Wrapping up the lengthy drive from Rutherglen, we finally pulled into Tahbilk in Ngambie Lakes. Not that I've been into New Orleans proper or the bayou, but this is what I imagine it would look like. Lots of swampy area with moss-ridden trees, snake-infested streams and Friday the 13th-like forest. And stuck in the middle of all that is the Tahbilk winery, where it was been for 150 years.
We strolled through the original cellar, as well as the "New Cellar", constructed in 1870. There is such an amazing amount of history in these brick-laid walls and the atmosphere transports you immediately back to days-gone-by when winemaking was much simpler. Old winemaking equipment is laid out for viewing, as well as old fermenters and barrels, some still in use today.
After the tour, we sat down to the Tahbilk line-up. We tasted multiple vintages of their Marsanne, including a 2003 that was showing some interesting character: marzipan, petrol, honeysuckle, peach pit, a toasty finish with fresh acidity and limey minerality. Their Viognier was tasty, but some felt it was muddled with their addition of some Sauvignon Blanc. I personally liked the balance the SB added by making the Viognier less fat.
On to reds, we tried a 2006 and 1999 of their entry-level Shiraz. Neither was particularly exciting, and the 1999 was showing some highly oxidative character that made it feel especially tired. Same goes for the entry-level Cabernets: we were poured the 2006 and the 1998. The 2006 Cabernet was solid, with rich blackberry (including seeds), currant, dried spices, anise and monster tannins. The 1998 was unfortunately corked.
The flagship wines were more exciting. The "1860 Vines" Shiraz comes from a vineyard unaffected by phylloxera that was planted (as you might guess...) in 1860. This wine showed blue/black fruits, red licorice, big oak influence that maintained balance, white pepper, and building tannins. It would be interesting to see this wine with some age, but given the showing of the older reds they poured us, I would be weary to risk it. We also tried the "ESP" line of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. The Shiraz was not wildly complex and firmly structured with velvety tannin. However, the wine of the flight seemed to be the Cabernet Sauvignon, with a meaty and tangy character that reminded me of good salumi. Sweet and savory spices, ripe fruit, heavy oak influence that shows a pervading licorice note. This finished fairly long as well.
After the tasting, we visited the restaurant onsite for a little lunch: Pumpkin Pizza and Farro Risotto. We brought along some of the wines from the tasting to taste with the food. I was particularly fond of the Marsanne with the pizza. And the ESP Cabernet continued to improve with both the additional air and the food.
I'd highly recommend a visit to this winery, should you find yourself in the area. Not even as much for the profundity of the wines as much as the history of this facility. It seems rare these days to find a winery steeped in such a rich past, and ironically enough considered part of the "new world".
We quickly hopped back in the car and began our journey to Heathcote to continue the day. Despite having just eaten lunch, I popped another bag of potato chips, in an ongoing tour of Australian junk food. We tooled down the highway, listening to Billy Joel from my laptop and taking in the scenery. I think this was the point that we finally felt like we had settled into the trip.
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