Most transplanted Vic’s living in West Aus reckon the only part of that state that reminds them of their former home is down south in the Margaret River. Sounds like a pretty good reason to grab a wine from down that way.

Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010 $34 @ Templestowe Cellars.

Whereas most of the west is bush scrub, the Margaret river region is the land of tall gums, Aussie bush, and some of the best tended vineyards in the country.

Man, there must be money in digging up the state as the mulla spent on some of the estates is phenomenal, and Voyager estate is certainly no exception. No expense has been spared in turning what was once Freycinet Estate into Voyager. Beautifully manicured lawns, rows and rows of roses, white washed walls, cellar door, restaurant, functions, you name it…the lot!

It also has the second largest flag pole and Aussie flag in the country, behind only Parliament house in Canberra. Why? ‘Cos they can!

Wouldn’t surprise me if they had a team that went around hand polishing the grapes before vintage.

In keeping with the attention to detail that goes into the surrounds its no surprise that the same treatment goes into the wines, and the 2010 shiraz is schmick!

Margaret river would be better defined by Cabernet, or Cabernet blends, but when done well Shiraz really shines, and this one requires sunglasses.

This is one smart wine, bloody brilliant. I could wax lyrical about the lifted spice aromas, the blackberry and cherry flavours, the lingering tannins…but you can read all about that and more on the back label!

I’ve tried a few Voyager wines over the journey and all have been excellent, especially their chardonnay, but this one is right up there and at a fair price, especially for a West Australian offering as everything is out of control over there price wise!

Rome has nothing on the exorbitant price gouging going on in Perth, courtesy of China’s lust for our dirt, and from all accounts the price of real estate in the mining towns is out of control. Donga’s costing $800 per week rent in the middle of nowhere!

And don’t get me started on the price of a pint of beer! Mind you, who in their right mind buys beer by the pint, what ever happened to a POT! You’d reckon they brewed the stuff in gold lined vats sprinkled with saffron.

Lets face it, West Aus is on fire at the moment, holes been dug quicker than a brace of golden retrievers, money changing hands faster than a Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme, and coffee prices climbing as fast as the supposed % returns from Bill Vlahos’s punters club!

Come to think of it, maybe that’s where Bill invested all that syndicate money, ‘cos these wineries go through money like toilet paper after a dodgy vindaloo, and poor old Bill’s been in the shit lately!

So, lets hope they don’t discover iron ore down south or we’ll never get another chance to drink the likes of Voyager estate shiraz, ‘cos it will cost $1000 a bottle, and the view from cellar door might not be magnificent manicured lawns, but a bloody great big hole in the ground.

Then all those transplanted Vic’s would have to travel another 3500k East for their homesick fix, maybe with a roadie of Voyager Shiraz?!