The 2023 Vanya Flower Day Cabernet Sauvignon from Cullen Wines is very much a special occasion wine - a flagship for the venerable family-owned Margaret River producer at $900 a bottle.
It's a wine with layers of flavours and textures - and it just flows across the palate.
Vanya Cullen, after whom the wine is named, says 2023 was a "low-yielding vintage which resulted in some stunning grapes and hence quality wine.
"In particular, cabernet sauvignon exhibited the best typicity of varietal manifestation."
I think that means she was happy.
The fruit was sourced from 52-year-old estate vines that consistently produce top-notch fruit.
The details: The grapes were hand harvested on a Flower Day on the biodynamic calendar from dry grown vines.
The fruit was hand sorted, and destemmed before being crushed to 3000-litre terracotta amphorae and left for 27 days. Fermentation was completed with
wild yeast with the juice pressed to biodynamic Flower Day barriques (50% new). The wine was bottled with zero additions of yeast, malolactic culture, acid or fining agents.
It is a marvellously precise and complete wine that you can enjoy now or cellar for several years. 97 points from me. Released on August 24.
