had an aesthetic appeal that he thought would surely be attractive to others too – a place people would want to see and experience for themselves and a memorable way to introduce people to Voyager Estate wines.

Aside from his personal love of the style, Michael was also keen to tell some of the story of the Dutch East India Company and its role in the earliest of European expeditions to Australia in the 17th Century.

Usually, when we talk about how my expertise, he had an uncanny underfather, Michael Wright (1937-2012) – standing of the need for a strong brand wheat and wool farmer and entrepreneur to make the wines a success, and he – came to develop Voyager Estate, we determined that one of the best pillars focus on the history of the vineyard. We he could use to build that brand would be talk about our 45-year-old vineyard, with a distinctive and exceptional cellar door its first vines from 1978 planted by the and restaurant. pioneering Peter and Jennifer Gherardi who, like many others of that era, were A keen traveller, Michael was inspired keen to see what the terroir of Margaret by the grand cellar doors he visited in River could deliver to the wine world. It the Cape area of South Africa. Arguably was a time full of what I would call ‘little well ahead of Australia at that time, they big visions’ – people who were new to had a focus on creating high-quality yet grape growing and winemaking giving it accessible visitor experiences. Most of a go, and really hoping something amaz- the cellar doors in the Cape winelands ing would transpire. More than half a were welcoming people seven days a week century later, many agree that the wines without needing an appointment – quite of Margaret River have travelled well past different to the more exclusive approach those early hopes and dreams and into taken by the French and Italian houses. the realm of the truly great. The region’s Immediately, Michael saw the connecfinest wines are right at home on the tion between this broader approach to world stage. tourism and the burgeoning scene in Margaret River.

As well as wanting to be a part of that vision of wine excellence, Michael also Armed with knowledge from his expewanted to bring that sense of excellence riences in South Africa, Michael soon to the visitor experience (though who embarked on one of his most treasured called it that in the 1990s?). For some- projects: building the cellar door and one with no specific brand or marketing garden at Voyager Estate. It was a vision

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Anyone familiar with South Africa and who has explored the Cape will be familiar with the stories and symbols of the Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) and also likely know that Cape Town was the departure point for the many VOC ships that made their way to Australia. It gave some currency to the choice of architecture and it is interesting to note it wasn’t the only building in the region to reference the Cape Dutch vernacular, with Cape Lodge and Cape Clairault also paying a nod to the style, and developed at a similar time.

Many gifted designers and practitioners played a role in the creation of what we see today and, if you’ll bear with me, it is definitely worth singling out a few. Perhaps the man of that hour and very much Michael’s partner-in-crime was the celebrated WA architect, Geoffrey Summerhayes. Known more for his modernist architecture, a Cape Dutch commission might have seemed to be out of his wheelhouse. However, fortuitously, this wasn’t his first Cape Dutch outing.

He had done an extensive project in Victoria for another WA client and was more than up for the challenge. Some of that challenge included working together with my father, as the two of them each had a tendency to express their opinions bluntly and rarely with any hesitation, but I think that’s what drew them to each other – a refreshing and respectful candour, plus a shared sense of humour.

Through this project they became firm friends, even sharing an office in Cottesloe for the remainder of both of their professional lives (I think so they could continue their healthy and humorous debates with ease).

The local hero of this story is surely our builder, Gordon Temby, along with his merry band of trades and craftspeople.

Gordon was virtually a permanent staff member for the better part of ten years and knows where every pipe and conduit is buried. Gordon’s gift is building structures that last and nothing less would have been appropriate for Michael’s vision for a lasting legacy.

Michael and Geoffrey at home in the newly completed cellar door.

Geoffrey Summerhayes’s connections in South Africa opened the door to numerous other collaborators, each an expert in their field and many of whom also became dear friends of the family. Two among these were Michael Olivier and Jay Smith. A celebrated restaurateur and chef, Michael Olivier brought a lively and different approach to the restaurant offering, as well as the bonus expertise of his wife and front-ofhouse partner, Maddie. They provided much-needed wisdom and support very early in the project and laid firm foundations for the future of the dining experience.

