2004: Moss Wood v Voyager

Whilst I was buying the '04 Voyager Cabernet Merlot at Dan Murphy's, and after the wine had been bagged, the manager came over and had a look at the wine, and said "good choice".

"When are you planning to drink it?" he asked.

"Well, tonight," I said, knowing full well that it ought be cellared.

The manager, "How would you like a second bottle of Margaret River cabernet to drink with it?"

Me, Somewhat confused, "Let's see what it is..."

"Don't worry", whispered the girl at the checkout, "It's free"

The manager returned holding up a bottle. "Oh, Woodlands :)." I looked closer. WTF? "MOSS WOOD!!!"

I had just been gifted half of a full bottle of Moss Wood cabernet, the producer's top wine. And it's the 2004. I stood there with equal measures of shock and graciousness

The bottle had been opened earlier for staff tastings. In-bottle decanted for half a day, the manager (a true samaritan) found a good home for the remainder, telling me that the staff weren't allowed to take home due to company policy.

With that, I had myself an '04 Margaret River horizontal on my hands, North v South.

2004 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon (North MR):

Silky, velvety mouthfeel, darkfruit, very soft fine-grained dusty tannins. A lingering mid-pallate, gravelly perfect margaret river. One of the best wines I've tasted all year.

96 points, effortlessly.

2004 Voyager Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (South MR):

Less expressive nose, aroma of ground-nut. Less velvety, less seamless between front and back palette. Courser tannin. Eucalyptus influence. Perhaps a bit closed as only just opened, but tried again after opened for a similar amount of time as was the Moss Wood, and it was still not as good. This review may sound negative, but it is not. It is merely a comparison to the Moss Wood. The Voyager is still a very good wine, and reasonably priced at half that of the Moss Wood.

94-95+.

Two great wines. The '05 Moss wood is out now, with a new label design (a gross error of judgement in my opinion - A beautiful, classic, iconic label has been replaced by a fugly one). Apparently the contents of the '05 bottle is better though, so it's one to seek out. It will be interesting to see what the '05 Voyager is like. Indeed, it will be even more interesting to see how voyager fares in future, now that their gun chief winemaker Cliff Royale has left the business. There are still a few of his vintages to be release though.

Why you want th(ese) wine(s): Whilst Coonawara produces the most honest cabernet in Australia, Margaret River produces the most delicious. Voyager may be a future contender to the contender to the throne, but it isn't there yet. The Kings of margaret river are of course Moss Wood and Cullen, but Moss Wood and Voyager seem the most authentic. They are both on the '04, moving to '05 release, whereas Cullen have released the '07. And I don't think the '07 Cullen is that good - A great vintage in MR, that they seem to have stuffed it up.

WYWTW