2012 Voyager “Girt by Sea” Cabernet Blend Margaret River 750 ml

Cabernet-Blend From The Napa of Australia

Many of the best Cabernet-blends from Margaret River (Australia’s answer to Napa Valley) reach further than $100. But this 2012 Voyager Estate “Girt by Sea” is an outlier, pulling serious weight at under-$20. James Halliday, Australia’s leading critic, had nothing but accolades to offer in his 94-point review, calling it “totally delicious,” “full of supple, sweet cassis and plum fruit,” with “the oak precisely where it should be.” Given Halliday’s fireworks, you might expect a price tag of well over $50 — we wouldn’t blame you. Grown in Stevens Valley, a unique Margaret River sub-appellation renowned for producing refined Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 “Girt by Sea” is elegant and smooth, delivering value that is nothing short of world-class at $19.99. Don’t miss this one.  

The Wright family, owners of Voyager Estate, have farmed the area around Margaret River for nearly 150 years, but it wasn’t until 1991 that the late Michael Wright found an exquisite vineyard — the oldest vines dating to 1978 — and set to work developing the now-renowned estate.

Today, Michael’s daughter Alex is carrying forward her father’s legacy with the same attention to detail both in the vineyard and in the cellar. Her meticulousness is echoed by veteran viticulturist and winemaker Steve James, who has carried out a shift towards organic practices in the vineyard, allowing the cool-climate site, planted on the oldest geology in Australia, to speak for itself.

The 2012 Voyager Estate “Girt by Sea” is the essence of what Stevens Valley has to say. Supple and intriguing, rich but not overripe, complex and refined. It’s also one of the great Cabernet-blend values in the world.