Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot 2021

SKU
CUCS202110 UCAU
  • The 2021 vintage marks the 50th year of plantings for cabernet sauvignon at the Cullen Wilyabrup vineyard.
  • 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc & 2% Malbec.
  • The wine reward careful cellaring, up to 50 years.
  • 1 or more bottles
    $160.00
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  • Winepilot
    98 points
  • Gary Walsh
    96 points

Editors notes

Delightful aromas of cherries, ironstone, dark chocolate, cedar, rose and plum. An abundance of flavour greets the palate with a beautiful medley of sweet and salty plums, dark chocolate accents and a bouquet of cherry, cedar and rose. Enjoy the rich and unctuous finish while marvelling at the amazing depth and concentration that has been achieved over 50 years of meticulous vineyard cultivation. Take your time to appreciate all that this unique vintage has to offer.

Made up of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc & 2% Malbec Closed tanks, open fermenters, barrels and amphora were all used in the fermentation process, and the period of skin contact time lasted from 10 to 99 days depending on the batch of wine. This wine spent 13 Months in 50% new oak in a mixture of barriques and puncheons, with some biodynamic oak featuring. No additions of yeast, acid, or malolactic acid are made to this wine.

Details

Tasting Profile

  • Light (Light)
    Full (Full)
  • Low Tannin (Low Tannin)
    Tannic (Tannic)
  • Sweet (Sweet)
    Dry (Dry)
  • Low Acidity (Low Acidity)
    High Acidity (High Acidity)
  • Aroma
    • Blueberry
    • Boysenberry
    • Herbal
  • Palate
    • Blue Fruits
    • Cassis
    • Graphite

Food Pairings

  • Pork
  • Red Meat

Critic Scores & reviews

  • Winepilot

    98
    "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. - Ken Gargett"
  • Gary Walsh

    96
    "91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc & 2% Malbec. 50% new oak. Vines now 50 years old. Cherry, plum, dark chocolate, dried rose, lead pencil, baking spice. It’s medium-bodied, saline and distinctly ‘mineral’ with a ferrous quality, crushed slate tannin, spice, I’m thinking Davidson plum?, with that hint of tartness, a musky perfume, so much energy, combining light and shade, and a long gently chewy tannic finish. Distinctive wine stamped firmly with a sense of place."

Other vintages

Love this wine? Here's a list of other vintages we have in stock if you'd like to try them as well.

  1. Cullen 'Diana Madeline' Cabernet Merlot 2018
    • Variety Cabernet Blend
    • Vintage 2018
    • Brand Cullen
    • Cellaring 15 Plus Years
    • Wine Type Red
    • Alcohol Percentage 13.0% Alcohol
    Cullen 'Diana Madeline' Cabernet Merlot 2018
    • Gary Walsh
      98 points
    • James Halliday
      98 points
    • Huon Hooke
      98 points
    • Decanter
      98 points
    • James Suckling
      99 points
    $124.99
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Current auction

All current auctions for this wine & any different vintages.

Locations

Australia

Australia's wine industry is a thriving part of the country's economy, contributing significantly to employment, production, export, and tourism. In fact, the industry is the fourth-largest wine exporter in the world, shipping out 760 million liters of wine to countries including France, Italy, Spain, and the UK. One of the key factors contributing to Australia's success as a "New World" wine producer is the formal export and marketing of its wines through Wine Australia.

Australia's wine regions are scattered across the south and southeast, with almost every state boasting its own vineyards. Victoria, for example, is home to an impressive 21 wine regions. Some of the most famous wine regions in Australia include Margaret River, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Eden Valley, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Yarra Valley, and local regions to New South Wales such as Cowra, Southern Highlands, and Mudgee.

Australian winemakers are known for producing a diverse range of grape varieties, with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir being among the most popular. They tend to focus on producing wines that are ripe, fruit-forward, and easy to drink, using modern winemaking techniques and equipment such as stainless steel tanks and temperature-controlled fermentation.

With its bold, fruit-driven flavors and reputation for quality and diversity, Australian wine has become a popular choice for wine lovers around the world. And with such a broad range of wine regions and grape varieties, there's something for every palate to enjoy.

Western Australia

The wine regions of Western Australia are located in the southwest corner of the state. Among them, the famous Margaret River region boasts a warm maritime climate, situated around 200 kilometers south of Perth. Although it experiences higher levels of rainfall than other wine regions in Australia, the majority of it occurs during the winter months. Margaret River is renowned for its production of Cabernet Sauvignon, which is often blended with Merlot to create Bordeaux-style wines. Additionally, the region's Chardonnays are highly sought after due to their high natural acidity and concentrated stone-fruit aromas. These wines are further enhanced by malolactic fermentation and barrel aging, which lend complexity and depth to their flavor profiles.

In addition to Margaret River, the Great Southern region is also known for its wine production. This region includes subregions such as Frankland River and Mount Barker, where floral Rieslings, elegant Shiraz with peppery notes, and Cabernet Sauvignon are grown. Other wine regions in Western Australia include Blackwood Valley, Geographe, Peel, Pemberton, Manjimup, and Swan District.

Each of these regions has its own unique terroir, resulting in a diverse range of wines with distinct characteristics. From full-bodied reds to crisp whites, Western Australia has something to offer for every wine enthusiast.

Margaret River

Margaret River is the name of a river, town and key wine region. It is one of the younger viticultural regions in Australia, quickly gaining popularity for its world-class wine. Located 280km South of Perth in Western Australia, the first plantings were only made in 1967. The region has grown rapidly and is recognised as one of the great wine-producing regions of the world, with over 200 wineries in operation. Made up of predominantly boutique producers, with a number of big player wineries also, the region makes up only 3% of the Australian wine production, but commands over 20% of the premium wine market. The wineries in the region are vibrant, innovative and progressive in their approach to viticulture.

The Mediterranean style climate provides superior maritime growing conditions, with vines not affected by extreme summer and winter temperatures. The region is well known for producing outstanding red wines; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and to a lesser extent Shiraz, Tempranillo and Malbec. Both straight varietals and famous Bordeaux blends can be outstanding.

In the white wines, Chardonnays of great depth and character, and fresh Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends are the main varietals the region is famous for. Lesser quantities of Viognier, Riesling and Muscat are also produced.

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About the brand Cullen

In the Australian wine industry, few names are so revered as Cullen out of Western Australia's Margaret River. From its inception in 1966 by Dr Kevin and Diana Cullen, this winery has seen only premium viticulture and winemaking practices in order to produce equally exceptional wines. First planted in 1971, the site now totals over 18 acres of vineyards planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Semillon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. In 1989 Diana Cullen handed the winemaking reins over to her daughter Vanya, who continues to hold that position in addition to Managing Director.

With the goal to express the vineyard character through its wines, Vanya converted to biodynamic viticulture and uses a minimal intervention approach; the vines are dry-grown and low yielding in order to produce intensely flavoured grapes. All pruning and harvesting is done by hand and fermentation occurs using natural yeasts. In addition to it being biodynamic, Cullen is also a Carbon Neutral and a naturally powered estate, respecting the environment to sustaining the land for many years to come.

  

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