Awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to viticulture and oenology
“Vanya Cullen says she is ‘honored, humbled and excited’ to accept the Order of Australia (OAM) from King Charles III, for her services to viticulture and oenology, honoring the legacy of her parents Diana Madeline and Kevin John Cullen,” according to Australia’s Wine Business Monthly Magazine. Each were also presented the distinction; her father in 1994 and her mother in 1999.
“Vanya sees the award as being an endorsement for the important issue of climate change and land care, and how you can make great wine and look after the land and the planet at the same time and is thrilled by this,” reports the magazine.
Vanya Cullen has been winemaking at her family’s Wilyabrup, Western Australia estate since 1983. She was appointed to Chief Wine-maker in 1989 and Managing Director in 1999. During that time she rigorously experimented in the vineyard with soil and trellis management, and in the winery, all the while looking to give her wines greater complexity. Vanya’s work has transformed Cullen Wines from one of Margaret River’s best, into one of the country’s premium boutique wineries, making quality wine from a certified Biodynamic, Carbon Positive and naturally powered estate.
THE WINES
2020 AMBER Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc
The intriguing palate is textural and concentrated, with great length and persistence. Flavors of negroni, peaches and cream mingle with herbs and toffee. Acclaim: 93 pts Vinous, 93 pts Decanter, 90 pts Wine Enthusiast
2020 KEVIN JOHN CHARDONNAY
Fantastic complexity and vibrancy on the nose with layers of dark fruits complemented by herbal notes. Acclaim: 98 pts Halliday Wine Companion
2020 DIANA MADELINE CABERNET SAUVIGNON
A natural wine with elegance, balance and power. A very complex nose with fresh notes of mulberries, rose and iron. The palate shows black fruit and earthy layers. The unctuous fruit is framed by fine grained tannins and Wilyabrup earth which complements the concentration of the fruit. Critical Acclaim: 98 pts Halliday Wine Companion, 96 pts/Cellar Selection Wine Enthusiast, 95 pts JamesSuckling.com, 94 pts Vinous
