2012 Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon
98 points, James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion
A 76/17/7% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc aged for 19 months in French barriques (38% new). The palate has astonishing power and length given its alcohol, reflecting the years during which the vineyard has been managed biodynamically, the soil filled with life and beneficial micro-organisms that are indisputably having a positive impact on the vines. You might well be looking at a wine from Bordeaux's Left Bank, coiled up like a spring, but perfectly balanced, the finish almost painfully long. Drink by 2042.
97 Points, Gary Walsh - The Wine Front, March 2014
Hang on to your hats boys and girls, Cullen are back in the game. Those 'other' critics may have gone large on what I'd like to call 'the experimental vintages' between 2008 and 2011, but trust me, this is the one. It's hit the sweet spot. The right alcohol. The right ripeness. The righteous. The right stuff. The nexus of Margaret River, Cabernet and Cullen - gone boom. Release July 2014 Perfect ripeness. Floral perfume, regional seaweed, aniseed and bay leaf, mixed berries " red, black and blue " backed with beautiful mocha and cedar oak. Medium bodied, super fine dense 'graphite' tannin " to the tooth " freshness, fruit weight, flavour, elegance and length. All here. Not a hair out of place, and yet, has character and charisma. Vivacious. Not trying too hard. Pitch perfect Margaret River Cabernet. A wine for Australia to be proud of.
98 points, James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion
A 76/17/7% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc aged for 19 months in French barriques (38% new). The palate has astonishing power and length given its alcohol, reflecting the years during which the vineyard has been managed biodynamically, the soil filled with life and beneficial micro-organisms that are indisputably having a positive impact on the vines. You might well be looking at a wine from Bordeaux's Left Bank, coiled up like a spring, but perfectly balanced, the finish almost painfully long. Drink by 2042.
97 Points, Gary Walsh - The Wine Front, March 2014
Hang on to your hats boys and girls, Cullen are back in the game. Those 'other' critics may have gone large on what I'd like to call 'the experimental vintages' between 2008 and 2011, but trust me, this is the one. It's hit the sweet spot. The right alcohol. The right ripeness. The righteous. The right stuff. The nexus of Margaret River, Cabernet and Cullen - gone boom. Release July 2014 Perfect ripeness. Floral perfume, regional seaweed, aniseed and bay leaf, mixed berries " red, black and blue " backed with beautiful mocha and cedar oak. Medium bodied, super fine dense 'graphite' tannin " to the tooth " freshness, fruit weight, flavour, elegance and length. All here. Not a hair out of place, and yet, has character and charisma. Vivacious. Not trying too hard. Pitch perfect Margaret River Cabernet. A wine for Australia to be proud of.
98 points, James Halliday – Australian Wine Companion
A 76/17/7% blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and cabernet franc aged for 19 months in French barriques (38% new). The palate has astonishing power and length given its alcohol, reflecting the years during which the vineyard has been managed biodynamically, the soil filled with life and beneficial micro-organisms that are indisputably having a positive impact on the vines. You might well be looking at a wine from Bordeaux's Left Bank, coiled up like a spring, but perfectly balanced, the finish almost painfully long. Drink by 2042.
97 Points, Gary Walsh - The Wine Front, March 2014
Hang on to your hats boys and girls, Cullen are back in the game. Those 'other' critics may have gone large on what I'd like to call 'the experimental vintages' between 2008 and 2011, but trust me, this is the one. It's hit the sweet spot. The right alcohol. The right ripeness. The righteous. The right stuff. The nexus of Margaret River, Cabernet and Cullen - gone boom. Release July 2014 Perfect ripeness. Floral perfume, regional seaweed, aniseed and bay leaf, mixed berries " red, black and blue " backed with beautiful mocha and cedar oak. Medium bodied, super fine dense 'graphite' tannin " to the tooth " freshness, fruit weight, flavour, elegance and length. All here. Not a hair out of place, and yet, has character and charisma. Vivacious. Not trying too hard. Pitch perfect Margaret River Cabernet. A wine for Australia to be proud of.
