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Viinin Kuvailu
The Story
Vanya Cullen has taken her cabernet merlot into the top echelon of Australian Cabernet through dogged determination, curiosity and superb technical skills. The exemplary vineyard site is planted on ancient granitic soils in the central Willyabrup sub-region of Margaret River. Cullen has adopted the principles of biodynamic viticulture to “achieve greater individuality of site through working with nature rather than against it”. This estate style is about freshness and complexity, structure and suppleness. The wines have pronounced cassis and cedar aromas with fine beautifully ripe tannins. Earthy, anise, gamy aromas and flavours develop with age. Diane Madeline Cabernet Merlot is named in memory of Di Cullen who established the winery and vineyard with her husband in 1966 and is pure bottled philosophy.
Top Vintages 2010, 2008, 2004, 2002, 2001,1999,1998,1997,1996,1995,1994
Wine Information
Good rainfall preceded the cool and dry months of January and February. A hot March hastened the ripening, but with biodynamics now firmly in place this seemed to benefit the grapes, which achieved optimum ripeness. Yields were 2.48 tonnes/acre for Cabernet, harvested the last week of February and first week of March, 3.36 for Merlot and 2.85 for Franc, both of which were harvested late in March. The final blend was 83% Cabernet, 12% Merlot and 3% Franc. Various parcels were fermented on skins for periods between 8 and 29 days. Then, 18 months in French oak barriques, 51% of which were new.