Cullen Wines

Cullen Wines was established in 1971 by Dr Kevin Cullen (a medical doctor) and Diana Cullen, with trial vines planted from 1966 in the Wilyabrup sub-region of Margaret River, roughly 4 kilometres from the Indian Ocean. Kevin and Diana were close to the Pannells of Moss Wood (Bill Pannell, also a Perth medical doctor, founded Moss Wood in 1969 immediately adjacent), and the two families were instrumental in establishing the Wilyabrup sub-region as Margaret River's first concentrated vineyard cluster. The estate originally operated as Wilyabrup Wines before adopting the Cullen family name. Original plantings focused on Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling, expanded over the 1970s to include Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Chardonnay. Diana Cullen managed the vineyards and winemaking while Kevin maintained his medical practice; the Cullens are among the most respected founding families in Australian wine. Diana Cullen died in 2003, and Kevin Cullen died in 1994; their pioneering work established Cullen Wines as a cornerstone of Margaret River's founding generation.

• Founded 1971 by Dr Kevin and Diana Cullen; trial vines planted from 1966 in Wilyabrup, Margaret River
• Adjacent to Moss Wood (founded by fellow medical doctor Bill Pannell in 1969); Wilyabrup became Margaret River's first concentrated cluster
• Originally operated as Wilyabrup Wines before adopting the Cullen family name
• Kevin Cullen died 1994; Diana Cullen died 2003; among the most respected founding families in Australian wine

Vanya Cullen, daughter of Kevin and Diana, has been chief winemaker at Cullen Wines since 1989 and managing director since 1999. She is among the most decorated winemakers in Australia: she was named James Halliday Australian Winemaker of the Year in 2000, awarded the Drinks Business International Woman of the Year in 2008 (the first Australian recipient), and was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2023 for service to the Australian wine industry and to sustainable viticulture. Vanya's leadership across more than three decades has transformed Cullen from a respected family estate into an internationally recognised benchmark for biodynamic viticulture, age-worthy Cabernet, and benchmark Chardonnay. Her decision-making across the conversion to organic farming in 1998, full biodynamic certification in 2004, and carbon-neutral certification in 2019 placed Cullen at the forefront of Australia's sustainability-driven fine-wine movement. Vanya remains hands-on with winemaking and farming decisions at the estate.

• Vanya Cullen chief winemaker since 1989; managing director since 1999
• James Halliday Australian Winemaker of the Year 2000; Drinks Business International Woman of the Year 2008 (first Australian recipient)
• Member of the Order of Australia (AM) 2023 for service to Australian wine and sustainable viticulture
• Led conversions to organic farming (1998), full biodynamic certification (2004), and carbon-neutral certification (2019)

Cullen Wines is Australia's most prominent biodynamic estate among the founding wine producers. The estate achieved organic certification in 1998, then progressed to full Demeter biodynamic certification for the vineyard in 2004 (A Grade Biodynamic Certified) and the winery in 2008. Cullen is Australia's first estate of major historical significance to achieve full biodynamic certification, and the conversion has informed countless subsequent Australian biodynamic estates. Biodynamic practices at Cullen include lunar-cycle harvesting (working with the four-elements calendar that distinguishes fruit, root, leaf, and flower days), preparations 500 through 508, active biodiversity programmes across the estate, and complete elimination of synthetic chemicals. In 2019, Cullen became Australia's first carbon-neutral certified winery, building on sustainability initiatives that began in 2006. The combination of biodynamic and carbon-neutral certifications places Cullen as one of the most environmentally rigorous wine producers globally, not just within Australia.

• Organic certification 1998; full Demeter biodynamic vineyard 2004 (A Grade); winery 2008
• Australia's first founding-era estate to achieve full biodynamic certification
• Biodynamic practices: lunar-cycle harvesting, preparations 500-508, biodiversity programmes, zero synthetic chemicals
• Australia's first carbon-neutral certified winery 2019; combined biodynamic plus carbon-neutral places Cullen among the most rigorous globally

The Diana Madeline Cabernet is Cullen Wines' flagship single-estate Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend, named in honour of founder Diana Madeline Cullen by her daughter Vanya Cullen. The 'Diana Madeline' nomenclature was adopted by Vanya in 2002 (for the 2000 vintage) as a tribute to her mother, who had died the year before; the wine itself traces back to the founding-era Cullen Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blends from the early 1970s. Sourced from the original Cullen Vineyard in Wilyabrup, the wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. It carries Langton's Classification 'Exceptional' status (placing it in Australia's highest tier of secondary-market collectability alongside Penfolds Grange, Henschke Hill of Grace, and a small group of elite Australian wines) and has received multiple 99 and 100-point scores from James Halliday, James Suckling, and other major critics. The Diana Madeline is one of the most age-worthy Cabernet expressions in Australian wine, built for 25 to 40 years of cellaring. The wine is the biodynamic Cabernet benchmark in Australia and a defining ambassador for Margaret River's age-worthy Cabernet potential. It has been produced from estate biodynamic fruit since the 2004 vintage onwards.

• Diana Madeline Cabernet: single-estate flagship Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend from the original Cullen Vineyard in Wilyabrup
• Named in honour of Diana Madeline Cullen by Vanya Cullen; 'Diana Madeline' nomenclature adopted for the 2000 vintage onwards
• Langton's Classification 'Exceptional': Australia's highest tier of secondary-market collectability; multiple 99 and 100-point scores from major critics
• Built for 25 to 40 years cellaring; biodynamic Cabernet benchmark in Australia and defining ambassador for Margaret River Cabernet

Beyond the Diana Madeline, Cullen Wines produces the Kevin John Chardonnay (named for founder Dr Kevin Cullen), which is one of Australia's most decorated single-block Chardonnays. The Kevin John uses single-block wild-yeast fermentation from the original Cullen Vineyard, with barrel fermentation and partial malolactic conversion; the wine has won World's Best Chardonnay at the Decanter World Wine Awards (multiple vintages) and ranks alongside Leeuwin Art Series, Vasse Felix Heytesbury, Giaconda, and Bindi as Australia's reference Chardonnays. The estate also produces the Cullen Vineyard Chardonnay (a sibling Chardonnay tier), the Mangan Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon (Margaret River's signature white blend), and Dancing in the Sun (an organic value tier across Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon). The Mangan Vineyard was added to the estate in 1995 and provides additional biodynamic Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Petit Verdot, and other varietal sources. Total production is approximately 20,000 cases annually across 45 hectares of operating biodynamic vineyards.

• Kevin John Chardonnay: named for founder Dr Kevin Cullen; single-block wild-yeast fermentation; one of Australia's most decorated Chardonnays
• Cullen Vineyard Chardonnay: sibling Chardonnay tier from biodynamic estate fruit
• Mangan Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon: classic Margaret River white blend from the 1995-added second vineyard
• Dancing in the Sun: organic value tier across Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon