Cullen

Diana Madeline Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2008

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  Vintage 2008
  91 points Wine Advocate MW

2008 Diana Madeline is another example of Cullen’s emerging ability to achieve physiological ripeness at lower alcohols – this wine weighs-in at just 12.5%. Trust me, I was looking for signs of greenness and astringency, but they just weren’t there. Composed of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% Merlot, it was matured 14 months in French barriques, 48% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, this wine reveals wonderfully expressive Cabernet aromas of warm cassis, mocha, smoked duck, anise, cardamom, cinnamon stick and freshly tilled loam. Crisp, medium bodied, intense and tight-knit, this is a relatively soft textured vintage with just above a medium level of very fine tannins. The finish is satisfyingly long. Drink it 2012 to 2020+.

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  Vintage 2008
  96 points Halliday Wine Companion

This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot was picked at precisely the point Vanya Cullen decided the grapes - and in particular the tannins - had reached optimum ripeness; a sophisticated mistral blower on a sorting table removing leaf fragments and infertile berries, and a return to a basket press, have all combined to produce an extremely refined and elegant wine that is quite different to some of the earlier Cullen Cabernet Merlots. It shines with its length, finish and aftertaste.