Australia's Most Celebrated Biodynamic Wine — A Margaret River Icon Built to Last Half a Century

My Wine Man on Cullen Wines

Cullen Wines is not just one of Margaret River's founding estates — it is one of Australia's most important and philosophically committed wineries. Established in 1971 by Dr Kevin and Diana Cullen, the estate was among the very first to plant vines in the Margaret River region, helping to establish the area as one of the world's great wine terroirs. Today, under the stewardship of Vanya Cullen — one of Australia's most respected and visionary winemakers — Cullen operates as a fully certified biodynamic and carbon-neutral estate, farming its Wilyabrup vineyards with an almost spiritual commitment to the health of the land. The Diana Madeline — named in honour of the estate's co-founder — is Cullen's flagship wine and one of Australia's most celebrated and collectible reds. A Cabernet-dominant Bordeaux blend sourced exclusively from the estate's oldest vines, it is crafted with extraordinary care and minimal intervention. The 2020 vintage was defined by hot, dry conditions that stressed the old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon vines into producing small berries and low yields — concentrating the fruit to an extraordinary degree and producing a Diana Madeline of effortless elegance, balance, and perfume.

Tasting Notes

Garnet with vibrant ruby-purple tinges — a colour of remarkable depth and clarity for a wine of this concentration. The nose is immediately compelling and multi-layered — mulberry, dark plum, and black cherry lead with effortless purity, followed by notes of dark chocolate, rose petal, iodine, and a haunting salty plum complexity that is the unmistakable signature of Wilyabrup's ancient ironstone and gravel soils. On the palate, the wine opens with juicy, unctuous dark berry fruit — mulberry, plum, and cherry — framed by the finest, most silky tannins imaginable. The mid-palate reveals the full depth of the vintage: Wilyabrup earth, ironstone, and dust that speaks of the heat and concentration of 2020, complementing the fruit with a mineral, saline complexity of extraordinary precision. The finish is long, persistent, and hauntingly beautiful.

Style & Drinking Window

Full-bodied, structured, and profoundly complex biodynamic Margaret River Cabernet blend with extraordinary concentration, mineral depth, and cellaring potential. Drinking well now with extended decanting and will continue to develop and reward patience for up to 50 years. Decant for a minimum of 1–2 hours. Serve at 17–19°C in a large Bordeaux glass.

Food Pairing

The Diana Madeline's extraordinary concentration, ironstone minerality, and silky tannin structure demand food of equal stature. We love it with Australian Grass-Fed Cape Grim Rib-Eye Steak from My Meat Man — dry-aged and char-grilled rare with a knob of bone-marrow butter, the rich marbling and beefy depth are a magnificent match for the Diana Madeline's mulberry, plum, ironstone minerality and silky biodynamic tannins. A pairing built for the most considered occasion.

Why This Is a Smart Buy

At HK$699, the 2020 Cullen Diana Madeline is one of the most compelling fine wine purchases available at My Wine Man. This is a wine of genuine international stature — Australia's most celebrated biodynamic Cabernet, crafted by one of the country's most visionary winemakers, from a vintage of extraordinary concentration and elegance, with a cellaring potential of up to 50 years.

Looking for a Different Style?

If you'd like to explore other exceptional Margaret River Cabernets from our range, consider these alternatives:

• 2011 Cullen Diana Madeline Margaret River Cabernet Merlot — 97pts Halliday, same iconic wine with 14 years of bottle age, drinking at peak maturity.
• 2011 Vasse Felix Heytesbury Cabernet Blend — 97pts Halliday, Margaret River's founding estate, aged Bordeaux blend at peak.
• 2019 Pierro Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot — 95pts Halliday, polished Margaret River Bordeaux blend with cellaring potential.