The Legacy Sauvignon Blanc in Cullen's artisanal range of wines defines the highest quality and sets the direction for the Cullen Wines brand. The conditions for the 2019 vintage created wines of incredible aromatics and elegance, yet with great power. Light gold with green tinges in colour, the aromatics whirl with notes of freshly cut grass, blueberries, lemon, and kaffir lime. The palate has a bright and refreshing acidity, trailing through with crisp lemon, kaffir lime, and an excellent mouthfeel and texture. There is a beautiful phenolic tension driving the flavours right to the back palate. Tremendous length and agility with enduring perfume and charm. An iron fist in a velvet glove.
Fruit from Block 1 picked on a flower day (MOSH), 8 days on skins, through basket to puncheons (20% new) where it matured for 6 months. 2019 was a cool year, producing mineral, aromatic and very fine wines. This is no exception. Salted edamame, sugar snap, jasmine tea, white currant, green apple skin, juniper berry and salt bush eddy around on the palate, swirling in and out of exotically spiced oak, crushed limestone/talc/basalt/petrichor. Evokes cicadas on a hot afternoon sea breeze, somehow. This is the most profound sauvignon blanc in Australia.
97 points, Wine Companion (March 2021)
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.
