I am slowly finishing off all my Tahbilks. Very slowly. I think I like the idea of them more than the actual drinking. You know, the old skool label, the tradition, low-ish alcohol levels, no fancy oak treatments, no silly names like the Swamp Frog Cabernet, or the Masked Egret Shiraz. All that kind of stuff. Though apparently with the recent releases there have been some changes and the wines themselves are crackers, so perhaps I should re-assess. This one was consumed over 2 nights. Initially, a nose showing bacon fat, eucalypt, savoury cherry and plummy fruits, followed by a truly weird palate: raspberries and an intense confection like those old Allens Redskin sticks I used to scoff waiting for the 160 bus to take me home after school. Also showed quite a bit of acid, and certainly looked a lot better with food. Much in the same way a Beaujolais does. After a while it cleaned up a bit, showing black cherries, mint and eucalypt with a lick of liquorice, but it still had that confected edge. 85 points is about right I think. 13.0% abv. Sealed under cork. Drink now, but should hold a while.
After helping my uncle clear out his cellar (for renovations and a complete refit), we had a couple of bottles of ’83. We both thought it was stunning.
Yeah, I have heard good things about the Tahbilks from the 80′s. Vaguely remember having a lovely bottle of ’82 Cabernet myself (or was it an ’83 too).
I’ll support that – some late 70′s and early 80′s from auction have been brilliant wines, the late 90s and early 00′s are just not the same.
Cheers
Andrew
Had the 83 a few times, fantastic wine.