Voyager

The wine tasting in WA turned out to be much more substantial than I had anticipated, but this was the second last.

The Tom Price SBS was not as good as the similar wine from Cape Mentelle, and didn't deserve this special label, in my view. The 2006 Chardonnay was a better wine, but a little light in comparison to previous years. the 2006 Shiraz had similar problems to Leeuwin's, but was a more complete wine - not a good year for WA Shiraz.

Voyager's main game is Cabernet/Merlot. The 2004 is 81% Cabernet, 14% Merlot, has medium weight, with a complex fruit expression and savoury elements. It is elegant and has good length. I was surprised it didn't make the cut for the Cape Mentelle tasting. The outstanding wine was the 04 Tom Price Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is expensive at $120 per bottle, and was made from the best 20 barrells. It was last made some ten years ago, reflecting the good 2004 vintage. The wine has a terrific berry nose. It is more concentrated, refined and elegant than the Cab/Merlot. The wine has great length and a very silky finish - an outstanding example of what Margaret River can produce.