Continuing on with our deep look into Margaret River and all the beauties within, this week we move over to the wonderful folks and creations at Cullen! Famously forged through the combined genius of Kevin and Diana Cullen back in 1966, and having been run since 1989 by their daughter, the inimitable Vanya Cullen, this iconic estate is wholely committed to the highest level of quality, integrity and sustainability in everything they do and create.
We're thrilled to have these wines on a Saturday tasting this weekend! Come by 12 to 2pm (18th March) and treat your palate to these elegant cool-climate whites and reds, all characterisied by Cullen's classic poise and ultimate balance (including the new release of the house's signature Diana Madeline blend). We hope to see you there, and make it a delicious afternoon for all!
2022 Dancing in the Moonlight Rosé - $24 on special ; $27 RRP
// Certified Organic & Biodynamic
"Soft pink colour with golden hues. Bouquet of rose, plum, strawberries, white flowers, and thyme. Palate has juicy fruit with lots of texture and fruit sweetness. Unctuous pear, strawberry, cherry, orange blossom. Lovely soft finish giving texture and flavour which last for a long time. Pair with antipasto, Tasmanian sea trout, or yellow curry vegetables." - Winemaker Notes
2018 Cullen Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc - $26 on special ; $30 RRP
// Certified Organic & Biodynamic
"A very rare release from the Cullen vineyard: a pure Sauvignon Blanc. Picked at optimal ripeness with great harvest conditions: 2018 vintage is characterized by poise and balance reflecting in the wine’s texture and concentration. Nose has a delightful combination of fresh cut grass, lime and vanilla oak aromas. Palate is very complex already with toast, stone fruit and lime characteristics. Barrel fermentation is lifting the fruit purity and already feel melted within the wine." - Winemaker Notes
"Scents of lemon balm, faint toast, sea spray, green herbs. Beautiful. Palate is elegant and sleek, shows licks of nuttiness and clove spice, drives well, finishes soft and powdery. Delicious, and such a sense of energy to the wine. Superb now, but should age wonderfully too." - 94+ Points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
2021 Amber - $34 on special ; $39 RRP
// Certified Organic & Biodynamic
"This year’s Amber is a blend of 60% sauvignon blanc and 40% semillon. 100% of the fruit was hand harvested from our certified biodynamic, carbon positive vines planted in 1976. Deep gold colour. Bouquet of orange blossom, negroni, mint, thyme. The tightly wound structure of sauvignon blanc and semillon tannins spread the fruit out to the back of the palate, with crisp natural acidity. Orange blossom flutters in the mouth as a gorgeous tribute to the Moon opposite Saturn flower day harvest." - Winemaker Notes
"Claims of ‘short skin contact time’ with the wine made up of sauvignon blanc and semillon. Sure does pack in some lovely orange colour. New label for this release, no bottle shot handy. Scents of bees wax and dried, mixed citrus peel, a bit of anise and mandarin freshness too. Flavours more mandarin-orientated, bergamot tea and ginger to taste. Firm tannins rippling with chalky authority through the wine, bringing the sizzling acidity to heel and finishing the wine with chew, way long. It’s a serious orange wine, of pedigree, and deliciousness. The tasting pal today says ‘sit me down to a bottle of that and a roast chook and away we go’. Now to find a chook." - 94 Points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
2022 Grace Madeline Sauvignon Blanc Semillon - $37 on special ; $42 RRP
"The Grace Madeline shows a great sense of place with the mineralitty, fruit purity and intensity that are hallmarks of the Cullen Vineyard. A blend of 76% Sauvignon Blanc and 24% Semillon with the Sauvignon Blanc portion matured in 74% new French oak for 6 months." - Winemaker Notes
2022 Cabernet Merlot - $39 on special ; $45 RRP
// Certified Organic & Biodynamic
"Excellent seasonal conditions in 2022 proved perfect for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot at the Cullen Vineyard. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc has created a wine of great depth supported by delicious fine grained tannins. The wine was matured in French oak for an average of 7 months. 25% of the barrels being new." - Winemaker Notes
