Wednesday 01 January 2025
The distinctive tower at Chateau Tahbilk
Our gang gathered for our usual New Years Eve soiree, complete with excellent music as our host is well connected with the opera scene. I was assured the food was good too but out of bounds for me. On arrival I had a glass of sparkling wine our host provided. It was probably from Scotchman’s Hill, maybe the 2022 Swan Bay Cuvee Brut. To welcome the new year I opened Tahbilk Coueslant Sparkling Marsanne 2021 that was part of a mixed dozen I picked up online from the winery during the last year.
The note in my search read, “Bright and captivating floral and spice aromas signal the way to a palate of lifted lemon citrus fruits and honeysuckle notes with background toasty elements.” But the page has been removed from the website. https://www.tahbilk.com.au/2021-coueslant-marsanne
I could not say I could identify it as Marsanne. But it had me thinking about my relationship with Tahbilk. In fact I am thinking about something I read from Joel Stein from The Corrupt Wine Writer thecorruptwinewriter@substack.com
"I enjoy bubbles the way any Jew who grew up around seltzer does. But I also know that the two ways to hide flavor are carbonation and low temperatures."
He goes on to explain what real champagne is. "It’s made with three grapes: pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier, which is a grape I’ve only heard about when people list the third grape in Champagne. There’s also a “blanc de blanc” version made with 100 percent chardonnay, which is quite acidic and good with richer food. There’s a “blanc de noir” which is just pinot noir and is nice on its own. " And there is always "Champagne for your sham friends, real wine for your real friends." But I digress.
Back in March and on possibly the last cool day for the week, I decided to roast pork. the good lady stuck to red as was her practice but my wine was Tahbilk The Tower Marsanne 2019. It's a budget version but Decanter magazine liked it. "Tahbilk is the Marsanne master outside of the Rhône, with the largest and oldest single holding of the variety in the world. This is fresh and floral with honeysuckle, green apple and some stone fruit too. If you like Semillon, you'll like Marsanne. It gains complexity with age like Semillon, too." Tasted by: Amy Wislocki (at New Malden, Surrey, 01 Jun 2020) https://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/australia/central-victoria/tahbilk-the-tower-marsanne-central-victoria-2019-40923
Marsanne is a good wine for a discussion. Do you prefer the fruit first Tahbilk style or the wooded Mitchellton version? How does it age? The latter is easy to answer: Quite well, developing more colour and depth, though this entry level label hasn't got there yet. On the other issue, I'm happy to support the unwooded Tahbilk style and keep it for 7 to 10 years. But it can also make good drinking early, such as the Tahbilk Marsanne 2024. This vintage of one of my favourite wines delivers some citrus and tropical fruit notes and is excellent value. It is sure to develop the famed honeysuckle flavours for which previous vintages have become renowned It went well with my cold roast chicken sandwich at lunch today. Perhaps it deserves better than left overs :-)
Australian Wine and Drinks Review (mail@ozwinereview.com) says: “As a young wine, you have to really squint to see the potential of Tahbilk Marsanne – it’s a pretty neutral, dry white. That said, this vintage has a bit more fruit to it, which makes it more fun now, although it doesn’t show much aside from a little honeysuckle on the nose. The palate offers some blossoms and yellow fruit, even if it’s a fresh, singular sort of light to medium-bodied wine underneath. An easy drink now, a grander drink in about four years time.”
I was interested in Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne 2016 but it’s $45 and Australian Wine and Drinks Review ozwinereview.com says: “This 2016 is a good release, but not a great one and mainly because it’s a bit forward. Hay, hessian and honey is your flavour array here for 2016 – there’s lots of golden fruit; the alcohol is low, but the acid is low too. Lots of hay. It’s quite developed and golden, with plenty of chunky golden lemon fruit and finishing with a bit of broadness. I still can’t deny the mouth-filling flavour, though it lacks the tension of better years and looks, well, old. It’s a natural silver medal-winning wine, and the fruit quality is well enough to make it interesting (just not profound).”
Then later in the year I wrote about Tahbilk Bella Luna Fiano. I’m not usually much of a gambler. I have the odd bet on football or cricket and have a punt on the Melbourne Cup. But I took a risk and bought a mixed dozen bottles of white wine from Tahbilk. It’s not really that much of a gamble though opening the box I set aside the sauvignon blanc and rosé for a possible family BBQ with the less vinous committed. Another idea for the rosé is sangria. The bubbles were consumed as the New Year began.
Back to the Tahbilk Bella Luna Fiano. I have seen McPherson Wines Bella Luna 2020 Fiano (12 Bottles) Nagambie, Victoria offered at $20 per bottle by the dozen. If this is the same wine I got a bargain.
Also this year I had a Tahbilk Viognier 2024. Tahbilk’s first plantings of Viognier were established in 1990 with just over 6.5 hectares now under vine. The inaugural vintage was released in 1996 to early critical acclaim with the Estate nominated at the time by Australian Vignerons magazine as producing one of the ‘Benchmark Six’ Australian releases. Recognition has also come on the Australian Wine Show circuit with 4 Trophies, 26 Gold, 46 Silver and 103 Bronze medals awarded to date.
