2024 Diana Madeline
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2024 Diana Madeline

2024 Diana Madeline

Diana Madeline is the culmination of more than 50 years of dedication, care, and deep respect for the land. The vines, planted in 1971 on ancient gravelly granite soils, consistently produce a wine of great quality, elegance, perfume, and balance.

The fruit was hand-harvested across six pickings, beginning in mid-February and culminating a few weeks later on a Moon opposite Saturn astral event. Skin contact ranged from 15 to 78 days, before gentle basket pressing to barrel. The wine then matured for an average of 14 months in oak, with 50% new oak, across a combination of biodynamic barriques and puncheons.

The final blend comprises 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 2% Merlot.

VINEYARD
100% Cullen Vineyard
VARIETIES
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 2% Merlot
HARVEST
Starting on the 15th of Feb and concluding on the 25th during a Fruit Day Moon opposite Saturn.
OAK
Aged for 14 months in 50% French new oak.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
Vintage Notes
Tasting Notes
Reviews

2024 vintage was the hottest, driest and earliest harvest on record. Rainfall turned off like a tap at the end of September 2023, with nominally no rain until the season broke in May 2024. Unseasonable warmth all through the growing season combined with heatwaves in January meant harvest started early and was over extremely quickly. But with sunshine comes flavour and 2024 does not disappoint in fruit weight and concentration. No rain and plenty of sun means wines hit their optimal ripeness (albeit earlier than expected!) and created wines with great depth of flavour and extract.

The ample marri blossom and dry conditions meant both bird and disease pressures were low, the main thing keeping us awake at night was the water stress on our dry grown vines. Both whites and reds show opulence and power that so far show great promise for the future.

  • Colour Deep mulberry, ripe cherry with purple hues, showing youth and vitality.
  • Cellar Drink now or cellar up to 50 years.
  • Bouquet Violets and wild rose with mulberry, satsuma plum and cigar box, expanding into liquorice, cherry and chocolate, finished with iodine, ironstone and a hint of curry leaf.
  • Palate Elegant and perfumed, yet intense and highly attractive, showing beautiful fruit density, balance and opulent structure. Fine tannins expand gracefully across the palate, revealing layers of cassis, mulberry and cherry with rich cacao, lifted by floral rose notes and savoury plum. The back palate is wrapped in ironstone and cigar box, laced with cedar and sandalwood, finishing with grace, silk-like length and true finesse.
  • Food Wagyu sirloin with caramelised shallot and beef jus; roasted heirloom carrots with honey, thyme, and olive oil.

'A wine that simply never disappoints. In fact, that's understating it. This wine was hand-harvested across six pickings following flower days and, of course, with biodynamically grown fruit. It was an early vintage yet these vines are in perfect balance, and they can certainly han dle extremes like this. It's a blend of 90 per cent cabernet, five per cent cabernet franc, three per cent malbec, and two per cent merlot. Beautifully exotic red fruits on the nose, perfumed. With a palate that is so exquisitely well-balanced and poised. An intricate linkage of fine tannins, subtle, gentle, unobtrusive oak, and that deliciously opulent fruit that delivers with poise and purpose. Yes, there are tannins there, but they're so perfectly managed and subtly integrated. Another great wine under this label.'  98 Points - Ray Jordan

What style of wizardry is this? Tasted blind
you could easily mistake this for one of the stellar left bank cabernet-driven
red blends of Bordeaux - wines that fetch stratospheric prices. This isn't
cheap, but it is bargain compared to other Australian flagships now pushing
over $1000 a bottle. This benchmark comes from the earliest, driest, and
hottest vintage on record in Margaret River, but the biodynamic, dry-grown
vines sailed through the test. Still aromatic, still powerful, still balanced,
still elegant. Dark with cassis flavours to the fore, along with nutty/vanilla
characters, impressive tannin structure and stupendous length. The blend
comprises 90% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc, 3% malbec, and 2% merlot.
Pair with a lamb roast for maximum pleasure. Released this week. I think this
is my favourite wine of the year so far. 98 points – Winsor Dobbin

'2024 was always facing a tough task following on from the truly sensational 2023 vintage. In Margaret River however, wonderful vintages seem the norm rather than the exception. 2024 broke records as the earliest, driest and hottest vintage experienced by the region, but the team found that biodynamic practices enabled the vineyards to come through and offer yet another superb DM Cab. Harvest took place over six pickings, on Fruit and Flower days and concluded on a Moon opposite Saturn astral event. The fruit was placed in a mix of amphorae and stainless steel tanks for wild fermentation and skin contact ranged from 15 to 78 days. Maturation was for an average of fourteen months, 50% of the barrels being new oak. The oak was a combination of puncheons and biodynamic barriques. The final wine is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Cabernet Franc 3% Malbec and 2% Merlot. Near black/maroon with a dark magenta rim, the nose reveals aromas of black fruits, tobacco leaves, cloves, a touch of axle grease, chocolate, cassis, aniseed and blackberries. Brilliantly structured, the texture is sleek and seductive with succulent fruit throughout. The wine is very, very long and finishes with the silkiest of tannins. A wonderful Margaret River Cabernet which will sail through the next twenty years. Over that period, there is room for further improvement.' 98 Points - Ken Gargett

Diana Madeline is the culmination of more than 50 years of dedication, care, and deep respect for the land. The vines, planted in 1971 on ancient gravelly granite soils, consistently produce a wine of great quality, elegance, perfume, and balance.

