If I was forced to choose between the Shiraz and the Grenache I'd probably go for the latter, but it'd be a very close run thing.
It's hardly surprising that I left the 2009 Marsanne till the end, since I had a pretty fair idea of what I'd be getting. Admittedly, drinking a Tahbilk Marsanne in the year it was actually made isn't something I'd done too often in the past.
Usually you wait till the following year (at least).
The first thing you notice (or at least I did) is that they've changed the usual darker green bottle to a clear one so that right from the start you can see the pale straw colour that you'd usually only get a good look at once it's in the glass.
Still, it's not till it's in the glass that you start to get a rounded view of the wine, and once it was there I could pick up the fresh citrusy aromas on the nose and most of the usual suspects on the palate though the honeysuckle notes weren't quite as pronounced as I would have expected.
There's a pleasant acidity and a crisp finish that makes it a perfectly acceptable drink now style, though if you were to leave it for, say, twelve months, I'm sure Mr Honeysuckle would be making his presence felt.
As we prepared to pack up and head north, the Marsanne 'Trophy' six pack remained largely untouched in the fridge, which means that next time we're on the Coast there's the opportunity to sample the 2000 '1927 Vines' Marsanne, as well as the regular version from the 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006 vintages.
Given the ability of Tahbilk Marsanne to take a bit of bottle age, you could, of course, cellar a couple of bottles from each vintage, but if you're like me with limited long term storage facilities, the opportunity to buy older vintages with a bit of bottle age without paying through the nose is a welcome option.
