DIANA MADELINE CABERNET SAUVIGNON MERLOT 2004

  
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    Perhaps Cullen's best-known wine, this blend was recently included in the prestigious Langton Classification of Australian Wines. The vines planted in 1971 are 30 years old. On average the yields are around two tons per acre, or 26 hectolitres per hectare, giving great concentration to the wine. They are grown on the Scott Henry trellising system, which yields grapes with ripe tannins and flavours. This wine is typically a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The varieties are vinified separately and matured in French oak for 18 months. The result is a deeply coloured wine with great depth of flavour, fine grain tannins and outstanding cellaring potential.

Langtons Classification 2005 - "Exceptional"
Vanya Cullen has taken her cabernet merlot into the top echelon of Australian cabernet through determination and superb technical skills. The vineyard site is planted on granitic soils in the central Willyabrup subregion of Margaret River. Cullen has adopted biodynamic viticulture principles 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. There are cassis and cedar aromas with fine, beautifully ripe tannins, and earthy, anise, gamy aromas and flavours develop with age. Named for Diana Cullen, who established the winery and vineyard with her husband in 1966. Top vintages: 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994.		  
 
     
Tasting notes   Reviews
     

Even at this young stage in its development, we are confident that the quality of the 2004 Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot ranks with the 1995, 1999 and 2001 vintages, which were the previous outstanding vintages of the last fifteen years. The quality of the 2004 vintage for red wines reflects the perfect conditions the existed throughout the whole of the period leading up to harvest. The good rainfall in the months up to November 2003 produced perfect conditions for the vines in the early part of the growing season. The main growing season was cool and dry, which was ideal as the vines did not even become mildly stressed. This was followed by warm but not extreme temperatures, which led to the production of red grapes that attained perfect physiological ripeness.

The 2004 Diana Madeline was produced using biodynamic techniques, which Cullens believe is crucial for optimising the quality of the fruit flavours and for investing the wine with a velvety structure and very high quality tannins. It was made from a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The fruit was picked at Baumés ranging from 12.1-13.7, producing an average value of 13.5º. The wine was matured for 18 months in French oak, of which 54% was new.

Colour: Very deep red with crimson meniscus
Bouquet: Complex amalgam of blackcurrant, raspberry, cherry and violet aromas, backed by subtle vanillin oak
Palate: Wonderfully fresh and rich black cherry and cassis fruit flavours are perfectly complimented by the velvety tannins and good background oak. Elegant, refined and of great length
Cellaring: Drink now to 20 years
Food: Lamb, venison and beef
 

RALPH KYTE POWELL, Epicure
**** 2004 Cullen Diana Madeline
The Late Di Cullen was an outstanding pioneer of the Margaret River Wine region. In tribute, her daughter Vanya has fashioned this extraordinary cabernet-merlot. It's gorgeously intense and complex with floral notes, Exotic spice, earthy touches, cedar, dark chocolate and black fruit character that's fresh, alive and impeccably balanced. "Great".
Ageing? Yes, 2 to 12 years plus
Food ideas: Roast leg of lamb.
Stockists include: Just released. Check your local wine shop.


JEREMY OLIVER
www.onwine.com.au
An extremely elegant but powerfully constructed cabernet blend, whose alluring fragrance reveals layer after layer of dark cherries, black cherries, cranberries, plums and dark chocolate/vanilla oak. Its profoundly intense expression of bright cherry/berry fruit reveals classic notes of dried herbs and superlative oak, all framed by chalky, drying and faintly bony tannins. First-rate length and structure, with a persistent core of pristine flavour. 19.4/97 Drink 2024-2034.


JAMES HALLIDAY
One of the pioneers of Margaret River which has always produced long-lived wines of highly individual style from the substantial and mature estate vineyards. Winemaking is now in the hands of Vanya Cullen; she is possessed of an extraordinarily good palate. The Chardonnay is superb, while I would rate the Cabernet Merlot as Australia’s best.