Tahbilk Tastings

On February 18 and 19, 2010 I was fortunate enough to be invited along with a number of other Australian wine writers to a special tasting to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Tahbilk, one of Australia's truly iconic wineries.

The tasting was held in the Len Evans Museum at Tahbilk on the banks of the Goulburn River in Victoria. By coincidence I had been at a 135th anniversary tasting along with Evans when the Museum was opened in his honour. Evans was a great mate of Eric Purbrick, son of Reg Purbrick who bought Tahbilk in 1925 when it was run down and on the verge of becoming a dairy farm. Eric resurrected Tahbilk, with the reigns passing to his son John and now to Alister.

The recent tasting featured all the available wines that could be sourced by current custodian Alister Purbrick back to the early 50s. Although Tahbilk makes wines from a number of varieties this tasting concentrated on the shiraz, cabernet and marsanne, a variety which Tahbilk has pretty much made its own in Australia.

It was a remarkable event and showed both the ageing potential of these wines and the incredible value for money. Where possible the alcohol levels have been included - you will notice these are quite low compared to modern Australian wines. And the degree days (DD) are also included giving you a guide to how hot the vintage was. In general at cool year is between 1450 - 1650 degree days, a moderate year 1650 - 1850, and a hot year 1850 - 2050.

My column on this historic event appeared in The West Australian on Saturday 13 march 2010. Here are my full tasting notes from the two days tasting.

TAHBILK 150th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION VERTICAL TASTINGS

