Tahbilk

Tahbilk is a family wine estate in on the Goulburn River in Central Victoria, Australia. It is known particularly for its old vineyards and for its extensive commitment to the Marsanne grape – it has the world's largest vineyard planted to that variety.

The company was formed in 1860, with the first vintage the following year. Within two decades, Tahbilk had become the largest and most modern winery in Australia, exporting to Europe and winning numerous awards. Phylloxera, war and the Great Depression took their toll, but in 1925 the run-down estate was bought and revived by successive members of the Purbrick family. The company remains in their hands today.

In total Tahbilk has around 200 hectares (500 acres) under vine, with numerous blocks dating back to the early 20th Century, including 1933 plantings of Shiraz and 1949 plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon. However, Tahbilk's flagship plots are a block of Marsanne dating back to 1927, and a 0.5-ha (1.2-acre) block of original Shiraz vines from the estate's founding. The 1860 Vines Shiraz, first released in 1979, is one of Australia's most prestigious wines.

Tahbilk uses traditional winemaking techniques for its red wines, including open-topped fermenters and French and Polish oak for barrel maturation. White wines are fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks; all but the Chardonnay are then racked to other stainless steel tanks for stabilizing before filtration and bottling. Chardonnay is aged in new French and American oak barrels for up to 12 months.