TN: Tahbilk Eric Stevens Purbrick Shiraz 2005

[Waiters Friend]

Decanted about 20 minutes before service. Crimson bordering on garnet in colour.

Lovely full nose of blueberries, blackberries and dark plums, with lots of mocha, spice like cloves and cinnamon, and just a touch of earthiness. The palate is medium to full bodied with slightly tart red fruits across the tongue. Tannins are fine but persistent / grippy and there's plenty of supporting acid giving a freshness to what is now a 15 year old wine. A reasonably long finish.

This has a lot to recommend it - there's sufficient complexity to hold my interest, and while it may not improve (much) it's showing no signs of falling over. Excellent wine.

Cheers
Allan

[I Love Shiraz]

Decanted about 20 minutes before service. Crimson bordering on garnet in colour.

Lovely full nose of blueberries, blackberries and dark plums, with lots of mocha, spice like cloves and cinnamon, and just a touch of earthiness. The palate is medium to full bodied with slightly tart red fruits across the tongue. Tannins are fine but persistent / grippy and there's plenty of supporting acid giving a freshness to what is now a 15 year old wine. A reasonably long finish.

This has a lot to recommend it - there's sufficient complexity to hold my interest, and while it may not improve (much) it's showing no signs of falling over. Excellent wine.

Cheers
Allan

Thanks for the note here Allan. I have 2 bottles of this wine unopened. Looking forward to trying it in future. Cheers mate.

[Mahmoud Ali]

This has a lot to recommend it - there's sufficient complexity to hold my interest, and while it may not improve (much) it's showing no signs of falling over. Excellent wine.

By the way, Tahbilk's vintage chart considers this wine as still in the "Improving" stage with 5+ years of evolution ahead. Apparently the 1997 is "Ready" but the 1998 also needs 5+ years.

Mahmoud.

[Rossco]

This has a lot to recommend it - there's sufficient complexity to hold my interest, and while it may not improve (much) it's showing no signs of falling over. Excellent wine.

By the way, Tahbilk's vintage chart considers this wine as still in the "Improving" stage with 5+ years of evolution ahead. Apparently the 1997 is "Ready" but the 1998 also needs 5+ years.

Mahmoud.

Sort of on topic. Anyone had a tahbilk from the 90's recently that's wasnt corked?

[Waiters Friend]

Sort of on topic. Anyone had a tahbilk from the 90's recently that's wasnt corked?

If by recently you mean "the last 12 months" then the answer is yes. Only a couple of corked ones in the last few years, in fact.

[Bobthebuilder]

Hi Allan, was this under cork or screwcap?
When was the changeover for this wine?

[I Love Shiraz]

Hi Allan, was this under cork or screwcap?
When was the changeover for this wine?

I am pretty sure it is under screwcap. I am finding the drinking window of screwcap wines is longer than an equivalent wine under cork.

[Waiters Friend]

Would you believe it was under cork?

[Mahmoud Ali]

This has a lot to recommend it - there's sufficient complexity to hold my interest, and while it may not improve (much) it's showing no signs of falling over. Excellent wine.

By the way, Tahbilk's vintage chart considers this wine as still in the "Improving" stage with 5+ years of evolution ahead. Apparently the 1997 is "Ready" but the 1998 also needs 5+ years.

Sort of on topic. Anyone had a tahbilk from the 90's recently that's wasnt corked?

I thought it was on topic. Allan said the wine was showing no signs of falling over and all I did was refer to what the winery thought. I have both the regular Cabernet and Shiraz from the 2007 vintage and according to the winery I should leave them alone for 5+ and 6+ years. Of course I'm not one to talk, they say the 1982 Cabernet is in decline and I still have two bottles!

[Con J]

Sort of on topic. Anyone had a tahbilk from the 90's recently that's wasnt corked?

Had 1996 Reserve Cabernet Monday night that was in great condition.

Cheers Con.

[Rossco]

Sort of on topic. Anyone had a tahbilk from the 90's recently that's wasnt corked?

If by recently you mean "the last 12 months" then the answer is yes. Only a couple of corked ones in the last few years, in fact.

Yep thats exactly what i mean, thank you for that. Its just every 90's tahbilk i have had in the past 12-18 months
has been corked or had some issue (and these were mainly 1860's vines), so I was just interested to see what
others were experiencing.

[Rossco]

By the way, Tahbilk's vintage chart considers this wine as still in the "Improving" stage with 5+ years of evolution ahead. Apparently the 1997 is "Ready" but the 1998 also needs 5+ years.

Sort of on topic. Anyone had a tahbilk from the 90's recently that's wasnt corked?

I thought it was on topic. Allan said the wine was showing no signs of falling over and all I did was refer to what the winery thought. I have both the regular Cabernet and Shiraz from the 2007 vintage and according to the winery I should leave them alone for 5+ and 6+ years. Of course I'm not one to talk, they say the 1982 Cabernet is in decline and I still have two bottles!

Mahmoud, my question was not in relation to your post at all, i was more referring to Tahbilks drinking chart and what other forumites
were experiencing with their 90's era wines.

Allan's wine was from 2005 so again, the post was not directed to him, or about his wine.

I have no doubt about the ability of Tahbilks wines to age over a long period of time. I do have doubts as to whether the quality of the corks
are up to the job however, and hence the reason for asking the question.

[Mahmoud Ali]

I guess I misunderstood Rossco, likely because of the punctuation. I had mentioned Tahbilk's vintage chart before there was any mention of cork issues so I presumed your comment about me not being on topic was separate from your second sentence, the question about cork issues. Anyway, no worries, it's all okay.

I have had many bottles of the 1982 Chateau Tahbilk Cabernet, close to 7 or 8, and I have to say I don't recall any of them being corked. I guess that means, based on the odds, the likelihood of my last two bottles being corked are very high. Gulp!