From the notebook treasure-trove: Tahbilk verticals
I’ve been doing a bit of cleaning this weekend and, in typical form, have turned up a whole treasure-trove of old tasting notes from last year that have never seen the light of day.
While some of these notes are a bit irrelevant now (and let’s not dwell on how hard it is to read my own writing), there is some real goodies in amongst them – like these scribblings from a set of Tahblik verticals hosted by Alister Purbrick last September.
I’m going to be transferring more notebook highlights here onto the blog in weeks to come, but I think this is a perfect way to start.
More then just the wines, what was just as interesting in this tasting was the little contextual snippets that Alister offered on the day, including:
The water mass effect
A ‘working museum’
– Alister calls the Tahbilk winery a ‘working museum’ with the open old 152 year old vats giving ‘mid palate structure’. Old oak is still a key part of the winemaking with new oak ‘something we try to avoid being obvious in our wines’ according to Alister. Large format oak is still the key to wines like the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.
The wines
A caveat – these notes are as written on the day, which was over a year ago. Luckily I wrote reams of notes for this tasting. Oh and I marked very hard…
I’ve also included the HDD (Heat Degree Days – explained here by Geoff Weaver) for each vintage as a nice little reference point for vintage warmth (the average HDD for Tahbilk is 1593).
If there is to be any conlusion to come from these verticals it is that the Tahbilk style is very age-worthy, with many of the 90s wines still having a decade or more in them. That 06 1860 Vines Shiraz has Grange-esque levels of concentration and power, with the 02 1927 Vines Marsanne a wonderfully intriguing white wine to match.
Marsanne
Tahbilk has over 100 acres planted to Marsanne, which is apparently the largest single Marsanne plantings in the world, complete with some of the oldest vines to boot (although Chapoutier recently found pre-phylloxera vines in Hermitage).
Oak is generally avoided in the Tahbilk Marsanne as it ‘tends to bring (the wine) forward’ (according to Alister). As ever the value of what is effectively a sub $20 wine can’t be overlooked. The best vintages (like the 2006) will go twenty years without even trying.
The only challenge with this Marsanne vertical is just how much better the 1927 Vines wines looked – a whole other realm of complexity and power.
HDD 2042, 12% alc, Screwcap
HDD 1636, 13.5% alc, Screwcap
HDD 1818, 12.5%, Screwcap
Orange rind on the nose which I’ve thought to be more of a cooler year character. Tinned pineapple, pineapple juice nose and palate. Still quite sprightly, with late toasty generosity works particularly well. It’s just a fraction broad but with a certain pine lime sweet softness that is very nice. Sprightly for its age. A bit broad through the finish but pleasant. A fraction tart on the tail (added acid?). 16.7/20, 89/100
‘1927 Vines’ Marsanne
HDD 1818, 10.5%, Screwcap
HDD 1455, 12%, Cork
HDD 1587, 11%, Cork
Shiraz

Tahbilk Shiraz 1991 (Nagambie Lakes, Goulburn Valley, Vic)
HDD 1838, 13%, Cork
HDD 1665, 13.5%, Cork
HDD 1803, 14%, Screwcap. Some younger vine fruit in this wine.
Tahbilk Reserve/Eric Stevens Purbrick Shiraz
HDD 1649, 13.5%, Cork
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HDD 1665, 14%, Cork
HDD 1803, 14%, Screwcap
HDD 2042, 14.5%, Screwcap
Tahbilk ‘1860 Vines’ Shiraz
HDD 1798, 12.5%, Cork
HDD 1665, 14%, Cork
HDD 1803, 13.5%, Screwcap
Cabernet Sauvignon
HDD 1838, 12.5%, Cork
HDD 1648, 14.5%, Cork
Tahbilk Reserve/ Eric Stevens Purbrick (ESP) Cabernet Sauvignon
HDD 1665, 13.5%, Cork
HDD 1803, 14%, Screwcap
More natural vanilla and coffee. I love these big and bold dark tannins. Such luxurious tannins! Superb tannins. What weight. Its got this deep core of fruit and bold tannins. Anything but sweet blackness of dark berry core. 18.5/20, 94/100
Comment
Pretty much the only winery I buy from every year because of the Marsanne. Great value, crowd pleaser, generally drink in the first 5 years from release. I'm not into the reds – never had any premiums – and they just aren't as consistent as the whites.
Fantastic value 6 pack verticals of the marsanne and riesling regularly released by Tahbilk too ($100-120 delivered).