1	1953	ALC 11.5	Aroma showing distinct marmalade and orange zest characters. There is still a little citrus lift which appeals as refreshing. Palate definitely tiring and showing some slightly flat character. Still for a wine of this age it’s in pretty good nick. This was the wine served for the Queen's Coronation.	15.5
2	1959	ALC 11.5	This shows slightly more toffee aroma than the ’53. More muted on the nose but the palate has a degree of sweet toffee character. It’s a light bodied wine still in remarkable condition. Seems to have almost a vanillin extract influence in the background.	16.5
3	1974	DD 1901 ALC 11.0	Colour is remarkably fresh and bright. Bouquet of strong buttered slightly burnt toast. Palate is lean but with good flavor intensity. Perhaps the acid just starting to tire and as a result the wine falls a little short and flat. Has a little cheese character on the nose and now a touch flat but the wine is very good still.	16.5
4	1979	DD 1811 ALC 11.5	Has a strong spicy citrus aroma with some lime marmalade character, It’s very intense. Palate still retains a good lively acid with some nice citrus notes in there. Fresh and lively palate with some slight phenolic influence. Slightly sour finish.	16
5	1982	DD 1917 ALC 11.5	This is brilliant in the glass with a bright golden hue. The nose has some lively citrus and marmalade character with a little spice. The palate is still fresh and almost zingy with a penetrating acid carrying the long finish. It’s a wine that is in good condition and showing the variety at its best.	17.5
6	1987	DD 1481 ALC 12.0	This is slightly broader and showing more phenolics. The colour is good – still bright and brilliant. The nose lacks the citrus zing of the variety. Palate has excellent depth and flavor without the lively lifted zing I’m looking for. Pleasant wine.	16.5
7	1988	DD 1888 ALC 12.0	One of the best for colour for the early vintages of this bracket. Brilliant golden and bright. Bouquet has a mix of cumquat and orange marmalade but in a more subdued expression. The palate is beautifully focused with a tight zippy acid and plenty of intensity. Very good.	17.5
8	1992	DD 1798 ALC 12.5	Colour is very deep and golden. The wine is slightly flat and full with a subdued acid. Te result is some phenolic character. It’s a broader style. Has some nice sweet toffee fruit underneath but generally lacking the zing.	15
9	1993	DD1574 ALC 11.5	Deep golden yellow colour. The smells are of sweet ripe fruit with some distinctive floral notes. The palate is brilliant and zippy with some sweet marmalade and stone fruit complexity. Palate is full and robust with plenty if deep flavor complexity. Slightly atypical.	16
10	1994	DD 1509 ALC 12.0	From the outset this is more muted than most in this bracket. Floral overtones with some nice citrus and lemon characters on the nose. Palate has a friendly and slightly sweet fruit character though it is quite dry. The acid is very good with a racy finish. Not overly complex but well proportioned and controlled.	16.5
11	1995	DD 1749 ALC 13.0	Immediately spicy on the nose with a fresh lemon scent. The palate is packs in plenty with its light spicy lemon and light vanillin character. The acid is pure and crisp sustaining a long finish.	15.5
12	1996	DD 1466 ALC 13.0	This is showing slightly more forward development with a hint of toffee and marmalade on the nose. It’s a riper vintage with the palate definitely displaying more ripe richness and depth. Almost atypical of the Tahbilk style.	15
13	1997	DD 1649 ALC 12.0	Spicy floral notes with a touch of tart cumquat. Palate has good acid and fruit intensity with a long sustained finish. Some hint of sweetness on the palate but the finish is quite dry and precise.	15.5
14	1998	DD 1808 ALC 12.5	Really attractive nose of ripe stone fruit, cumquat and creamy richness. Palate is pure and beautifully precise with a long finish. Sweet ripe fruit but held in check with a nice lingering acid. A very good example of a mature marsanne in top condition.	16.5
15	1999	DD 1665 ALC 12.5	A really interesting nose that almost has hints of Frenchness about it. Suggests some botrytis and slightly dirty characters yet but has appeal. Perhaps it’s a little reductive. The palate is a touch short and it lacks that zingy freshness of the variety.	16
16	2000	DD 1587 ALC 13.0	Nose has a cheesy marmalade and fresh citrus mix. It’s all in there. The palate is more simple but with good flavor intensity. Lovely long finish held with precision. Simple but pleasant.	15.5
17	2001	DD 1756 ALC 12.5	Bouquet showing a spicy floral citrus mix. It’s still very fresh and zippy with a long finish. Hasn’t really moved into its secondary stage yet.	16
18	2002	DD 1455 ALC 12.0	Pale brilliant colour. The nose is spicy floral and with a hint of lime. There is a similarity with the 1999 on the palate and the nose with that slightly reductive sulphide character. It’s still a very good wine that looks to have a good future. Second glass was better. We got a bottle under screw-cap. It is superb.	18.5
19	2003 (First screw cap)	DD 1818 ALC 12.5	Pale brilliant colour. Spicy floral notes on the nose. Palate is tight ad racy but with a really beautiful acid and structure. It’s pure and precise and in the very early stages of its evolution. Has great potential.	17.5
20	2004	DD 1648 ALC 12.5	Pale colour. Nose is beautifully fragrant and scented with just a smidgeon of lemon blossom. The palate is very delicate and pure with a precise fine acid structure. One of the most complete wines in the line-up. Love the delicacy.	17
21	2005	DD 1636 ALC 13.5	Very palate colour. The nose has more of a spicy minerality. The palate is youthful and delicate with a fine lingering acid. Pure and lingering with lots if appealing floral citrus nuances right to the end.	17
22	2006	DD 1803 ALC 13.0	Another very good wine. Pale colour. The nose is a little muted and more in the mineral area. Palate is lively with a fine acid and showing a degree of restraint.	16.5
23	2007	DD 2042 ALC 12.0	There is a warm hit feeling about this one. It packs the delicacy and restraint of some of the other recent vintages. A little forward on the nose. Pleasant palate that finishes a touch short.	15
24	2008	DD 1945 ALC 13.5	This is really fresh and floral with a warm fruit character. It’ almost atypical of the style. Rich fruit flavours with acid to control the finish.	15
25	2009	DD 1859 ALC 13.0	Another riper wine full of rich stone fruit characters. The colour is typically palate. The palate is rich and full and lacks that delicacy acid minerality that stamps the best of these wines. Made in somewhat difficult conditions with the extreme early summer heat, but this wine has turned out nicely. Approachable early unlike some of these wines.	15.5

