How did you come to be a winemaker and work at Tahbilk?After finishing high school, I studied for a Business degree at university. When I graduated, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so I backpacked around Europe for six months and eventually ended up living and working in London.To support my studies and travels, I worked in hospitality, where I developed an interest in wine. After three years in London, I returned to Australia in the early 2000s and studied winemaking at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga.For me, it was about curiosity — I wanted to understand why things were the way they were. For example, why Shiraz tastes so different depending on where it is grown.The winemaking degree included practical training alongside academic study, and I interned with the Tahbilk Group, which also owns a large winery capable of producing 12,000 tonnes annually.I started in 2005 making McPherson wines, while also participating in blending and tasting Tahbilk wines with a group of winemakers. I moved to Tahbilk permanently four years ago.What is special about the Nagambie Lakes region and Tahbilk terroir?Nagambie Lakes is not a large wine region. The Goulburn River flows along one side of the estate, collecting snowmelt and tributaries from the mountains before eventually flowing into the Murray River. Along the way, it creates numerous billabongs (waterholes).The name Tahbilk comes from “tabilk-tabilk,” meaning “place of many waterholes” in the language of the Taungurung People, the region’s traditional custodians.The river feeds the billabongs surrounding Tahbilk, creating a unique Australian microclimate. A weir built many years ago ensures the billabongs remain full year-round.Tahbilk is divided into “Old Tahbilk” and “New Tahbilk,” two very different areas located just two kilometres apart. Old Tahbilk sits on fertile sandy river soils, which helped the original 1860 Shiraz vines survive phylloxera. New Tahbilk is planted on heavier clay soils requiring significantly more vineyard management, including regular cultivation to maintain soil health.There is also a regional iron oxide belt running through the northern side of New Tahbilk.Tahbilk’s remarkable heritageThe original Tahbilk plantings date back to 1860, when Shiraz and Marsanne cuttings were brought from the Rhône Valley. The Shiraz survived, while the Marsanne did not.Marsanne was replanted in 1927 and thrived. Additional Marsanne vineyards were planted in the 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, and again recently to ensure continuity of Tahbilk’s signature varietal.The 1860 Shiraz vineyard covers approximately half a hectare and yields only around 300 cases in strong vintages. The vines are now twisted and gnarled with age. Because dead vines cannot be replaced, there are gaps throughout the vineyard.The old vines are managed entirely by hand — hand-pruned, hand-picked, mulched, and irrigated differently from commercial vineyards. Lower yields contribute to greater concentration and complexity.Tahbilk’s oldest Marsanne vines, planted in 1927, continue to thrive. Across the estate there are six separate Marsanne blocks, each managed according to its own characteristics.Tahbilk’s Marsanne plantings are the largest in the world, and the winery has become internationally associated with the varietal. The wines are made entirely without oak and are designed both for immediate drinking and long-term aging.Tell me about the winemaking tradition and old winery equipmentWhen wine was made between the 1860s and early 1900s, there was no electricity and no pumps. Everything operated entirely by gravity.At the Tahbilk tower, grapes were hoisted to the second floor and tipped into old 3–5 tonne wooden fermenters, which are still used today in the Old Red Cellar.After fermentation, the wine flowed down into underground cellars lined with large wooden casks ranging from 1,000 to 3,000 litres for maturation.Many of these casks are still in use today, though some have been repaired or replaced over time. The process remains highly manual — even today, workers still shovel skins out of the open fermenters by hand.What is Tahbilk’s winemaking style?Tahbilk wines are medium-bodied and focused on elegance.The Shiraz shows best around 13.5–14% alcohol, while Cabernet performs best just above 14%. Beyond this, structure and balance begin to diminish.Harvest timing, terroir, and understanding what the estate does best are central to the winemaking philosophy.Each red wine block is harvested and fermented separately before being matured under different oak regimes and eventually blended together.Cabernet is particularly prized for its aging potential, showing notes of blueberry, subtle capsicum, and eucalyptus alongside smooth tannins and velvety texture.The vineyard team includes winemakers who have worked at Tahbilk longer than Joanne Nash herself, bringing deep knowledge of each vineyard block and optimal harvest timing.Still, she believes nothing replaces walking through the vineyard during harvest and tasting the fruit directly.How do you approach a role with 100 years of family tradition?