Tahbilk’s first plantings of Viognier were established in 1990 with just over 6.5 hectares now under vine.
The inaugural vintage was released in 1996 to early critical acclaim with the Estate nominated at the time by Australian Vignerons magazine as producing one of the ‘Benchmark Six’ Australian releases. Recognition has also come on the Australian Wine Show circuit with 4 Trophies, 25 Gold, 43 Silver and 98 Bronze medals awarded to date.
Enjoy Now and Over The Next 12 Months
The Tahbilk Viognier is representative of the difficult vintage that was 2023. There is subtle green aromas but the palate is full of orange; peel, marmalade and zest. There is a pronouned spice note herbal and ginger root. The acidity is medium intensity and carries itself well across the palate. Rather than have this wine straight out of the fridge, chill and then let it sit out of the fridge for half an hour before enjoyment.
Vintage 2023
At Tahbilk, we like to say that every bottle tells a story, so in that case, the stories behind Vintage 2023 will be some of the most dramatic.
In October 2022, Tahbilk Estate bore the brunt of a 1 in 100-year flood, which affected our vines, impacted yields, and affected us, the Tahbilk team. Our vines have bounced back, thankfully with no longterm damage and minimal, if any attrition. In fact, if you walk around today you couldn’t tell that over half of the vineyard had been under water. As for the team, this challenge will ultimately make us stronger.
Then, as with every season, we were presented with a ‘normal’ set of issues around the weather, adding further to our taxing season. The summer’s heat came quickly, and the ground once full of water was dry again, so we irrigated. Then the rain came, we stopped irrigating and waited for the weather to pass.
It then became cool, the length of the season caught up with us, and not everything ripened so sadly we ended up leaving fruit on the vines … including our iconic 1860 Shiraz!
The yields for the season, albeit low, have produced some very fine wines that embody the demands of this season, wines that we are extremely proud of and proud to share.
So, when you are lucky enough to drink a Tahbilk wine from the 2023 season, think of the season, and think of us.
Jo Nash - General Manager and Winemaker