Best wines were the 2002, 1982, 2004

Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne

1	1998	DD 1808 ALC 13.0	Deepest colour of the bracket. Has a ripe cumquat aroma with a light orange marmalade influence. It’s still beautifully fresh. Palate shows some restraint but has plenty of depth and intensity. Lovely rich wine with terrific length. Slightly sour finish	17.5
2	1999	DD 1665 ALC 11.0	The aroma has a slightly cheesy character. Palate is slightly closed and even maybe a little musty. (second bottle better) Has a zingy intense palate with lots of fruit intensity. Just starting to head into the next phase of its development.	18.5
3	2000 (current)	DD 1587 ALC 11.0	Very pale colour. Light citrus and subtle lime influence. The palate is really a racy acid and very long. It’s so piercingly tight and precise that it will handle years in the cellar. A wine of great potential.	17
4	2001	DD 1756 ALC 10.5	Somewhat muted aroma more minerally and lightly citrus. Colour is very pale. The acid is quite delicate and pristine with a beautiful precision and length. Love the mouth feel in this wine which is still hardly out of nappies.	17.5
5	2002	DD 1455 ALC 12.0	Beautiful fragrance and citrus scents here in this very good year for this variety. Quite a delicate palate with the acid well integrated and not obvious. It holds together well into a precise and very long palate profile. Seamless and pure. Perhaps the cork is flattening it out. Second battle was quite a bit better and the lift on on the finish with the fresh fruit intensity was more obvious.	18.5
6	2003 (1st Screwcap)	DD 1818 ALC 10.5	The fruit intensity is obvious on the nose. It is so lifted and pure with a mineral spice and light citrus mix. Touches of cumquat tartness. The acid is really fundamental as it makes the wine hum to a long finish.	17.5
7	2004	DD 1648 ALC 10.5	This wine is showing some slight reductive restraint. It’s well made with a nice palate structure. Typically piercing acid with a tight palate reigned into a long finish.	15.5
8	2005	DD 1636 ALC 10.5	Very palate colour. I like this wine it has precision and intensity yet with a nice delicate delivery. Long and zippy and still so young and restrained.	16.5
9	2006	DD 1803 ALC 10.5	This is a very delicate wine. The colour is typically pale. Fine delicate acid and a fine minerally and slightly spicy finish. It is just so restrained and controlled at the moment.	17.5
10	2007	DD 2042 ALC 10.5	The colour is pale. The nose has more riper stone fruit influence. Although the alcohol is quite low it seems to show more ripe fruit characters. The finish keeps it clean and zippy.	16
11	2008	DD 1945 ALC 11.5	Pale colour and a highly perfumed aroma. Palate dominated by the fine slaty acid which sustains the finish. Very clean and pure and so youthful.	17
12	2009	DD 1859 ALC 10.5	There seems to be something about this vintage. The same lifted aromatics of the standard marsanne shows through here in a very Rhonish interpretation of the variety. Nice fruit sweetness in the middle palate yet the finish is bone dry.	16.5

This wine is made differently o the standard marsanne. Fruit is picked about 10 to 10.3 baume, minimal sulphur, pressed into tank and gets some oxidative handling to do it similarly to how it was done in the 50s. Quick ferment and then into bottle. Almost crustal clear when it goes into bottle.

Aiming for a long term cellaring wine in a way emulating the great Hunter semillons. The wines are made for cellaring and have a significant SO2. Only 13 acres of vines and they make about 300 to 500 cases only most of which is sold en premise. There is no acid added to these wines but there is some added to the standard marsanne.

Best wines 1999, 1998, 2001 and the 2002.