Blackberry, blackcurrant, a little nougat oak, and plenty of violet perfume. Medium-bodied, cool and svelte, flows along beautifully, acidity is pitch-perfect, tannin fine but dense and toothsome, and the finish is so very long and composed. Tobacco savouries add complexity. It’s a wine of charm and grace, and such wonderful perfume.
96 points, Gary Walsh (February 2019)
Very deep, bright red/purple colour, youthful and concentrated, the perfumed bouquet showing nutmeg, walnut, savoury and oak-tinged, with discreet violets and berries in the background. The palate is full-bodied but elegantly-styled and tightly-structured, with abundant firm tannins. Intense and focused, it's a little closed at present and needs more time. If you pour it now, give it time in the glass (or decanter), and you'll be rewarded.
97 points, Huon Hooke (March 2019)
"Very deep, bright red/purple colour, youthful and concentrated, the perfumed bouquet showing nutmeg, walnut, savoury and oak-tinged, with discreet violets and berries in the background. The palate is full-bodied but elegantly-styled and tightly-structured, with abundant firm tannins. Intense and focused, it's a little closed at present and needs more time. If you pour it now, give it time in the glass (or decanter), and you'll be rewarded."
81% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot, 6% cabernet franc, 3% malbec. Wild-fermented and matured for 18 months in French oak (40% new). The colour is faultless, as is the wine. It has waves of complexity, like one of Margaret River's surf breaks, changing shape as the luxuriant cassis swells on the mid-palate, then finishes with ripe, textured tannins as the wave goes on to crash on the shore. The overall ripeness is perfection.
98 points, Wine Companion (January 2019). Top 100 Wines of 2019.
Extremely refined and full of tension with blackberry, currant and licorice character. Hints of wet earth. Medium to full body. Firm and silky tannins. Flavorful finish. From biodynamically grown grapes.
95 points, jamessuckling.com (June 2019)
The medium-bodied 2017 Diana Madeline is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. It spent 18 months in 40% new oak. Hints of violets and cocoa accent cassis and blueberry fruit on the nose, while raspberries emerge on the palate. The fine, silky texture continues onto the long finish, ending with some drying tannins. Give this a few years in the cellar and drink it over the next 15 years.
94 points, Wine Advocate (January 2020)
Margaret River
Located three hours south of Perth, Margaret River is Western Australia’s most prestigious wine-growing region. Serious vineyard development began only in the late 1960’s following the publication of a report by John Gladstones in 1965 stating that the area had a similar climate to Pomerol or St Emilion, with low frost risk, plenty of sunshine and equable temperatures within the growing season promoting even ripening. Margaret River’s climate is warm and maritime, with some cooling influence provided by southeast trade winds. The soils derive from granitic and a gneissic rock over which laterite has formed. The region can be divided in three sub-regions: the cooler south between Yallingup and Karridale with predominantly lateritic gravelly loamy sands and sandy loams; the warm and sunnier Willyabrup in the centre with predominantly gravelly loams, but some gritty sandy loams and granitic gravels; and Margaret River in the north with similar soils, but slightly cooler temperatures. This is entirely consistent with style; the wines from Willyabrup being more generous than the highly structured wines of the north and the elegant styles of the south. Margaret River is best known for high quality Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc Semillon blends and top notch Cabernet Sauvignon and Bordeaux blends. Over the years, the region has established an astonishing reputation illustrating a consistency in quality and a strongly focused winemaking culture.
Cullen
In 1966 Diana and Dr Kevin Cullen planted a trial 0.4 ha vineyard on their sheep and cattle property at Willyabrup in the Margaret River. A new vineyard was planted in 1971 with further plantings made over the subsequent decades. Winemaker and environmentalist Vanya Cullen, a strong believer in biodynamic viticulture, has harnessed the rhythms of the cosmos, earth’s energy and vitality to "achieve greater individuality of site through working with nature rather than against it". Meticulous attention to vineyard management results in fruit of exceptional intensity, concentration, tannin ripeness and acid balance. The “quest for quality, integrity and sustainability” is also reflected in the carbon neutral and naturally powered winery where sound winemaking techniques and skills are married with empathy for vineyard character.
