Tahbilk planted its first Viognier vines in 1990, one of the earliest commitments to this northern Rhône variety in Australia, and now farms approximately 6.5 hectares within the broader Nagambie Lakes estate that spans 464 acres of vineyards along the Goulburn River. The estate’s long engagement with Rhône varieties reflects the particular suitability of the Nagambie Lakes microclimate for aromatic whites and structured reds: moderate continental conditions with river influence deliver the balanced ripening that Viognier demands, and Tahbilk’s team has refined its approach to the variety over three and a half decades.

The Tahbilk Viognier is produced with a focus on preserving the variety’s distinctive aromatic character of peach, apricot and white flowers while retaining freshness through careful harvest timing and minimal intervention in the cellar. The Nagambie Lakes appellation, with its ancient sandstone and alluvial riverine soils, imparts a distinctive mineral quality to Tahbilk’s wines that distinguishes them from the richer, more overtly fruit-driven styles produced in warmer regions of Australia. The 2024 vintage delivered a wine of pleasing aromatic freshness in line with the estate’s characteristic expression of this variety.

Tahbilk’s Viognier occupies a niche but increasingly recognised position within the Australian white wine category, appreciated by collectors and enthusiasts for its authenticity of variety expression and value relative to the estate’s flagship icon wines. The winery’s reputation for producing wines that punch well above their price point has been built over more than a century of family winemaking, with Alister Purbrick’s tenure at the helm producing consistent improvements in quality across the estate’s entire range. The Viognier benefits from this overall elevation of standards.