“When I first arrived at Tahbilk, I thought I was going to change everything — improve it, modernise it, put my own stamp on it,” says Nash.“But once you’re here, you realise that’s not what you want to do at all. In fact, it’s the opposite. You want to make things even more beautiful while preserving the wine styles exactly as they are.”For Nash, the focus is not change, but refinement — improving vineyard and winery practices while maintaining the integrity and beauty of the estate, including the historic underground cellars dating back to the 1860s.“Like our wines, every part of the estate tells a story.”Tahbilk, Nagambie LakesThe Tahbilk property comprises approximately 1,214 hectares of rich river flats with 11km frontage to the Goulburn River and 8km of permanent backwaters and creeks. Around 250 hectares are under vine, another third is used for crops, while the remaining land consists of natural river wetlands. Annual production in a normal vintage is approximately 100,000 dozen.Sustainability & Climate ChangeTahbilk and the Purbrick family are deeply committed to sustainable viticulture and winemaking. Under the leadership of Hayley Purbrick, Tahbilk achieved carboNZero certification with Toitū Envirocare in 2013, becoming one of the few wineries worldwide with certified net-zero calculated carbon emissions.Weather patterns have become increasingly extreme. In October 2022, severe rainfall threatened an upstream dam, forcing authorities to release large volumes of water at once. This caused significant downstream flooding, temporarily submerging Old Tahbilk. Some vineyards undergoing organic conversion were forced to spray pesticides to save the vintage.Looking ahead, Tahbilk expects to face ongoing challenges related to climate change, drought, and flooding. Rather than changing varietals, the estate is focused on preserving the varietal composition that defines its style through careful selection of drought-resistant rootstocks and clones capable of handling both hotter and cooler extremes.① The tower (built in 1882)② Underground cellar excavated in the 1860s–70s and still in use today③ The Purbrick family: Hayley (5th generation), John (3rd generation), Alister (4th generation)④ Old Marsanne vineyard＜＜PICKUP WINES＞＞Tahbilk Marsanne 2024 (Screw Cap)Variety: MarsanneAlc.12.8％RRP incl. tax ￥2,530CODE：13158Aromas of white peach, lemon, and subtle florals. Made in a pure, simple style without oak, batonnage, or malolactic fermentation to preserve the fruit character and acidity.Tahbilk Shiraz 2021 (Screw Cap)Variety: ShirazAlc.14.6％RRP incl. tax￥3,520CODE：13209Elegant, fruit-driven, and lighter in style. Spice and pepper notes are important, so the fruit is intentionally not picked overly ripe.Tahbilk Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (Screw Cap)Variety: Cabernet SauvignonAlc.14.0％RRP incl. tax￥3,520CODE：13019The 2025 Estate Cabernet will be bottled at the end of 2026 after 18 months in barrel, followed by another 18 months bottle aging before release.Tahbilk Old Vines Cabernet Shiraz 2019 (Screw Cap)Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon 60% / Shiraz 40%Alc.14.7％RRP incl. tax ￥5,720CODE：13021A classic Australian blend sourced from old vineyards, including Cabernet planted in 1949 and Shiraz planted in 1860 and 1933. Fermented in traditional open-top oak fermenters and aged for 18 months in French and American oak.Concentrated aromas of dark berries, plum, and oak spice provide depth and complexity.Tahbilk 1860 Vines Shiraz 2014 (Screw Cap)Variety: ShirazAlc.13.1％RRP incl. tax￥33,000CODE：12452Produced in tiny quantities from pre-phylloxera own-rooted Shiraz vines planted in 1860. Fermented in wooden vats that have been in continuous use for more than 155 years and matured for 18 months in French oak (50% new).Blackberry, red berry, truffle chocolate, and subtle spice aromas lead into a deeply layered palate with remarkable finesse and persistence.