Cullens Greatest Hits

[Waiters Friend]

G’day

I was privileged to attend a tasting of selected vintages of two of Cullen’s top wines – the Kevin John Chardonnay and the Diana Madeline cabernet blend. Cullen Wines is one of the original wineries in the Margaret River region, and they have built up a national and international reputation for the quality of their wines. They were also one of the first wineries to adopt biodynamic principles, and were certified in 2004.

The tasting was hosted by Leigh Gerreyn, a local wine enthusiast with a detailed knowledge and understanding of Margaret River wines. Leigh is also unabashedly a Cullen fanatic. The event was held at Lamont’s in Cottesloe, a local specialist wine shop and restaurant, and the inimitable John Jens (JJ - proprietor and wine expert) joined us for the evening.

Eight vintages of each wine were shown. The Kevin John chardonnays were shown, not in ascending or descending vintage order, but stylistically according to vintage variation.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2023: From a highly praised vintage. Pale yellow in colour. There’s grapefruit, light peach, a touch of apricot skin, tropical fruits, warmed grains / meal, and vanillan oak on the nose. The palate shows more peach, nectarine, a little kaffir lime, melon, cashew and a touch of butterscotch. Some phenolic grip and intensity, and considerable length.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2021: Yellow colour. Slightly oak dominant with cedar and vanilla over citrus and stone fruits. The citrus dominates the palate, with lemon/lime, grapefruit, accompanied by nectarine and cashew. Slight phenolic grip and a good line of acid. Considerable length without palate weight.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2013: Deep yellow in colour. A nice balance on the nose with peach, nectarine, lemon/ lime and cashew. Some dried herbs and mealy notes also. The palate is quite different, with intense lemon, lime and grapefruit overshadowing oak influences. Similar to the 2021 in terms of length and palate weight. I rated this highly.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2007: Yellow bordering on gold. Savoury developed nose, with the fruits diminished and drying out a little. Lemon and lime cordial on the palate, which is honeyed, buttery and has significant grip. In my opinion, on the decline, although some other tasters were enthusiastic.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2020: Pale yellow colour. A fuller nose, with cedar, vanilla, yellow peach, nectarine and butterscotch. The yellow peach is more intense on the palate, with lemon, and savoury nutty mealy notes. Some phenolic grip, and clean accompanying acid. Excellent length. Powerful and well balanced.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2018: Slightly lighter in colour than the 2020. Citrus and stone fruits in balance on the nose, with vanillan oak in support. Ripe peaches on the palate, with nectarine, tropical fruits and a little citrus. Moderate phenolic grip and supporting acid. Superb length and well balanced. I rated this slightly higher than the 2020.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2012: Medium yellow. A savoury nose, with peach and nectarine on top of a little citrus and cashew. More lemon / lime, peach and tropical fruits on the palate. Clean line of acid, some grains / meal and a little phenolic grip. Excellent length and a powerful finish.

Cullen ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay 2010: Slightly darker yellow. A savoury and developed nose, with citrus and mealy notes dominating the nose and the palate. There’s some butterscotch also. Considerable length. Acid is prominent and the wine is (to me) on the decline. Others disagreed with me, and were effusive in their praise.

We were then treated to a spontaneous gift from JJ for comparison purposes – the Cullen Legacy ‘Flower Day’ Chardonnay 2022. Pale yellow colour. An intense, citrus dominant nose, with kaffir lime, vanilla and cedar. The palate is initially savoury, but opened up to be intensely flavoured, with peach skin, more lime and grapefruit. A clean line of acid, with excellent length, and concentration matched with some restraint. Thanks John.

