Old vine glory – Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne 2013

Those who love Marsanne – hands up – know that the grape can age well. Others need to be shown, which was the intention behind the creation of the 1927 Vines Marsanne from Tahbilk.

It was styled along the lines of a Hunter Valley Semillon, that is picked early when the grapes contain a high dose of acidity, which is needed for the journey ahead, and the winemaking is simple:  fermentation in stainless steel, no oak and straight into bottle. It’s then aged for around seven years before release. Oh, and interestingly, the wine is released only if it receives a gold medal in wine shows across Australia. As far as I know, it always does.

Colour is medium-gold, revealing bottle age. Imagine an aged Hunter Semillon, as there is an uncanny resemblance, with the rising bouquet of preserved lemons and buttered toast with lashings of Rose’s lime marmalade. Flavours build with layers of lemon butter, lemongrass, honey.  Succulent, rich and textural, and thanks to the underlying acidity, there is still a long way to go. What a pleasure.