I never sleep well before a major tasting. As I anticipated the tastings to come in Margaret River the significance of Cullen to Australian wine loomed large in my late night thoughts. The Cullen family winery turns 40 this year so it’s not unrealistic to use them as a lens to look at the Australian fine wine journey. I also contemplated the practicality and or need for contemporary wine heroes, a theme covered in part 2 of this story, but first more importantly we have to journey into the heart of Margaret River and taste its great wines.
Di Cullen, the current winemakers mother, won a trophy for her oak fermented Sauvignon Blanc in 1981, kick starting the wineries reputation. Their successes have been many and notable chiefly because of the quality of the international competitions they win and for their continuing successes over 40 years.
All great wine regions have their own special set of geographical and human features united in creating wines with unique expressions, character and vintage personalities.
Margaret River seems to be triple blessed in the wine world and the Cullen family have had the grace to recognise this and the unrelenting drive to make the most of it.
The similarities with the climate of Bordeaux are well known. The soils also have positive features in common: infertile, free draining top soils with a clay subsoil which retains vital water for the vines to draw on during ripening. Unlike Europe their plantings are not limited by law and Chardonnay (limited to Burgundy in France) rubs shoulders with the aristocratic Bordeaux varieties.
Bordeaux has had 350 years, if you discount the Romans, to find their feet, while Margaret River has leapt nearly fully formed into the wine world with the essentials: distinctive freshness of flavour, enduring length on the palate and long lived wines in one generation in less than two generations.
Fine wine requires will and language as well - the human aspects are critical and it is here that the family is important. Vanya's mum and dad started their trial vineyard, described, in 1966, by the locals as “a few sticks in the ground” among timber mills and diary farms. By the mid 70’s after three local vineyards had won gold medals, the wine industry was starting to ask “where in the dickens is Margaret River?”
Diana Madeleine Cullen is remembered in their flagship owing to her determination, infectious enthusiasm and dedication to fine wine – she would serve the family and friends quality Bordeaux wines determined that Cabernet Sauvignon and its blend partners were the regions future.
Her foresight to plant 18 acres of cabernet in 1981, allied to the belief in “quality not quantity” shows determination, judgement and resolve in their direction.
In 2003, the vineyard was certified organic and in 2004 certified biodynamic. Vanya Cullen is one of the most high profile, along with Ron Laughton at Jasper hill in Victoria, of the organic – biodynamic method of viticulture.
Tasting
All the tastings were extraordinarily well managed. Bottle variation issues were avoided by blending three bottles together to round out any variability created by corks and then decanted back for serving.
I found it a remarkable testament to Cullens’ quality that the wines we tasted at the winery were equal to those from my cellar, generally it’s the reverse and wines that never leave the winery are better. Riedel glasses ensured they got from table to tongue in good order. Vanya’s attention detail comes out in little ways – all the Dianna Madeleine glasses were numbered with their vintage, very helpful in big tasting.
We started with their un-bottled 2011 vintage wines, from a dry hot summer that compressed ripening. Regionally they were worried about acidity, yet at Cullen these wines all have great acid.
Made in accordance with the biodynamic calendar, in deed the tasting was on two fruit days according to the cycle. The concept of tasting on fruit days created some celebrity for a UK supermarket when it was revealed they only showed their wines to the media on fruit days, now apparently they all do it. I will be trying it myself, just as soon as I can find a biodynamic calendar for the southern hemisphere!
Their dry white Bordeaux blend offered under Cullen and Mangan vineyard bottlings starts off following the usual story, Sauvignon Blanc for lively herbal aromas and flavours and zingy acidity and early fresh lively ness. Semillon delivers structure and lanolin intensity with age in a well known tune in the wine world. The blend partners here change according to the year. I approached this tasting with relish.
The wines from 2001 to 2005 while varying in their blend were all 14% alcohol, lush and silky on the palate. They have a pleasing fatness and they will continue to age well into their 20’s. Although satisfying wines, they were exceeded by the general lift in aroma and flavour detail, finer acidity, and fresher more focused wines from '06 forward, as the biodynamic regime increasingly made its presence felt, dropping the alcohol by 2 – 3 % and increasing acidity.
The Mangan vineyard style is lighter fresher more elegant while Cullen is tighter finer and longer lived and will age. The subtlety and finesse of the biodynamic wines offers a different view of the blend, crisper, fresher and complex. The Cullen vineyard in particular needs time or being served with food (Oysters and sea food work well) to show its best. Based on these and others in the region I firmly believe Margaret River is the only region, and Cullen the leader out side Bordeaux.
Next month: Cullen - 30 vintages of Diana Madeline & Biodynamic heroes ..... |
