Vanya Cullen
CULLEN WINES, MARGARET RIVER, WESTERN AUSTRALIA
VANYA CULLEN is feeling reflective. “It’s a love story,” she says of her winemaking journey, now celebrating 30 years as senior winemaker at Cullen Wines, the Margaret River winery her parents established in the early 1970s. “It’s a story of the earth, nature, great wine, people, family and friends.”
The newly crowned Winemaker of the Year is no stranger to accolades, having long been recognised for her incredible suite of wines. These include the benchmark Diana Madeline cabernet blend, often said to be on par with Bordeaux’s finest, and the Kevin John chardonnay – both named after her pioneering parents. But don’t think it’s all about traditional wines here.
Vanya’s ongoing commitment to improving their two vineyards now positions her as one of the country’s leading biodynamic producers. “We’ve moved from minimal chemical inputs to organics, to certified biodynamic and carbon neutral. We now even sequester more carbon than we’re emitting!” she says.
While this direction may have been seen as somewhat risky at the time, or at least a little misunderstood – Cullen has been certified biodynamic since 2005 – it was always the answer for Vanya and her team. “I think quality wine production is a longterm strategy and that has to come from the vineyard,” she says. “By creating healthy, balanced soils, you end up with fruit that you don’t have to add anything to in order to correct it.”
These days, the Cullen Wines portfolio includes Amber, a skin-contact blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc, with some of its parcels spending time in amphorae. “It’s an interesting style because of its expressiveness,” Vanya says. There is also the pet-nat style of chenin blanc called New Moon, and the new Vanya wines, which are 100 per cent cabernet sauvignon from the Cullen vineyard. These comprise the Vanya Flower Day from both 2016 and 2017, and the 2017 Vanya Full Moon, the names referencing when the fruit was picked. All spent time in amphorae before being basket pressed. “These wines are the pinnacle of my wine journey, and of my love for cabernet and the Cullen vineyard.”
All this hard work in the vineyards means every wine in Cullen’s range now truly reflects each vintage and its specific site. “We do work hard in the winery, but these wines really are made in the vineyard. It’s a blessing to have these great sites and also be working with nature.”
When quizzed as to what comes next, Vanya says they will continue to keep things simple and sustainable. “And I still want to put up speakers and play Mozart to the vines.”