Established in 1860, Tahbilk is an historic family-owned winery, renowned for their rare aged Marsanne. The estate has the world’s largest single holding of the varietal and produces Marsanne from vines established in 1927, which are among the oldest in the world. Tahbilk is known as ‘tabilk tabilk’ in the language of the Daungwurrung clans, which translates as the ‘place of many waterholes’. It perfectly describes this premium viticultural landscape, which is located in the Nagambie Lakes region of Central Victoria. The estate comprises 1,214 hectares, including a seven mile frontage to the Goulburn River. Environmental sustainability is paramount at Tahbilk and in 2013 they
became carbon neutral. In 2016, Tahbilk was awarded 'Winery of the Year' by James Halliday.

Nagambie Lakes, a GI subregion of Goulburn Valley in Central Victoria, sits around the Goulburn River and Lake Nagambie, where broad water bodies temper heat and create a distinctive mesoclimate that extends ripening and builds balance. Cooling influences from lakes, billabongs and creek lines soften the region’s otherwise warm conditions, helping preserve colour and freshness in the wines.

Soils are a key signature: iron-oxide–rich duplex profiles (often called “Duplex 2.2”) alongside loose sandy and gravelly alluvials. These well-drained, ferric soils are closely linked to the area’s clear regional character. Shiraz is the flagship, joined by Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay; the region is also renowned for Marsanne—famously at Tahbilk, home to some of the world’s oldest and largest single plantings—plus smaller amounts of Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot.

Styles lean medium to full bodied and classically framed: Shiraz shows dark plum, blackberry, anise and gentle earth/spice; Cabernet brings cassis, bay leaf and fine tannin; Chardonnay ranges from citrus-and-stone-fruit precision to textured, lees-influenced expressions; Marsanne offers lemon, pear and florals in youth, developing honeyed, waxy complexity with age.

Overall, Nagambie Lakes wines balance ripe fruit with freshness, a reflection of warm days moderated by waterways and the region’s distinctive ferric soils—an historic Victorian landscape that continues to deliver characterful, cellar-worthy reds and focused, mineral-edged whites.

Marsanne is a classic white grape of the northern Rhône, long associated with Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage, Saint-Joseph and Saint-Péray, where it is often partnered with Roussanne. Thought to originate around Tain-l’Hermitage, it has travelled modestly: today you’ll also find it in southern France, Switzerland’s Valais (as Ermitage), Australia (notably Victoria’s Nagambie Lakes), parts of California and small pockets in South Africa.

In the vineyard, Marsanne is relatively hardy and productive, favouring warm, well-drained, stony or granitic soils. It ripens mid- to late-season, building high sugar and generous texture, but acidity can drop quickly if picked too late. Managing yields and canopy is crucial to retain freshness and avoid neutral flavours. In humid conditions it can be prone to mildew; in the cellar it benefits from careful oxygen management to prevent premature oxidation.

Stylistically, Marsanne is full-bodied and textural, often with a gentle, waxy feel. Young wines show pear, quince and stone fruit with notes of acacia, honeysuckle, fennel and almond. With lees ageing—or discreet barrel work—they gain mid-palate weight and a creamy, nutty complexity; with bottle age, expect honey, nougat, spice and a savoury, mineral depth. While most examples are dry, Marsanne also underpins the traditional-method sparkling wines of Saint-Péray and occasionally richer, late-harvest styles.