Tahbilk, Nagambie Lakes, Cabernet Sauvignon

£18.37
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Producer
Tahbilk
Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon
Optimum Drinking
Within 8 years
Wine Style
Rich curranty red with ripe tannins
Alcohol by Volume
14%
Closure
Screwcap
Country
Australia
Style / Colour
Red

Deliciously approachable with distinctive notes of cassis, dark plum and mulberry.

Producer Note

Established in 1860, Tahbilk is an historic family-owned winery, renowned for their rare aged Marsanne. 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.

Vintage

Good rainfall during the 2017 winter set good crop levels. A temperamental spring saw warmish rainy days, requiring diligent vineyard management to keep the vineyard disease free. Summer seemed transient, but ripening continued at a steady pace though to a late harvest. Wines show distinct varietal flavours with bright fruit and elegant, fine structures.

Vineyard

Tahbilk’s vineyards are grouped along the banks of the Goulburn River and an anabranch of it which flows through the estate. The vines are grown at approximately 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. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards date from the 1940’s to the 1990’s. The oldest of the blocks is the 1949 “Old” Cabernet, planted on very fine red sandy soils. The vines are trained on a single wire trellis with a mixture of head and cordon training; all are cane pruned. Tahbilk's vines are sustainably cultivated; composting and mulching takes place which improves soil health by promoting earthworm activity. Mulching helps to control weeds and conserves water, reducing vine stress. The old vines are hand-picked while younger vines are machine harvested.

Winemaking

The grapes were picked based on flavour analysis, at between 12.5 to 14.5° Baumé. The fruit was de-stemmed, lightly crushed and cooled to 12 to 14°C before being transferred to open vats. The vats were inoculated with selected yeast, plunging took place on the first day with pump-overs from then on. Fermentation slowly warmed up to 25 to 28°C and lasted seven to nine days. The wine was matured in 10 to 100 year old large format French oak barrels for 18 months.

Tasting Note

Distinctive cassis, dark plum and mulberry notes are enhanced by nuances of Asian 5 spice, mint and touches of mocha. Deliciously approachable now, a ripe tannic grip underpins the fruit and leads to a hint of spice on the persistent finish.

Grape

Cabernet Sauvignon 95%, Merlot 2%, Cabernet Franc 1%, Sangiovese 1%, Shiraz 1%
 

The technical information on this wine is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. This information may be subject to change according to vintage

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