Tahbilk’s relationship with the varietals that call France’s Rhone Valley home can be traced back to our earliest days with a good deal of fortuitous luck leading to the establishment of that connection rather than a grand plan looking ahead over 160 years!
Prior to taking possession of what would become the Tahbilk Estate, one of the directors placed an advertisement in the leading newspapers of Melbourne, Geelong, Adelaide and Sydney for 1,000,000 vines. This resulted in the Tabilk Vineyard Company (as we were known then) receiving around 600,000 vine cuttings, among which was the white ‘Rhone’ varietal, Marsanne.
Marsanne being the solo ‘Rhone’ whites’ flag-waver for the Estate ended in 1990 with the successful planting of Viognier and Roussanne.
Marsanne will always be the undisputed leader of this trio, but there is no doubt that each of these two relatively new Estate ‘Rhone’s’ are showing that they have too have admirably embraced their adopted homeland.
Enjoy Now to 2025/2027
Since the first Estate Roussanne release from the 1998 vintage, this member of our Rhone’s trio has impressed with its texture and character.
Our 2021 iteration sees a parade of tea-leaf and spice aromas sashay to a savoury palate of ripe citrus, crunchy apple and tropical fruits.