Voyager Estate – Margaret River
Words: Monica Tindall
Photos: Han Sen Hau
Possibly one of the most beautiful wineries you can visit in Margaret River is Voyager Estate, which is part of the exclusive Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia collective. The grand entrance is flanked by stately white gate pillars capped with decorative finials. A low, pristine-white wall bearing the estate’s name connects them. Lush, mature trees line the drive, creating a verdant tunnel that guides our eyes towards the estate’s heart, while a distant flagpole (one of the tallest in Aus) adds a touch of national pride. Set against the backdrop of March’s clear blue sky, the scene evokes a sense of anticipation.
We’re here today for a tour of the estate and a wine-paired lunch; an experience which takes guests beyond the cellar door, which is Ultimate Winery Experience Australia’s modus operandi. It’s a magnificent day and a superb experience to match.
We begin in the Cellar Door, housed in a beautiful, white-washed Cape Dutch Manor House. Here, we’re introduced to the estate while sipping on a lemony-fresh glass of 2023 Sparkling Chenin Blanc with fine bubbles.
Peter Gherardi first planted vineyards in 1978, naming it Freycinet Estate. In 1991, the Wright family acquired the property, changing the name to Voyager Estate, and Alexandra Burt, a second-generation member of the family, became the sole proprietor in 2018. Alexandra has since guided the estate with a focus on sustainability and minimal intervention winemaking, ensuring the wines showcase the Stevens Valley’s distinctive terroir.
Next, we jump in the jeep and check out the vineyards. We drive around the estate, observing different pruning systems and tasting various grapes. Cabernet Sauvignon is small with thick skins, very similar to the size and shape of blueberries. Malbec is big and juicy with a thinner skin, and Shiraz is somewhere in between. Roses add a splash of colour, marking the end of each row of vines, but their purpose is not beauty alone; they act as an early warning system for potential threats to the grapevines.
We pass by the winery, but it’s in action, being harvest season, so we just take a sneak peek through the open door. Our next stop is the underground cellar, where we taste tempranillo from the barrel. The earth and depth of the cellar keep it pleasantly cool all year round.
Our tour ends with a wine tasting back in the main building. It’s a beautiful room, and Riedel glasses make the experience all the more premium.
Some guests choose to finish off with a cheese board and wine on the lawn overlooking the house garden, a stunning location. We delight in a wine-paired lunch in the restaurant, celebrating those long lunches Margaret River is known for.
Discovery Menu – Voyager Estate
Voyager Estate’s Discovery Menu (AUD 150) honours fresh, home-grown produce. However, the twist here is that sommelier Claire Tonon first chooses the wine (+AUD 50 for a wine flight, or +AUD 80 for wine pairing), and then head chef Travis Crane designs the menu to match. The restaurant’s “wine-first” approach, where each dish is crafted to complement and enhance the estate’s organically farmed wines, is smart! You can tweak the seasoning in a dish, but once a wine is bottled… In any manner, it certainly makes sense to wine lovers like ourselves.
2023 Sparkling Chenin Blanc & Snacks
Bubbles are always a good beginning, don’t you agree? And Voyager Estate’s 2023 Sparkling Chenin Blanc doesn’t disappoint. It presents a nose of lime and sourdough, followed by vibrant, crisp citrus and apple flavours with a fine mousse. It’s delicious on its own but also helpful in cleansing our palates in between snacks.
We start with little chickpea tarts filled with smoked mascarpone, beetroot and finger lime. They’re beautifully presented (as is everything else to come) with native leaves and blooms. Next, the cauliflower crisp is crowned with venison tartare, fermented black walnuts, horseradish, and capers. Lastly, petite beignets (deep-fried pastries famous in New Orleans) are formed from fermented midnight potatoes, glazed with figs, sourgum and a sprinkling of pepitas.
Our bread course of English muffins with pretty pink sauerkraut butter is also a fine mate for the sparkling. The small bread rounds are just the right size, and the butter is ever so lightly seasoned. Small chunks of pickled cabbage contribute a little crunch to the top.
SBS 2024 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon & Cuttlefish
Wine two, 2024 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, is a classic Margaret River SBS blend. The Sauvignon Blanc brings aromas and acidity, while the Semillon creates balance. There’s ripe stone fruit like nectarines on the nose, and it’s wonderful young, fresh sipping.
