Tahbilk Winery

Established in 1860 Tahbilk is one of Australia's most beautiful and historic family owned wineries. Located in the Nagambie Lakes region of central Victoria (120kms north of Melbourne), one of the nation's premium viticultural areas, the property comprises some 1,214 hectares of rich river flats with a frontage of 11 kms to the Goulburn River and 8 kms of permanent backwaters and creeks. Purchased by the Purbrick family is 1925, Tahbilk is now home to 5 generations.

David Dunstan suggests that the Purbrick family made Tahbilk a bridge for carrying forward the culture of wine from the nineteenth century to the twentieth. Entrepreneur Reginald Purbrick certainly recognized a good deal when he saw it – he too saw gold in the rich river soil. His son Eric had inherited his fine palate, a love of wine, intelligence, charm and energy as well as an appreciation of history. Thanks to him Tahbilk escaped the wholesale modernization of the 1960s while he recreated a vineyard producing fine table wine and contributing to the emerging Australian wine industry. Eric’s son John quietly rebuilt the marketing arm, while his son Alister bought management skills and modern techniques to old wine-making traditions. It is Alister’s daughter Hayley who will guide the winery into the 21 st century, ensuring that the winery’s future develops in sustainable balance with its environment.

The vineyard has some 200 hectares under vine which includes the rare French Rhone Valley whites of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne; and the Rhone reds - Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre. Also planted are the traditional varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdelho and new age rising stars Tempranillo and Savagnin.

Vineyard plantings extend back to Tahbilk's founding with original pre-phylloxera Shiraz vines still surviving from 1860 - an eponymous wine produced from them since 1979. Tahbilk is further blessed with an abundance of further "old vine" plantings including Shiraz from 1933 (the prime source for Tahbilk's 'Eric Stevens Purbrick' Shiraz releases), Cabernet Sauvignon back to 1949 and Marsanne from 1927 (a "sister" white release to the 1860 Vines Shiraz).

Harvest commences in early March and continues for five to six weeks with approximately 1,600 tonnes (red & white) grapes processed. Total production is over 100,000 cases with just over 10% being exported to the key markets of U.S.A., United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries.

Red winemaking

The Tahbilk approach to red winemaking is considered very traditional and has not changed since its inception in 1860.  Tahbilk produces wines with an emphasis on fruit flavour (as distinct from oak flavour) with the proven potential to improve and develop added complexity if patiently cellared.

Generations have challenged this traditional approach, in particular Alister, who in the often told story, mentioned to his Grandfather he would like to change the red winemaking style. He broached the subject with Eric who promptly opened a bottle of 1962 Special Bin (which he regarded as his best vintage). After the usual description, analysis and praise, Eric simply commented: 'Well, old boy, if you think it's so good, why do you want to change our reds?'. 

Alister quickly came around and in an interview years later he best captured the essence of why Tahbilk continues to do as it does today.

While the grapes are no longer hoppered by chain off the horse-drawn drays to be fed to the crusher, the must is pumped into the original oak fermenters where cultivated yeast is introduced and fermentation commences. Carbon dioxide gas is formed during fermentation and this forces the skins (called the cap) to rise to the top of the vat.

Twice daily the juice from the bottom is pumped over (turned over) the top of the cap which extracts the colour, flavour and tannins from the grape skins - three important elements in producing quality, structured red wines. Once fermentation is complete (7-10 days), the wine is drained off the skins, which are in turn fed into a membrane press to extract any remaining wine - called pressings, and then pumped into oak casks in the original 1860 and "new" 1875 cellars.

There is storage in both cellars for some 365,000 litres of wine in a diversity of French and Polish oak casks, varying in capacity from 1,137 litres to 6,365 litres - the majority of the casks being well over 100 years old with some dating back 140 years. The wine is allowed to settle and mature in the cask, being twice transferred (racked) into clean casks leaving the sediment (lees) behind.

Maturation time is approximately 18 months (the temperature stays a constant 15-16°C all year round - perfect for maturing red wine) and on completion the wine is filtered and bottled then cellared for a further 12-18 months prior to labelling and distribution (Tahbilk 'Eric Stevens Purbrick' Reds and '1860 Vines' Shiraz will be have up to 4 years cellaring prior to release).

White winemaking

With the construction of the dedicated White fermentation cellar in 1979, one of the first initiatives undertaken by Alister Purbrick after assuming the General Manager's role, white winemaking at Tahbilk was ushered into a new age.

The white grapes are crushed and the must chilled to 5-10°Celsius before being pumped into computerised grape presses. The juice is separated from the skins and pumped into refrigerated stainless steel tanks and fermented with cultured yeast under strict temperature control to maximise flavour and freshness.

On completion of fermentation (10-15 days), the wines are stabilised in additional stainless steel tanks, prior to filtering, blending and bottling (Chardonnay is the exception, being matured in new French and American oak barrels for up to 12 months).

TAHBILK 1860 Vines Nagambie Lakes Shiraz, Goulburn Valley Victoria By Andrew Caillard MW

The 1860s vines Shiraz (from a small patch of 1/2 hectare ungrafted pre-phylloxera) is amongst some of the oldest direct producing Shiraz vines in the world. The wine is both a curio and an experience. The fruit is handpicked and fermented in century old oak vats before maturation in French oak for 18 months. The label design harks back to an original Tahbilk wine label used during the 1870s, although the 1979 vintage was the first of this release. Produced in miniscule quantities, this wine is made very much in the traditional fashion. The term ‘old vines’ often suggest deeply concentrated wines but this style is more elegant with plummy/chocolaty/berry fruit flavours and gravelly tannin structures. An excellent cellaring style.

Top Vintages: 2006, 2004, 2000, 1999, 1996, 1991, 1986