2016 Flower Day Vanya

Cullen Vineyard, with its land, vines, wines and people… is my life’s work. Over the 3 decades of working at Cullen the love for Cabernet Sauvignon has deepened. Planted in 1971, it is the heart and soul of what we do at Cullen. This wine of the 2016 vintage is a tribute to the land and the vines it came from. Pure expression of a great year. No additions of yeast, acid, malolactic culture nor fining. The wines grown on these ancient soils are certified biodynamic, carbon neutral and powered naturally by solar power.

2016 Vintage report

We were happy to have the 2016 harvest. It followed three vintages of tiny yields which left us with very little wine to sell!

The vintage had average yields and the rain that fell in January 80mm, and then February 15mm, and March 10 mm, had no effect at all on the fruit quality. The resultant wines have a wonderful aromatic quality and elegance, particularly in Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Great vintage for Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and in the reds Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The fruit was sourced from 100% old vines on Cullen Vineyard.

Crop level at 3.8 tons per hectare and it is a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon picked on the 9^th of March 2016 which was a new moon Flower day. A solar eclipse was taking place as well as being moon opposite Jupiter.

The fermentation of both primary and malolactic was natural.

The wine spent 86 days in terracotta amphorae before being basket pressed direct to 4 barrels. All of the wine was aged in French oak for 6 months, of which 75% were new. The Alcohol is 12.5%

1080 bottles made

Picked according to the biodynamic calendar, fermented in amphorae and pressed off after 107 days on skins, this is a very different but delicious expression of Margaret River cabernet: more translucent, more floral and aromatic than most, with amazing, seamless, super-fine tannins falling gently but persuasively across the tongue. $500
Max Allen Drinks columnist Australian Financial Review Aug 9, 2019 — 5.55am