2019 Legacy Sauvignon Blanc - $96 on special ; $110 RRP
// Certified Organic & Biodynamic
"Colour of light gold with green tinges, and a bouquet of feijoa, blueberries, lemon, limes, kaffir lime. The palate is bright refreshing acidity, trailing through with crisp lemon, kaffir lime, wonderful mouthfeel and texture with beautiful phenolic tension driving the flavours right to the back palate. Tremendous length and agility with enduring perfume and charm." - Winemaker Notes
"2019 was a cool year, producing mineral, aromatic and very fine wines. This is no exception. Salted edamame, sugar snap, jasmine tea, white currant, green apple skin, juniper berry and salt bush eddy around on the palate, swirling in and out of exotically spiced oak, crushed limestone/talc/basalt/petrichor. Evokes cicadas on a hot afternoon sea breeze, somehow. This is the most profound sauvignon blanc in Australia." - 97 Points, James Halliday Wine Companion
2021 Diana Madeline - $148 on special; $169 RRP
"2021 vintage marks the 50th year of plantings for Cabernet Sauvignon at the Cullen Wilyabrup vineyard. Serendipity allows it also to be Diana Madeline’s 100th year, beginning on 11th February 2023. This wine is the culmination of over 50 years of dedication effort and respect for the land. Deep garnett mulberry, purple meniscus colours. Bouquet of cherries, ironstone, dark chocolate, cedar, rose, plum; the aromas singing with sweet power on this flower day of tasting, lifting out of the glass and filling the room. On the palate, a truly profound wine with great depth, length, and concentration. The fine tannins wrap around the front palate and the flavours of plum, salty plum, dark chocolate, cherry, cedar, rose and sandalwood flow energetically, leaving a long, juicy unctuous finish. The complexity reflects the vines; 50 years since planting. Drink now or cellar up to 50 years." - Winemaker Notes
"The newly released DM Cabernet is a particularly auspicious one, celebrating what would have been the 100th birthday of Diana Madeline herself. No doubt, she would have been delighted with the wine. In fact, it is very hard to remember when this Cabernet would not have been amongst the very best released in this country. This latest release is likely to be seen as one of the finest they have ever made. This is not just a great Margaret River wine, it is a great wine. Deep opaque purple hue. The nose is a whirling dervish of spices, cherries, tobacco leaves, cassis, black fruits, leather and dried herbs. Hints of cloves and blackberries. The structure is immaculate. The wine is focused, with the intensity maintained the full length to a very long finish. Silky tannins. Certainly young now, and although it really is enjoyable, expect this wine to give great pleasure over the next two decades. It is going to get even better. This will surely be one of the top wines of the year, even at this early stage." - 98 Points, Ken Gargett, Wine Pilot
2019 Legacy Series Fruit Day Malbec - $269 on special ; $315 RRP
// Certified Organic & Biodynamic
"This Malbec was harvested from Mangan Vineyard on the 20th March, a full fruit day on the biodynamic calendar. It was crushed to amphora where it spent 54 days on skins. In order to emphasise the fruit tannins and beauty we have only used 2nd fill barriques for a total of 4 months élevage before bottling. It has had no fining. Mulberry colour with dense purple tinges. Intensely perfumed, pretty bouquet, with rose, violets, plum, cherry, strawberry, black pepper, dark chocolate. Unctuous palate, full balanced, chocolate mousse texture with phenolic tension from ripe tannins, driving the beauty across and around the palate. Soft and seductive and yet so much time ahead of it. Truly an artisanal masterpiece. Enjoy now or for up to 30 years." - Winemaker Notes
"A cool, collected and focused malbec with aromas of blueberries, bitter chocolate, violets, crushed stones and rose stems. Medium-bodied with fine tannins and vibrant acidity. Very fine and precise. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold." - 94 Points, James Suckling
If you wish to purchase these wines, please use the links above. Alternatively, email us at sales@thewineemporium.com.au, or contact us on (07)32521117 if you have any questions
// Prices valid until Wednesday the 22nd of March