Cullen Margaret River Diana Madeline 2021  £105.60

Cullen Margaret River Diana Madeline

Cullen Wines is a certified biodynamic, carbon-neutral and naturally powered estate, with their philosophy summed up in three simple words; ‘Quality, Integrity and Sustainability’. It is one of the oldest and most awarded family wineries in Wilyabrup, in Western Australia’s famous Margaret River region. First established in 1971 by Dr Kevin and Diana Cullen and now run by their daughter Vanya, the winery has built an outstanding reputation for fine certified biodynamic wines that receive critical national and international acclaim. All wines produced are sourced from grapes grown on the Cullen and adjoining Mangan Estates. Both are certified biodynamic, to allow the soil to be nurtured and the wines to reflect their sense of place.

The soils at the Cullen vineyard are old granite and gravelly, sandy loam, overlaying lateric subsoils. The Cabernet Sauvignon comprises 11.33 hectares and was planted in 1971. The Merlot was planted in 1976 and covers 1.76 hectares. The conversion to biodynamic viticulture is believed to have produced better fruit, the character of which is preserved during the winemaking process. Vanya, the winemaker, believes that these characters are best retained by bottling under Stelvin.

The 2021 harvest was defined by Covid and staff restrictions for hand harvesting. The low yields ensured that the crop was harvested at optimal condition and ripeness. Bird pressure was high and rain events during the growing seasons and also throughout harvest provided challenges. Harvest took place between 12th and 18th March.

The grapes were hand picked and carefully sorted. Each variety was fermented separately with indigenous yeasts. Fermentation time ranged from 10 - 29 days, before the wine was gently basket-pressed to barrel. It matured for 15 months in French oak, of which 50% was new, in a mixture of barriques and puncheons, with some biodynamic oak used.

Garnet in colour with youthful ruby-purple hues. Deeply perfumed on the nose with sumptuous aromas of mulberry, chocolate, wild rose, and salty plum. Both light and intense on the palate, with a juicy fruit core of mulberry, plum and cherry. This unctuous fruit is framed by fine grained tannins and Wilyabrup earth, ironstone, and dust, which expresses the heat of the vintage and complements the concentration of the fruit.

James Halliday's Wine Companion - 97 Points - Gold 

Diana Madeline. The name evokes a lot of emotions, for what the woman stood for then and what the wine stands for now. The 2021 vintage equals 50 years of cabernet sauvignon plantings at Cullen. When released in early 2023, it was on what would have been her 100th birthday. It’s a wine that can come from nowhere else, so strong is its sense of place. Expect to swoon over aromas of roses, violets and mulberries doused in baking spices, a ferruginous quality as much as detailed if persuasive tannins. It’s complex, complete and structured. Gosh, what a wine. What a woman. The perfect combination.​

Jane Faulkner