The first course, Shark Bay Cuttlefish, Estate Cucumber & Onion, features grilled cuttlefish with tender tentacles, accented by Geraldton wax, native to Western Australia, and balanced by chives cultured cream enriched with fresh cucumber and cucumber gel. Finished with a drizzle of green onion oil, a dusting of leek ash, and a bed of Warrigal greens, the dish delivers smoky, herbal, and crisp vegetal notes.
2023 Chardonnay & Tomato
The 2023 Chardonnay is our guiding light for the next course. The estate chardonnay, blending six different blocks, is nicknamed the “symphony of the vineyard.” It’s only one year old but already complex. Lovely floral, citrus, and vanilla aromas precede more citrus and a light minerality in the mouth.
Its food mate, Estate Tomato, Macadamia, and Lemon Verbena, sees local tomatoes, semi-dried and cured, giving flavour to the course. The yellow tomatoes have a lovely smokiness. They’re matched with macadamia tofu (may all tofu be macadamia), macadamia tuile and a dressing of tomato, macadamia and miso. The dish is finished with lemon verbena and fennel. The nuttiness of the food is an excellent match to the oak notes in the wine.
2024 Vivid Red & Chicken
The 2024 Vivid Red is a proud label, Voyager’s Estate’s first preservative-free range, meaning no sulphites. It’s a blend of four different grapes—Shiraz, Tempranillo, Grenache, and Merlot. Best served slightly chilled, it’s ideal for those who want to drink red in the summer. It’s a deep purple in the glass with intense red fruits and a thread of liquorice on the nose, leading to more fruit on the palate and velvety tannins.
Proving its versatility, the Vivid Red partners Southampton Homestead Pasture-raised Chicken with Estate Beetroot & Brassicas. The poultry has been brined in buttermilk, sous-vide and then compressed and grilled. Black garlic and toasted koji oil finish off the dish with an inviting sweetness, tang and umami.
2020 Cabernet Sauvignon & Lamb
Our wine pairing climaxes with the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon, which does the region proud. 2020 was an exceptional vintage, and winemaker Tim Shand’s skilled hands honour its beauty. A concentrated bouquet of dark stone fruits, spice, and stone develops into a bold palate with fine tannins and a long finish.
Dirty Clean Food Lamb, Estate Eggplant, Cambray Sheep Cheese and Voyager Block 2 Chardonnay Grapes provide plenty of interest on the plate. The meat is juicy and tender with a nicely charred edge from the hibachi grill. Sheep cheese curd, fermented grilled chardonnay grapes, eggplant puree and garlic flowers add pops of tang and sweetness to the profile. A little package of nasturtium leaves holds lamb confit, red wine charred shallots and bay leaf. It’s delicious.
Botanical Digestif & Dessert
Rhubarb buttermilk sorbet, torched nectarine, and elderflowers cleanse the palate, transitioning us from savoury to sweet.
The Botanical Digestif, to conclude, is a beautiful colour with strawberry gum, rosella, vanilla and sage, making a versatile, bitter-sweet finale and friendly mate to the Wallcliffe Mulberry, Yoghurt and Saltbush dessert. A whopping 100 kg of mulberries were harvested from a single tree and prepared in multiple ways for this dessert – sorbet, compote, lacto-fermented, syrup and dust. Frozen yoghurt mousse with saltbush caramel, strawberries, and granola add varying levels of crunch. I rarely eat dessert, but this was so nicely balanced that I scooped up every last drop.
On occasion, petite fours can be easily dismissed. However, I highly recommend you pay full attention at Voyager Estate. Native river mint Minties, dark chocolate macadamia fondant, red wine and plum jelly cubes are tasty little bites, and boy, do I wish I could take a bag of those “Minties” home.
Reasons to visit Voyager Estate: beautiful grounds and exceptional organic wines; wine and cheese boards on the lawn are awesome but a wine paired lunch in the restaurant is even better.
Voyager Estate
41 Stevens Rd, Margaret River WA 6285, Australia
Link to Voyager Estate on Google Maps
www.voyagerestate.com.au
+61 8 9757 6354
@voyagerestate
Voyager Estate Hours
Wine Room: 10 am to 5 pm, Monday to Sunday
Restaurant: 12 pm to 5 pm, Wednesday to Sunday.
Reservations are essential.
Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia
ultimatewineryexperiences.com.au
Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia is a hand-selected collection of premium award-winning wineries offering experiences that invite visitors to go ‘beyond the cellar door’. Located in Australia’s most renowned wine regions, they provide a diverse range of behind-the-scenes, culinary, and hands-on experiences delivered with warmth and knowledge. They epitomise the unique characteristics of a winery and its surrounding region.
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