It was during 1966 that Diana and Kevin Cullen realised the full potential of their vine-growing property located in Wilyabrup property located near Margaret River in Western Australia. The climate and soil quality of the place was so good that it had the potential to produce Bordeaux-quality wines. Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling and Gewurztraminer were the first grape varietals planted on 17 acres of these vineyards in 1971.
Since 1998, the Cullen family has been crafting organic wines by following biodynamic farming principles. During 2006, the Cullen wine brand became the first ever brand in Australia to be certified as carbon neutral, inspiring many other wineries in the area to follow these footsteps. Today, the Cullen family owns around 45 hectares and close to 20000 wine cases are produced here.
One of the best features of the Cullen winery is the way they handle the fruits. The experienced winemaking team here ensures that the fruits are handled as gently as possible with minimum transport and fining. This helps to retain the flavours of the fruits intact. Natural harvesting and preservation of fruit flavours are two of the most seriously followed biodynamic principles in this winery. The Cullen family takes extreme care in ensuring that the winery and vineyards work in such a manner that they don’t interfere with nature at any cost.
Usage of indigenous yeast and minimal use of oak for fermentation are some actions towards this mission. The fruits for Cullen Wines are sourced from the Cullen Estate Vineyard (70acres) and the Cullen Mangan Vineyard (52acres). These biodynamic-certified sites contain sandy, loamy and granite-filled soils, which are dry farmed. Hand-harvesting and pruning methods ensure that the quality of the flavours is retained fully. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Malbec and Verdehlo are some of the varietals grown here.
https://www.cullenwines.com.au
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