Description

PRODUCER:
Established in 1860, Tahbilk is an historic family-owned winery, renowned for its rare aged Marsanne. The estate has the world’s largest single holding of the varietal and produces Marsanne from vines established in 1927, which are among the oldest in the world. Tahbilk is known as ‘tabilk tabilk’ in the language of the Daungwurrung clans, which translates as the ‘place of many waterholes’. It perfectly describes this premium viticultural landscape, which is located in the Nagambie Lakes region of Central Victoria. The estate comprises 1,214 hectares, including a seven mile frontage to the Goulburn River. Environmental sustainability is paramount at Tahbilk and in 2013 they became carbon neutral. In 2016, Tahbilk was awarded ‘Winery of the Year’ by James Halliday.

VINEYARD:
Tahbilk’s vineyards are grouped along the banks of the Goulburn River and an anabranch of it which flows through the estate. The water has a tempering influence on the climate. The vines are grown at an elevation of approximately 134 metres, on gently undulating and flat terrain. The soils are sandy loam with ferric oxide content, which varies from very fine sand near the anabranch to denser loams on the plains. The vines planted before 1986 are on ARG rootstocks. They are trained on a single wire trellis with a mixture of head and cordon training, with cane pruning. Tahbilk’s vines are sustainably cultivated; composting and mulching take place, which improves soil health by promoting earthworm activity. Mulching helps to control weeds and conserves water, reducing vine stress. The grapes were hand-picked.

WINEMAKING:
Made in a reductive style – without contact with oxygen to preserve the fresh, fruity character. The fruit was destemmed, lightly crushed and cooled through a heat exchanger and pressed. The must was clarified and fermented with neutral yeasts at low temperatures of 10 to 12°C, fermenting at 0.5 to 1° Baume per day. The fermentation stopped at 2 to 3 grams per litre of residual sugar. The wine did not go through malolactic conversion in order to retain its crisp character. It was then protein stabilised, cold stabilised, medium filtered, blended and bottled.

TASTING NOTE:
The complexity that comes with age shines through with lifted honeysuckle and toasty notes on the nose. The rich and honeyed palate is brimming with lemon citrus fruits and finishes with a chalky, mineral freshness.

GRAPES:
Marsanne 100%.