The Auswine Forum

I've been offered a museum release of Tahbilk's 1991 Cab from a reputable source here in the US. It's my impression that Tahbilk has good staying power and that this should be fine since it is a new release of an older vintage. Has anyone had the 1991 vintage and have tasting notes?

Um.... Daryl?!

From one of TORB's tour diaries:

"Tahbilk 1991 Cabernet Sauvignon sells for $45 at cellar door and is a back release. It is sealed under cork. The bouquet was dusty, varietal and showed multiple spicy notes. This wine will be very long-lived. It still has truckloads of drying, powdery tannins and the deeply-seated, pure fruit is still buried by the tannins. Flavours of blackcurrant, blackberry, spice, and mint flavours finish very dry. Rated as Highly Recommended with *** for value, it should reach its peak drinking window between 2012 and 2025."

I would get it if the price is good.

G'day

It depends on what you are being charged for a musem release. If it is offered at the equivalent of AUD$45 I would seriously question its value (it probably sold for a fiver in 1993 or whenever it was released). I've had a few bottles around 1999-2001 before it was a museum release. Enjoyable, but not $45 a bottle then, nor probably now.

It also depends on quantity, and why you want it. If you are holding a dinner party with a 1991 theme, then you might pay the premum for a couple of bottles. As a representative expression of very good Aussie Cabernet, I suggest your $45 could be better spent elsewhere. Especially Coonawarra.

Cheers

Allan

TORB's description of the 1991 Tahbilk Cabernet fairly resembles my first impressions of the 1982 Chateau Tahbilk (as it was known then) Cabernet. However my description would have been "mouth puckering" tannins.

TORB is most likely correct about the 1991's longevity. The 1982 in the last few years has only just reached maturity. For my part I wouldn't dream of selling either of my last two bottles for twice the price.

Cheers...............Mahmoud.

FWIW, I had a 1991 Tahbilk Shiraz last year and its was seemingly at peak aged drinking. Lovely wine

deleted

Had a bottle of it several months ago. Very much an aged Tahbilk cab, fruit still there with some sour dark cherry/plum, cassis, a touch of eucalypt and well-integrated noticeable but not too much so, cedary oak. It has architectural, drying tannins but not excessively so - it is a cab after all. Not sure if I enjoyed it as much as the 87 had a while before it but did enjoy it more than the 95 had several weeks ago. They came with one each of the 2000, 2003 and 2006. I've had a few bottles of the latter and it's a stunner now but will be rather special in another 10-15 years.

Cheers

daz