Cullen Diana Madeline 2016

Drink now or cellar for up to 11 years. No need to decant before serving.

This punchy Bordeaux-style blend is named after Diana Cullen who, together with her husband Kevin, is regarded as one of Margaret River’s most important pioneering winemakers. The couple founded Cullen Wines in 1971 and were the first to experiment with planting Cabernet Sauvignon in Wilyabrup. Today the estate is run by the couple’s daughter, Vanya, who in 2019 was named “Winemaker of the Year” by the Australian Women in Wine Awards and Halliday Wine Companion Awards.

In recent years the estate has converted to biodynamic agriculture to produce the very best fruit possible. This red is composed of predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon along with a dash of Merlot and Petit Verdot planted on granite and gravel soils. The Cabernet vines used in this bottling were planted in 1971 and produce very concentrated grapes with plenty of firm tannins and deep flavours.

The grapes are harvested by hand and fermented using wild yeasts with maturation in French oak barrels for 14 months. On the nose there are all the classic Wilyabrup Cabernet notes of dark chocolate, dried violets and baked earth layered with cassis and dark cherries. The robust full body and well-built structure makes this a great match for red meats and it will also age gracefully in the cellar over the next decade or so.