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Address Caves Road, Cowaramup, WA, Australia
Cullen Wines, Cellar Door and Restaurant
Caves Road, Cowaramup
The Cullen cellar door and restaurant overlooks the historic vineyard located in Cowaramup. The building's unique construction from granite and timber blends harmoniously with the surroundings and provides a relaxing place to enjoy a glass of wine, lunch or a coffee.
The vineyard is Certified "A" Grade Biodynamic with the Biological Farmers Association and in keeping with the organic/biodynamic philosophy in the vineyard, all food in the restaurant is prepared using fresh, biodynamic and organic produce and is sourced from our own garden and select local producers.
The cellar door and restaurant are open 7 days from 10am to 4pm. For restaurant bookings and enquiries please phone (08) 9755 5656 or email cullendining@cullenwines.com.au
Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
Perhaps Cullen's best-known wine, this cabernet Merlot was recently included in the prestigious Langton Classification of Australian Wines. The vines planted in 1971 are 30 years old. On average the yields are around two tons per acre, or 26 hectolitres per hectare, giving great concentration to the wine. They are grown on the Scott Henry trellising system, which yields grapes with ripe tannins and flavours. This wine is typically a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The varieties are vinified separately and matured in French oak for 18 months. The result is a deeply coloured wine with great depth of flavour, fine grain tannins and outstanding cellaring potential.
Langtons Classification 2005 - "Exceptional"
Vanya Cullen has taken her cabernet merlot into the top echelon of Australian cabernet through determination and superb technical skills. The vineyard site is planted on granitic soils in the central Willyabrup subregion of Margaret River. Cullen has adopted biodynamic viticulture principles to "achieve greater individuality of site through working with nature rather than against it". This estate style is about freshness and complexity, structure and suppleness. There are cassis and cedar aromas with fine, beautifully ripe tannins, and earthy, anise, gamy aromas and flavours develop with age. Named for Diana Cullen, who established the winery and vineyard with her husband in 1966. Top vintages: 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996, 1995, 1994."
Mangan
Malbec, Petit Verdot and Merlot are three varieties that are particularly well suited to growing in the Margaret River winegrowing region. When blended together, these varieties form a divine trinity creating a unique wine. The Malbec provides the fruit power and colour, the petit verdot the length and texture and the Merlot the structure. The fruit which made this wine came from a single vineyard in the Wilyabrup subregion of Margaret River belonging to Rick Cullen and Bettina Mangan. A wine with great drinkability and ageing potential.
Chardonnay
Cullens have gradually been carefully refining their approach to making Chardonnay, with the result that this latest release is the most elegant of the wines they have made from the great white variety of Burgundy. This elegance has not been achieved, however, at the expense of fruit depth and density. The white wines at Cullen reflect a desire for purity and balance. This we believe comes from the vineyard site itself and the biodynamic philosophy to help the land reflect its best potential in the bottle.
The grapes for the Chardonnay are, like all our grapes, harvested by hand and at best flavour expression. For the Chardonnay, the bunches are whole-bunch pressed for fruit delicacy and juice quality and then placed into barriques for fermentation with indigenous yeasts.
Cullen Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Cullen Wines varies the ratio of Sauvignon Blanc to Semillon in a given vintage according to how these varieties perform in that vintage. The grapes for the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon are, like all our grapes, harvested by hand and at best flavour expression. The Sauvignon Blanc is part-fermented in barriques with indigenous yeast and for the most as a tank fermentation to retain fruit freshness.
The Semillon is fermented in tanks to keep the varietal freshness.
Mangan Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
The Mangan vineyard, which is owned and managed by Rick Cullen with supervision by Cullen Wines, is located just over the road from the Cullen Estate vineyards. Although this vineyard thus has a very similar terroir to its close neighbour, its Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon have their own very distinctive characteristics.
The quality of this wine reflects the fact that the vines are now eleven years old, dry farmed and maintained using a biodynamic approach to viticulture, the last of which also encourages the vines to express the individuality of that vineyard. Our confidence in this wine is demonstrated by our decision to bottle it under our premium label.
The grapes for both the Chardonnay and the Sauvignon Blanc Semillon are, like all our grapes, harvested by hand and at best flavour expression.
The Sauvignon Blanc is part-fermented in barriques with indigenous yeast and for the most as a tank fermentation to retain fruit freshness.
Semillon is fermented in tanks to keep the varietal freshness.
      
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