2019 Old Vines Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz, Tahbilk
Nagambie Lakes, Victoria, Australia
Old Vines, Quiet Authority
Deep, savoury and beautifully self-assured, this is an Australian red that feels generous from the outset but never loses its poise. Dark berry, blackcurrant and ripe plum fruit sit at the heart of the wine, wrapped in notes of bay leaf, mint and black pepper, with cedar, spice and a gentle herbal lift adding complexity. There is richness here, certainly, but it is delivered with an easy, velvety grace rather than brute force. The palate is smooth, structured and quietly powerful, with old-vine depth, polished tannins and a long, savoury finish that lingers on dark fruit, spice and warm cedar.
For when: the roast is slow-cooking, the fire is lit, and the bottle needs to feel every bit as settled as the evening.
Pairs with: roast beef, lamb, chargrilled mushrooms, or something rich and herb-laced from the barbecue.
If this wine were a place: a wide Australian riverbank at dusk, with eucalyptus in the air and old vines rooted deep in warm earth.
Tahbilk is one of Australia’s great historic estates, based in Victoria’s Nagambie Lakes region, with vineyards grouped along the Goulburn River on sandy loam soils rich in ferric oxide. The estate is particularly celebrated for its extraordinary old Shiraz vineyards, including ungrafted plantings dating back to the 1860s, preserved in sandy soils where phylloxera could not take hold. That heritage of old vines and patient winemaking comes through beautifully here, giving the wine its lovely combination of generosity, complexity and underlying elegance.
Whats in the bottle
Cabernet Sauvignon 62%, Shiraz 37%, Other Varieties 1%
Notable Awards
95pts James Halliday Wine Companion