It is difficult to talk about the 'Eric Stevens Purbrick' reds without talking about the man and the history behind them.
Founded in 1860 by a group of Melbourne businessmen (including John Pinney Bear), by 1925 Tahbilk was solely in the Bear family's hands. For a number of reasons beyond their control, the fortunes of the Estate at that time were in decline.
Enter my family: great-grandfather Reginald Purbrick purchased Tahbilk from the Bear family with a plan to subdivide into dairy farms. Fortuitously he was convinced by grandfather Eric to continue operating Tahbilk as a winery. Eric was then handed the reins in 1931, a role that continued for over 45 vintages prior to handing the role to myself after the 1978 vintage.
Eric remained a strong influence on the direction of Tahbilk until his passing in 1991.
One of the first to place his faith in the future of Australian table wines, Eric was at the forefront of varietal labelling in Australia ; but perhaps his greatest legacy was to create the 'Special Bin' range of reds, beginning with a Shiraz in 1948. Selected from the most outstanding casks produced on the Estate from a particular vintage, these wines became known as 'Reserve' in 1985.
From 2002 they fittingly carry his name and signature: 'Eric Stevens Purbrick'.
And so, a new legacy with its roots firmly planted in the history of the Estate was born.
Cheers,
Alister Purbrick | 4th Generation
