Tahbilk Marsanne Vertical Tasting 2018-2006, October 2019

[Waiters Friend]

Twelve tasters met at Mayfair Lane in West Perth, to undertake a vertical tasting of Tahbilk Marsanne over 13 vintages. These are the ‘standard’ Marsannes that Tahbilk has produced for decades, as compared to the ‘1927 Vines’ model that has been produced since 1998. Tahbilk also holds the oldest and largest planting of this Rhone grape variety in the world.

Both wines have an enviable reputation for ageing, and the group were interested to see how the wine evolved over time, and what (if any) was the optimal drinking window.

My first experience of this wine was in 1995 (at an outdoor concert – Bjork, actually). Friends who worked in a local chain of liquor stores had brought along the 1992 (with a brace of other wines) and this set me on the path. I’ve been buying and cellaring them each year since the early 2000s.

The wines were tasted in order from youngest (2018) to oldest (2006), in flights of three or four. All wines were sourced from my cellar, with the exception of the 2018 and 2008, which were kindly donated by Tahbilk. All wines were under screwcap. The notes that follow are a composite of the group’s comment, and not just my opinion.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2018: Straw in colour, and transparent. Lemon, citrus florals, tropical fruits, passionfruit, honeysuckle, mandarin and under-ripe apricot all on the nose. It’s high acid (as is the norm for these wines). The palate shows tart lemon, hints of lanolin, and was described as fresh and clean with a pleasing length and balance. A good wine to open with.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2017: Straw in colour, and very marginally darker than the 2018. Many of the same characters on the nose, with lemon, tropical, mandarin and honeysuckle, along with white rose petals, honeydew melon, pear and grapefruit. There’s lemon, a faint trace of honey, some lanolin and a chalky sensation, which followed through the finish.

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Tahbilk Marsanne 2016: Straw just touching on pale yellow. Along with the lemon and tropical fruits / guava, there are signs of development with honeydew melon, lemon curd and chamomile on the nose. The palate appeared to be higher acid that the 2017. Some tasters thought the middle palate was lacking, while there was general comment about more overall palate weight (a further sign of development) and a longer finish. This wine was well regarded by the majority of tasters.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2015: Pale yellow in colour. The tropical fruits prevalent in the younger wines was largely absent, and replaced with honeysuckle, lanolin and honey / toasty characters on the nose. Acid appeared sharper and angular (possibly in relation to the diminished fruit) and the finish was slightly astringent. This wine appeared out of sync with the vintages around it.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2014: Pale yellow and darker than previous wines. There was a return to more primary fruit and florals (which were quite lifted) with lemon curd, honeycomb and mandarin on the nose. The acid was more in balance with the fruit on the palate, and the fruit seemed riper. There was a lot of back palate and good length indeed. A slight viscosity added to the impression that this wine is developing nicely, and this was the most balanced wine so far.

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Tahbilk Marsanne 2013: Mid-yellow in colour. Fully honeyed with honeysuckle and lemon barley. The wine appears softer in acid, as the developed fruit characters have given the wine a fullness and richness. There’s some viscosity but the acid balances this. Long finish, and the wine was well regarded by the group.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2012: Yellow in colour. Honeyed and toasty on the nose but balanced by honeysuckle. There’s also some passionfruit and tinned peaches. The palate is soft and almost delicate, with spices and ginger. There’s good acid and the wine finishes quite long, but with a touch of astringency.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2011: Yellow tending to gold in colour, and darker than the vintages around it. The fruit is muted on the nose, and there’s honey, melon, lanolin and wet hay, along with chalky and dusty notes. The palate shows creamed honey, almost, and biscuit, but this is overpowered by the acid and the wine has a sour finish.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2010: Yellow in colour, and much lighter than the 2011. Developed honeysuckle, perfumed florals, honey and toast, and red rose petals. The palate shows lemon zest and the supporting acid is enhancing the wine’s freshness. There’s excellent balance and length with richness, and the wine was well supported.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2010 ‘1927 Vines’. A ring-in, to show the difference in colour and development. Pale yellow in colour. Lots of citrus, especially bright lemon juice, florals, lime, and mandarin. The palate has tangy lemon and great supporting acid. Excellent balance, and no-one in the group would have picked it as a 9-year-old wine. Highly regarded by the group.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2009: Yellow gold in colour. Rich fragrant homey (Manuka?) on the nose along with lime cordial and lemon. High acid on the palate is maintaining some freshness, and there’s pink grapefruit as well. A little burnt orange on the finish, this is fully developed.

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Tahbilk Marsanne 2008: Yellow, just tending to gold, and lighter than the 2009. Toasty, with a little struck match. Some nashi pear but fruit is diminished overall. There’s tangy acidity and lemon pith on the palate, with dried apricot. Some freshness and a good length.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2007: Also lighter in colour than the 2009. The nose has a slight metallic tin on the nose alongside zesty lime cordial and a touch of minerality. There’s not a lot of fruit left on the palate to balance the acidity, but there’s some interesting developed savoury notes. Perhaps drying out a bit? An interesting wine, nonetheless, and considered an anomaly in the ageing progression.

Tahbilk Marsanne 2006: Light gold in colour. This is showing developed honeysuckle, with lanolin and many of the characters we’ve described already. Some tasters considered there might be a touch of botrytis. The palate is fully developed and viscous, alongside tart ‘green apple’ acidity. Excellent length and the wine is still drinking well.

To finish off, a magnum of Tahbilk Shiraz 2001 was opened. Purple / crimson in colour, no sign of bricking. There’s dark cherry, blackberry, cloves, a little vanilla and five-spice on the nose, while the palate has lots of chocolate alongside the developed fruit characters. Tannins have fully integrated and there’s good supporting acid. It’s medium bodied, with no sharp edges and drinking very well right now.

Wine of the night was the Tahbilk Marsanne 2010 ‘1927 Vines’ by a significant majority. This is probably unfair on the other wines, as they are a third of the price, but I have mentioned which vintages were well regarded by the group.

Many tasters commented on the consistency of development for the majority of the wines, with the 2011, 2007 and (to a lesser extent) the 2015 sitting outside the spectrum. None of the wines were over the hill, although some had reached their limit. The wine is presumably made to a house style, with the significant resources available to Tahbilk possibly enabling the company to reduce the impact of vintage variation. Certainly, and especially for the price, this is a well-made wine which ages magnificently and offers drinking interest aplenty at most stages in its development.

Peak drinking? This was a divisive matter, with some tasters preferring the wines young and fresh, some preferring age around 9-10 years, and some opting for both.

My thanks to Tahbilk for supplying the gaps in the vertical, to Mayfair Lane for hosting the event, and to those tasters who freely offered their comments and hopefully had a great night.

Cheers
Allan

[Mahmoud Ali]

Thanks for the notes Allan, much appreciated as I have bottles of the '10 and maybe an '08 and/or the '09. These notes will make useful reference points.

As for the the 1992 being the one that set you on the path, it was also my first one too. A friend served me this wine but unlike you I struggled to understand it. Jancis Robinson once said that the wine in a glue-like in its youth but develops into something entirely different and wonderous. I went out and cellared a bottle of the 1992 and sat on it for quite some time, eventually opening it in 2011 when I noticed that the colour had darkened considerably. I wish I had bought more than a few of the 1992 Marsanne. Here is a link to what I wrote about the 19 year-ol wine:

http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?f ... nne#p97862

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

[Waiters Friend]

Nice notes Mahmoud. I'm not sure I want to push too many of the standard Marsannes to 19 year old, but I suspect the '1927 Vines' might go the distance. Time to open that 2000 '1927 Vines' in the cellar, I expect.