Chef Michael then directed my father towards Jay Smith to create the authentic interiors, bringing warmth and hospitality to the fore. Jay vividly remembers her first night in Margaret River where, in spite of being weighed down by jet lag, she stayed up late in a feisty debate with my father over a favourite piece of furniture that he had commissioned but that she said simply had to go, and she wasn’t going to call it a night until she convinced him. By the time the clock struck midnight, Michael had the cut of her jib – her style, perseverance and determination won the day.

For the first phase of the extensive, traditional Cape Dutch gardens, Michael used the expertise of the local doyenne of landscape architecture, Marion Blackwell.

Marion laid out the original landscaping master plan and conjured the initial essence of the plantings that would eventually take shape. Subsequent to Marion’s contribution, Michael engaged the South African duo of Ian Ford and Deon Bronkhorst to complete the design and oversee the planting out of the garden. They, too, made an extraordinary commitment to this project, bringing passion and humility with them.

Here it is worth a special mention to our gardens team, headed up for many years now by Lynden Davies. In particular, I’d like to shine a spotlight on our long-time

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in-house horticulturist, Sandra Thomas, who was part of some of the earliest developments in the garden and planted many of the mature plants you see today. Being a mainstay of the Voyager team for over 20 years, she has been a vital link to that dream-like past, where the lush, generous and comforting garden we now enjoy was just an idea. She and her fellow gardeners take great pride in nurturing a garden that is already a generation old and will, we hope, be enjoyed by many more generations of families and visitors to come.

The whole project was a long labour of love. Although the building and garden were completed in 1996, it wasn’t until 1998 the Estate officially opened to visitors. Michael thought the plants and trees were too immature and not ready for public viewing so, true to his preference of getting timing right, he put the opening on hold by two years.

Stage one was soon followed by a renovation, with the restaurant opening in 2001. Also, around that time, part of the existing garden was temporarily removed to make way for the excavation and construction of an underground barrel cellar, believed to be Western Australia’s largest. For Michael, the Cape Dutch aesthetic brought something distinct and timeless to the region. Whitewashed walls feature throughout the property, constructed in meticulous detail. These originated with the early custom of waterproofing mud brick with mortar using sand, lime and shell grit. A piece of wood and a bath sponge created the ruffled effect on the surface. Cobblestone pathways were paved with grey cobbles imported directly from South Africa, to remain true to the Cape Dutch style.

In fact, importing those cobbles was one of my earliest jobs in the business and it was so complicated that I felt qualified for my own import-export licence by the end.

In the garden surrounding the cellar door, the Cape Dutch influence can be seen in the balanced axial design,

many well-intentioned but ultimately artificial methods and practices built up over time. For those who have followed our garden’s evolution and maturity over the years, this next era should provide plenty of interest.

which runs north-south and east-west and features distinct walled garden beds, or werf gardens, as they are known in South Africa. These are inspired by the ancient walled gardens of Persia and, as the story goes, were traditionally built to keep out lions and other predators from farms and homesteads. At the centre of these axis lines is a tranquil pond for symmetry.

Thousands of plants were sourced and planted by the team to fill the iconic garden, which have taken on a new life under the organics program.

And then there is the famous lawn. In former days, so perfect was the green that many a visitor would caress the lawn under the palm of their hand to see that it was real. Falling within the purview of a dedicated greenskeeper, it needs to be mown once a week and takes a week to mow. Since our move to organic gardening, we have had to learn to embrace imperfection as it simply isn’t possible to fashion that flawless carpet of green without chemicals. I know my father would be disappointed – he was always so proud of the lawn – but times have changed and, I suspect, so would have he.

As our organics journey continues, we are starting to think of the garden more broadly as a 'greenspace' which will better reflect our management practices. I suspect many gardens around the world are thinking in similar ways as we all invite nature to be our consultant, rather than the

There is, of course, an essential ingredient without which Voyager Estate would be nothing, and that is the marvellous team of people who have brought the place to life since day one. If we include seasonal and casual staff alongside our permanent team, many hundreds of staff have hosted our many thousands of guests over that quarter century. Like so many across the whole company, several in our cellar door team have been with us for years and years and it’s not a cliché to say that they are part of the furniture – our regular visitors expect to see them in the same way they expect the bliss of sinking into the couch in front of the fire or into a wing-backed chair in the restaurant.

