Tahbilk Marsanne 1999

The 1999 Tahbilk Marsanne wears a bright, golden robe, reminiscent of sunshine. The bouquet and palate of this unique, unwooded Marsanne exhibit intense aromas of lemon, honey and peach. And, the familiar honeysuckle and nutty complexity traditionally associated with mature Marsanne have just begun to emerge from the citrus underpinnings of the wine. On the finish, the 1999 Tahbilk Marsanne is long and flavorsome and is balanced with crisp acidity. Drink this Marsanne moderately chilled.

Spicy grilled chicken, Asian stir-fries, veal, seafood, pastas, and fresh shellfish are all amiable partners to the 1999 Tahbilk Marsanne. Well prepared sushi and sashimi are other worthy complements. A Fettuccini Alfredo and an artfully prepared pasta primavera will, also, provide memorable accompaniments to Tahbilk’s Marsanne. Given the touch of exotica that makes this wine so interesting, we encourage you to be creative in your food pairings; this Marsanne may very well be your answer to those exciting but nearly impossible to pair food/wine combinations. Enjoy!

Established in 1860, Tahbilk Estate is one of Australia’s most beautiful and historic properties. Tahbilk is located in the Nagambie Lakes Region some 100kms north of Melbourne, on the east bank of the Goulburn River, at a site the Aboriginals called “tabilk-tabilk”, meaning “place of many waterholes”. Since 1925 the estate has remained steadfastly in the hands of the Purbrick Family. The property comprises some 1,214 hectacres of the richest river flats in the Goulburn Valley, with a frontage of 11 kilometers on the river and approximately 8 kilometers of permanent running back waters and creeks. The vineyard comprises just 168 hectacres of vines with classical varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Shiraz, Merlot, Malbec, Riesling, Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon and Verdelho grown. One of the most interesting and picturesque features of the Tahbilk Estate is the cellar, the main part of which is underground and eminently suitable for the maturation of high-quality table wines. The original cellar and storage built in 1860 (and surmounted by a tower and classified by the National Trust) is 92 meters in length, whereas the “New Cellar”, constructed in 1875 and running at right angles, is 60.5 meters long. An idea of the size of the cellars may be obtained from the fact that the roof area alone covers over 2 acres. Throughout its history, Tahbilk has obtained over 1000 awards for wine produced on the Estate at all of the world’s principal exhibitions, due in no small part to the Purbrick family. The Estate was purchased by Reginald Purbrick in 1925 and by 1931 by his son, Eric, had taken over management and winemaking responsibilities at Tahbilk. Eric was joined by his son John in 1955 and John’s son Alister, a graduate of the Winemaking Course at Roseworthy College, took over the role as winemaker and Chief Executive in 1980.