Tahbilk Shiraz is sourced from nearly 30 hectares of vines planted at various times from the 1930s through the early 2000s. Made using traditional Tahbilk techniques; fermentation takes place in 150 + year old open vats, before maturation in French and American oak for 18 months before bottling. The resultant releases are noted as being fruit-driven wines of much flavour and substance, proven over the years to develop added character when cellared. Varietally expressive with ample plum and blackberry fruits, there is warm earth and spicy savouriness that immediately appeals with a backbone of fine, opulent tannins and a rich, persistent finish.
Tahbilk’s vineyards are grouped along the banks of the Goulburn River, a branch of it which flows through the estate. The vines are grown at around 134 metres elevation of gently undulating and flat terrain. The soils are sandy loam with ferric oxide content, which vary from very fine sand near the anabranch to denser loams on the plains. Tahbilk has Shiraz vineyards dating back from the 1860s to the 1990s. The oldest surviving block is the ‘1860 block’; planted on its own roots in sandy soils, which has made it impossible for phylloxera to colonise the vine roots.