Particular recognition and gratitude must go to all the past and present leaders – the senior managers and team leaders – who have given not just their time, but also their nous, ideas and energy. Without their contribution to the strategic direction of the visitor experience, we would never have been able to evolve and improve our offering to remain one of the most visited cellar doors in the region.

As well as 25 years worth of wine tastings, tours and experiences, we have been lucky enough to host hundreds of birthdays, marriage proposals, weddings, anniversaries, reunions, fundraisers, gourmet events, festivals, musical soirées and theatrical performances. We have sometimes been the first stop in Margaret River for an out-of-region visitor, sometimes the last, and sometimes the only. More than a ringside seat, we have had a hand in making all these moments memorable, which is what this feelgood theatre we call hospitality is all about. What a privilege!

The cellar door experience we offer today, in the wine room and in the restaurant, has come a long way from those first offerings in 1998. I recently welcomed some guests whose last visit was over 20 years ago – in 2002 – and they remarked how much it had changed, and yet how much it still felt the same. To me, it’s a proof point that we have, over 25 years, managed to stay true to Michael’s original promise of an exceptional wine experience, delivered with warmth and generosity, for people from all walks of life to enjoy.

I know that, for as long as we maintain our dedication to sustainability, to innovation and to our team, we will always be able to offer that same spirit of welcome to anyone coming to visit this special patch of land we call home.

We look forward to seeing you.

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MORE ORGANIC GOODNESS IN CELEBRATION OF OUR CONVERSION TO FULL ORGANIC CERTIFICATION, WE ASKED OUR CONTRIBUTORS TO SHARE THEIR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE CERTIFIED ORGANIC DROP.

ALEXANDRA BURT

TRAVIS CRANE

TIM SHAND

PROPRIETOR

HEAD CHEF

CHIEF WINEMAKER

It was a visit to Paxton in McLaren Vale over 15 years ago, hosted at that time by our friend, Toby Bekkers (now of the eponymous Bekkers Wines), that was seminal in building my knowledge of organic and biodynamic wine production, and I’ve enjoyed drinking their drops ever since. The 2022 Tempranillo is a pretty upbeat wine. It’s juicier and sweeter than we can typically make in Margaret River but its vibrancy and clarity indicate some happy vines and joyful craft in the winery. I recently enjoyed it with roasted spring lamb, salad greens and pomegranate dressing. Yum.

The Voyager Estate Broadvale Block 6 Chardonnay. Hand-harvested from a small one-hectare vineyard, the wine is always elegant, refined and bloody delicious. The fact that I pass this vineyard regularly while visiting our fruit orchard is an added bonus.

The Frankland Estate Isolation Ridge Riesling has built up an international reputation for excellence, from a tiny pocket of the wine world. It is distinctive among the family of Australian Rieslings.

It has floral and chalky notes that other new world Rieslings just don’t hit, and it’s eminently cellarable. Importantly, the Smith family values their role as stewards of their special site, with a holistic and organic approach to ensuring the vineyard’s future that closely mirrors Alexandra Burt and Voyager Estate’s approach to farming.

TOM KLINE MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

As a Nebbiolo fanatic, I would have to say Cavallotto Barolo Bricco Boschis.

Cavallotto consistently put out wines of undeniable detail, complexity and grace.

The certified organic ‘Bricco Boschis’ monopole in the commune of Castiglione Falletto is captured beautifully by the family year after year, with incredibly age-worthy wines that have resulted in various ‘wow’ moments for me.

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ISSUE N° 42 | MILESTONES | 2024

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR EIGHT WEEKS FORGED & FORAGED PÂTÉ EN CROÛTE CONCRETE PLANS THE PAST IN OUR HEARTS MORE ORGANIC GOODNESS

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Captured by renowned Melbourne photographer, Lilli Waters, and stylist, Marsha Golemac, our front cover image visually deconstructs the varietal character and flavour nuances of Chardonnay from our special patch of land in Stevens Valley.

We grow and make our wines on the land of the Wadandi People, the Traditional Custodians of all of the Margaret River region.

We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

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