Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2021

A$170.00

Availability
In stock
Volume
750ml
Region/Country
Margaret River, Australia
Rating
98 points

Vintages

2021

Description

2021 vintage marks the 50th year of plantings for cabernet sauvignon at the Cullen Wilyabrup vineyard. Serendipity allows it also to be Diana Madeline’s 100th year, beginning on 11th February 2023. It’s incredible to imagine the times of planting in 1971, with no real knowledge of how things would turn out, just faith and great vision to feed the early pioneers of the region, we are talking and tasting the 50th vintage and the region is going from strength to strength on the national and international stage.

This wine is the culmination of over 50 years of dedication effort and respect for the land. The quest for better quality wine made using sustainable methods.

The grapes for this wine were hand harvested on the biodynamic fruit and flower days across 5 picks from the middle of March to the super Moon Flower day two weeks later (including a Moon opposite Saturn fruit day harvest). It was then aged in 50% new oak for a period of 15 months with barriques and puncheons and biodynamic barrels included. The final blend is 91% Cabernet.

Ratings

Score
98 points
Reviewer
Ken Gargett
Review

Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($160) – 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.

Score
97 points
Reviewer
James Halliday
Review

Diana Madeline. The name evokes a lot of emotions, for what the woman stood for then and what the wine stands for now. The 2021 vintage equals 50 years of cabernet sauvignon plantings at Cullen. When released in early 2023, it was on what would have been her 100th birthday. It’s a wine that can come from nowhere else, so strong is its sense of place. Expect to swoon over aromas of roses, violets and mulberries doused in baking spices, a ferruginous quality as much as detailed if persuasive tannins. It’s complex, complete and structured. Gosh, what a wine. What a woman. The perfect combination.

Specifications

Closure
Screw cap
Serving Temp.
16-18 °C
Alcohol
14%
Cellar until
Now - 2039
Food pairing
Margaret River wagyu beef, Akardy lamb

Tasting Profile

Nose
Cherries, ironstone, dark chocolate, cedar, rose, plum; the aromas singing with sweet power on this flower day of tasting, lifting out of the glass and filling the room.
Palate
A truly profound wine with great depth, length, and concentration. The fine tannins wrap around the front palate and the flavours of plum, salty plum, dark chocolate, cherry, cedar, rose and sandalwood flow energetically,.. leaving a long, juicy unctuous finish. The complexity reflects the vines; 50 years since planting.

Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2021

Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2021
Bottle
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The Reserve Cellars. ABN 89621364994 Liquor License 196883. The Reserve Cellar supports the responsible service of alcohol. It is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to, or obtain alcohol on behalf of, a person under the age of 18 years. WARNING: Under the Liquor Act 1992, it is an offence to supply liquor to a person under the age of 18 years (Penalty exceeds $6,000). for a person under the age of 18 years to purchase or receive liquor (Penalty exceeds $500).

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