The fruit was hand-harvested across six pickings, beginning in mid-February and culminating a few weeks later on a Moon opposite Saturn astral event. Skin contact ranged from 15 to 78 days, before gentle basket pressing to barrel. The wine then matured for an average of 14 months in oak, with 50% new oak, across a combination of biodynamic barriques and puncheons.

The final blend comprises 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, and 2% Merlot.

Vintage Notes

2024 vintage was the hottest, driest and earliest harvest on record. Rainfall turned off like a tap at the end of September 2023, with nominally no rain until the season broke in May 2024. Unseasonable warmth all through the growing season combined with heatwaves in January meant harvest started early and was over extremely quickly. But with sunshine comes flavour and 2024 does not disappoint in fruit weight and concentration. No rain and plenty of sun means wines hit their optimal ripeness (albeit earlier than expected!) and created wines with great depth of flavour and extract.

The ample marri blossom and dry conditions meant both bird and disease pressures were low, the main thing keeping us awake at night was the water stress on our dry grown vines. Both whites and reds show opulence and power that so far show great promise for the future.

Tasting Notes
  • Colour Deep mulberry, ripe cherry with purple hues, showing youth and vitality.
  • Cellar Drink now or cellar up to 50 years.
  • Bouquet Violets and wild rose with mulberry, satsuma plum and cigar box, expanding into liquorice, cherry and chocolate, finished with iodine, ironstone and a hint of curry leaf.
  • Palate Elegant and perfumed, yet intense and highly attractive, showing beautiful fruit density, balance and opulent structure. Fine tannins expand gracefully across the palate, revealing layers of cassis, mulberry and cherry with rich cacao, lifted by floral rose notes and savoury plum. The back palate is wrapped in ironstone and cigar box, laced with cedar and sandalwood, finishing with grace, silk-like length and true finesse.
  • Food Wagyu sirloin with caramelised shallot and beef jus; roasted heirloom carrots with honey, thyme, and olive oil.
Reviews

'A wine that simply never disappoints. In fact, that's understating it. This wine was hand-harvested across six pickings following flower days and, of course, with biodynamically grown fruit. It was an early vintage yet these vines are in perfect balance, and they can certainly han dle extremes like this. It's a blend of 90 per cent cabernet, five per cent cabernet franc, three per cent malbec, and two per cent merlot. Beautifully exotic red fruits on the nose, perfumed. With a palate that is so exquisitely well-balanced and poised. An intricate linkage of fine tannins, subtle, gentle, unobtrusive oak, and that deliciously opulent fruit that delivers with poise and purpose. Yes, there are tannins there, but they're so perfectly managed and subtly integrated. Another great wine under this label.'  98 Points - Ray Jordan

What style of wizardry is this? Tasted blind
you could easily mistake this for one of the stellar left bank cabernet-driven
red blends of Bordeaux - wines that fetch stratospheric prices. This isn't
cheap, but it is bargain compared to other Australian flagships now pushing
over $1000 a bottle. This benchmark comes from the earliest, driest, and
hottest vintage on record in Margaret River, but the biodynamic, dry-grown
vines sailed through the test. Still aromatic, still powerful, still balanced,
still elegant. Dark with cassis flavours to the fore, along with nutty/vanilla
characters, impressive tannin structure and stupendous length. The blend
comprises 90% cabernet sauvignon, 5% cabernet franc, 3% malbec, and 2% merlot.
Pair with a lamb roast for maximum pleasure. Released this week. I think this
is my favourite wine of the year so far. 98 points – Winsor Dobbin

'2024 was always facing a tough task following on from the truly sensational 2023 vintage. In Margaret River however, wonderful vintages seem the norm rather than the exception. 2024 broke records as the earliest, driest and hottest vintage experienced by the region, but the team found that biodynamic practices enabled the vineyards to come through and offer yet another superb DM Cab. Harvest took place over six pickings, on Fruit and Flower days and concluded on a Moon opposite Saturn astral event. The fruit was placed in a mix of amphorae and stainless steel tanks for wild fermentation and skin contact ranged from 15 to 78 days. Maturation was for an average of fourteen months, 50% of the barrels being new oak. The oak was a combination of puncheons and biodynamic barriques. The final wine is 90% Cabernet Sauvignon 5% Cabernet Franc 3% Malbec and 2% Merlot. Near black/maroon with a dark magenta rim, the nose reveals aromas of black fruits, tobacco leaves, cloves, a touch of axle grease, chocolate, cassis, aniseed and blackberries. Brilliantly structured, the texture is sleek and seductive with succulent fruit throughout. The wine is very, very long and finishes with the silkiest of tannins. A wonderful Margaret River Cabernet which will sail through the next twenty years. Over that period, there is room for further improvement.' 98 Points - Ken Gargett

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