After a short break and a glass of Pol Roger (thanks again John), we tasted the reds. Unlike the chardonnays, however, these were tasted from youngest to oldest. It was interesting to note that the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend has gradually increased over the years, with the 2023 having 94%. There was also not a huge colour difference between the younger and older wines.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2023: Crimson colour, pale at the rim. A perfumed nose, with violets, rose, ripe and vibrant fruits – blackcurrant, red and black berries, cassis and cedar, Fresh ripe fruits flow through the palate, and these are in balance with a good line of acid and fine drying tannins. Medium to full bodied, and long finish. I’m looking forward to seeing this as it develops, while some tasters felt this was the easiest wine to drink young.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2020: Crimson colour. A fragrant nose, with florals (rose petals, violets) blackcurrant, mulberry, cassis, blueberries and cedary oak. A soft palate, intensely dark fruited, with mocha, and vanilla / cedar. Fine but grippy tannins, and noticeable acid. Considerable length.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2019: Crimson colour. Eucalypt, dark and red berries, red plums, cassis and florals on the nose. A dusty palate, with ripe red berries and plums, and gentle acid and tannins. Medium to full bodied and goo length. Some tasters described this as ‘pretty’.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2018: A bigger wine overall. Violets, roses, mulberries, red and dark plums on the nose, alongside vanilla, and eucalypt. The palate shows fine and integrating tannins, some mocha, substantial fruits and cleansing acid. Full bodied with a very long finish, and well balanced. I rated this highly.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2012: A dusty nose, with developing red fruits -redcurrant and mulberry – along with some eucalypt, violets and mocha. More mulberries and red fruits on the palate, with gentle acid, integrated tannins and considerable length.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2010: Developed red and black berries on the nose, with eucalypt and cedary oak. A textural palate, velvety with fully integrated tannins and soft acid. Great length.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2004: Menthol / eucalypt and a little mocha on the nose, overshadowing developed red berry fruits. Tannins are fully integrated, and acid is soft. I felt this was fading but once again, others disagreed and sang its praises.

Cullen ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet blend 2001: The only wine under cork. Black coffee and tar on the nose, which distracted from the fully developed fruit aromas. The palate is powerful and full, with a touch of leather and mocha in the mix. Tannins are fully integrated and the wine finishes long. Once again, I felt that the wine is declining, and once again, others disagreed. I suppose everyone is different in their preferences for bottle age.

What a phenomenal tasting, and one unlikely to be repeated any time soon. My profound thanks to Leigh for hosting and sharing his considerable knowledge (and the wines, of course), and to JJ and the team at Lamont’s for a top venue and fine food.

Cheers
Allan

[Mike Hawkins]

Thanks for the notes. While I quite like the chardonnays, their reds are extremely overrated IMO and don’t age well. Your comments seem to reinforce that.

That said, each to their own. Some people with way better palates than mine love them.

[felixp21]

any trust in Aussie wine critics went out the door when they continually rated the DM red so highly.
IMHO, along with anything coming out of the Bass Phillip stable, amongst the most over-rated wines in Australia.
Absolutely head-scratching, they are just such mundane wines, devoid of any true personality, interest or terroir.
I don't say this as an off-hand comment, I was on the Cullen mailing list for many years, and still have scores of their wines from the 90's, all of which are sound but as boring as wine gets (I guess that is why they have sat in the cellar untouched for over 30 years in many cases)

Chardonnays are much better, but in general absurdly over-priced.

[Ian S]

Similarly I wanted to love the reds (and FWIW used to find the Mangan blend decent value). Critics waxing lyrical about great structure just didn't bear any resemblance to the Cab/Merlot (that in time became the DM) that I drank. Quite a few flaky bottles as well.

... and yes, I also enjoyed the Chardonnay very much (and the SSB delivered value in the same way the Mangan did with the reds).

A winery I haven't sought out in well over a decade.

[GraemeG]

any trust in Aussie wine critics went out the door when they continually rated the DM red so highly.

I seem to recall Jeremy Oliver eventually making a call that the DM at least wasn't up to scratch compared to the 90s wines. And he got stuck right into the KevinJ even earlier.
It's been a very hit-and-miss winery for me. I too dropped of the mailing list many years ago. A screwcapped 01 DM a couple of years a go was very good though. A single data point, though!

[ticklenow1]

I agree with Mike Felix and Ian. I find the DM very over rated. But as has been said, a lot of wine critics rave about it. I’ve just never got it at all.

Each to their own I guess….

[Con J]

I’ve been a fan of Cullen for 25 years now, probably one of my favourite Aussie Cab’s is the 1995 vintage and there’s been a few that I’ve really enjoyed.

I love Cabernet old so as they say each to their own.

I’ve been meaning to do a Cullen vs Moss Wood tasting for while, maybe very soon.

Cheers Con.

[JamieAdelaide]

I liked the 95 Reserve though a few old Claret noses said it was four square. I’ve been drinking my 05’s, which are stelvined, and I like the wine though not in raptures.

I bought the top wine, Vanya, from auction to share with a mate visiting from abroad, but he was more interested in my Wendouree & Northern Italians.