Tasting Notes for Cullen Diana Madeline 2020 from the Winery 

The 2020 Diana Madeline vintage was hot and dry. For the old block cabernet sauvignon vines these drought like conditions resulted in the vines producing small berries, and hence the vines were low yielding – .i.e. bunch numbers were average but with low berry weight. This produced a wine of elegance, balance and perfume… effortless.

Harvest dates included 2 Moon Opposite Saturn events and two Full Moon’s – one being a fruit day perigee and the other a Moon Opposite Saturn flower day. These took place from 8th February until 10th march.

The blend is 92% cabernet sauvignon, 4% merlot, 3% cabernet franc, and 1% 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 were made to this wine.

Colour: Garnett with ruby purple tinges.

Cellar: Now or up to 50 years

Bouquet: Mulberry, chocolate, rose, iodine, salty plum

Food: Margaret River wagu beef, Akardy lamb.

Palate: First impressions have juicy berry fruit, mulberry, plum, cherry, This unctuous fruit is framed by fine grained tannins and Wilyabrup earth, ironstone, and dust which expresses the heat of the vintage and compliments the concentration of the fruit.

Vintage Notes

2020 vintage was defined by dry conditions from the onset of budburst through to harvest in 2020.
A lower than average rainfall in 2019, and hot dry weather conditions in January, February and March made for almost drought conditions for harvest 2020.

Bunch numbers were about average, but low berry weights due to the dry conditions produced very low yields and wines which were balanced and pretty in nature. The harvest was unaffected by Covid 19 lockdowns as we had finished harvest and most of the fermentations had also finished, we just had the pressing of the red wines. Chardonnay yields were still affected by the previous year’s frost.

Wines of excellent balance and fruit purity, a vintage similar to 2003 in style. 

Winemaker Notes

Vineyard: 100% Cullen Vineyard

Varieties: 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc & 1% Malbec

Harvest:  Harvest dates included 2 Moon Opposite Saturn events and two Full Moon’s – one being a fruit day perigee and the other a Moon Opposite Saturn flower day. These took place from 8th February until 10th march.

Oak: 13 months in 50% new oak

Alcohol: 13.0%

Cullen Wines

Grown in the ancient soils of Wilyabrup, Cullen wine comes from the heart of the land rather than the mind of the winemaker. They are the only biodynamic and carbon positive winery in the region. 

(SKU: CW_DM_CV)