They tell me that after the challenges of the 2023 vintage, the Estate saw an early and successful harvest in 2024 with yields down but quality very good to exceptional. Then they commented “Classic ginger spice and rose petal aromas set this as a true to form Estate Viognier release … a palate of stone fruits and honeysuckle notes further confirmation.” https://www.tahbilk.com.au/2024-viognier
Here is another win/wine among the mystery white I bought earlier last year. Now let’s face it, no one is going to rave about Pinot Gris like they do about chardonnay or in Tahbilk’s case Marsanne, even if their website tried. “Lifted and expressive with a texture and palate weight reflective of the French Pinot Gris style, fresh floral and spice notes usher in this Estate 2024 vintage release that then guide you to a bright, fruit-driven palate where citrus and pear fruits are joined by apple and honeysuckle notes.” https://www.tahbilk.com.au/2024-pinot-gris
I prefer an easy drinking Pinot Gris to Sauvignon Blanc, that reminds me I need to mow the grass or why I don’t like pineapple on pizza. It’s light and fruity, not a challenge at a bargain price I paid as a member.
In the mixed dozen was Artisan Mark Chardonnay 2022, imported from California by McPherson Wines of Nagambie. I would drink it again. It seems pretty widely available at under $20 per case of 12.
“The 2022 Artisan Mark Chardonnay is a delightful wine with a pure nose offering hazelnut, ripe citrus, and pale stone fruit flavours. It has a finely tuned palate with good volume and freshness, and a touch of mild oak that adds complexity without being overpowering. The wine also features mild spiciness, generous young fruit, and well-maintained acidity. Pair with seafood, vegetarian dishes, poultry, Asian cuisine and soft cheeses.” https://www.yourwines.com.au/products/artisan-mark-california-chardonnay-2022-12-bottles
“Bright straw colour with a watery hue. Aromas of ripe peach and honeycomb evolve from the glass followed by some butterscotch, crème brulee and spice notes. Full, rich and creamy, mouth coating flavours of ripe peach, butterscotch and crème brulee flood the mouth with some prominent toasty vanillin oak and spice characters ensuing. Concludes long and ripe with a lingering toasty vanillin oak component to it. Drink over the next 1-2 years. Alc. 13%” https://www.nicks.com.au/products/2022-artisan-mark-chardonnay
Now back to a bit of history. WS (Sam) Benwell wrote “Journey to Wine in Victoria” https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/2855255 in which he mentions Tahbilk several times, including a lengthy article on pages 110-121 on Central Victoria where he also mentions competitor Mitchellton. Don’t buy the book. I have a couple of editions you can borrow.
In Classic Wines of Australia (don’t buy, borrow) Max Lake says “Tahbilk has real presence” (pages 91-).
Len Evans’ Australian Complete Book of Wine (again, don’t buy borrow) tells the story on pages 77-.
Tricia Conover from Wine Wanderings is an American wine writer and tour organiser whose blog I read for general interest material. triciawinewanderings@substack.com
She wrote an article "Australia's First Families of Wine - Who Are They? Why Are the Wines Exceptional?” She had this to say, “Tahbilk, Central Victoria, was established in 1860. They have a long history of producing fine wines with the help of the local ferric-oxide rich soils. The gems are the “1860 Vines Shiraz” and Rhone varietals like Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne garnering high points in many wine journals. Join them for an immersive experience including a wine tasting, a visit to their museum, and a dinner at the Tahbilk Estate Restaurant.” Fair enough!
Finally, can I share this? It’s the story of two Tahbilk bottles that date back to 1875 that now live in the Len Evens Museum at Tahbilk.
On New Year’s Day 1876, John Pinney Bear headed down into the Tahbilk underground cellars with his trowel in one hand and a bottle of 1875 red and white wine in the other.
Celebrating the construction of the New Cellar, he excavated a hole big enough to fit two bottles along with papers of the day, sealing them behind a granite stone.
Some 71 years later, Eric Purbrick heard a report of a celebratory ceremony of the construction of the New Cellar and went down to investigate. Sure enough, he found the granite stone, and once he’d removed it, he found the two bottles.
In a small tin box lay two newspapers still intact, which read, Nagambie Chronicle Thursday, December 30th, 1875 and The Argus Saturday, January 1st,1876. The discovery became the catalyst to research the forgotten history of Tahbilk, and the Tahbilk Archives was established.
After the discovery of two wines hidden in the Tahbilk underground cellars, Eric decided to host a celebration of his own. A gathering of Victoria’s wine enthusiasts was arranged to open the bottles on their long cellaring on the 12th of July, 1947. After a speech or two, the company descended down into the cellars to fetch the wines to be opened and tasted.
The two 71-year-old wines were opened on the 12th of July 1947, and the report read:
“The corks had perished so much that they had to be extracted piece-meal, yet the wines had suffered from their 71 years of immurement far less than was to be expected. Both were sound and practically drinkable, though, of course, much past their prime, they would have been much better fifty years ago. The red wine had deposited much of its colour in the crusted bottle but had retained enough to constitute it definitely as a red wine – more ruby than tawny. The white wine had not deepened very much in colour – it had not assumed the brown hue of extensively super-maturity. They must have been originally pretty robust to have stood the severe ordeal so well. It was a very interesting and unique experience.”
And the moral of the story is...we'll leave that for you to decide.
https://www.tahbilk.com.au/tahbilk-iconic-wines
Next year, Tahbilk will mark 100 years of ownership by the Purbrick family. Jeni Port spoke to Alister Purbrick about the milestone, their connection to the land, and why the Nagambie winery still has a monopoly on marsanne. But of course, it’s behind Halliday’s paywall. https://winecompanion.com.au/articles/from-the-tasting-team/purbrick-family-celebrate-100-years-of-tahbilk