1998 Chateau Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne

Nine years ago my son Alister and the winemaking team decided to use parcels of fruit from our 1927 Marsanne plantings, amongst the oldest surviving in the world, to produce a limited release wine that would show its best, and only be made available, once mature. Picked early & made with a higher acidity level to support serious long term ageing, unlike our general release Marsanne, they were never meant to be enjoyed as young wines time was definitely a winemaking building block with these wines. Eight years later and our first "1927 Vines" Museum Marsanne is considered to be now ready for release and fully supports the adage "Good things come to those that wait"! The judges at the 2005 Victorian Wines Show also agreed awarding it the "Good Food & Wine Trophy" for Best Museum Wine, it has also picked up a further 3 Gold, 3 Silver & 7 Bronze Medals! Descriptions for this release seem almost superfluous! It offers all the character and richness you would expect from an older Marsanne - honeyed, honeysuckle, orange marmalade and toasty notes but with an edge of complexity that sets it apart. This is the first of what we all be an ongoing succession of "1927 Vines" releases. They won't necessarily happen every year, they may not be released as consecutive vintages, but when released they will be something special! (Drink Now to 2008/2013)