THE WINE FRONT

Interview by Adam Catford.

Name:
Cliff Royle

Age:
40

Where you currently make wine:
Voyager Estate

Where you’ve made wine in the past:
Voyager Estate, I’m very loyal

Most significant wines you’ve ever drunk:
1967 Chateau D’quem, 1978 La Tache, 90 Margaux. 89 Krug. 1995 Batard Montrachet, Domaine Leflaive.

How was it?
Mind blowing! Benchmark examples of truly great wines .

Wine you’re most proud of having been associated with the making of?
2004 Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot is the best red wine made at this estate. The 2006 Chardonnay, from the coolest vintage in over 50 years, is also very much in the Voyager Estate mould and our best to date.

Is there any wine you’ve been associated with the making of that, if you had your time again, you’d treat/make differently?
I once made a Margaret River Pinot and if I had my time over again I wouldn’t have bothered.

In your opinion, which wine style/grape variety does Australia and New Zealand , respectively, do best?
As a gross generalization, Kiwi’s are the masters of Sauv/Blanc and Pinot Noir. I think the Aussie’s make a better fist of Shiraz , Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay. Both make great Riesling’s in a number of interesting and diverse styles.

Other than the wineries you have worked with, which Australian/NZ winery is best represented in your personal cellar?
Cullen Cab\Merlot, Ata Rangi Pinot, Kawarau Estate Reserve Pinot. Seppelts Leonay Riesling.

Favourite wine region ( Australia):
Other than Margaret River , Yarra Valley .

Favourite wine region (world-wide):
Piedmont , Italy .

Favourite movie:
One flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Favourite book (general):
Cider house Rules, John Irving. Aussie: Dirt Music, Tim Winton.

Favourite wine-related book:
Cote D’or, Clive Coates.

Desert-island food-wine match:
Tasmanian Smoked Salmon and 89 Krug .

How do you take your coffee?
Long Mac.

What do you most love about the wine industry?
The i ndustry is constantly evolving and has some great personalities throughout the world.

What do you most detest about the wine industry?
Wine wankers who collect labels and don’t actually have a clue about wine.

Any comments you would like to make in relation to the wine industry here or globally?
My parents taught me that if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all. However Robert Parker has a lot to answer for. Mr Parker has encouraged the evolution of port like wine styles at the expense of varietal wines with regional definition. Shame Mr Parker Shame.

Finally, the 2007 vintage is being described as a disaster. How did you fare?
Very well, that’s why I work in Margaret River . It’s Australia ’s most consistent, high quality wine region. We had a warm season with low yields, just below 2001 and 2004 in quality. Thankfully we had a season without frost, bush fires, drought or phylloxera.