Cullen, `Kevin John` Wilyabrup Chardonnay

Having celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2021, Cullen is one of the oldest and most awarded family wineries in Western Australia’s famous Margaret River region. First established in 1971 by Dr Kevin and Diana Cullen, the estate is certified biodynamic, carbon neutral and naturally powered, with a philosophy summed up in three simple words: ‘Quality, Integrity and Sustainability’.

Di and Kevin’s youngest daughter, Vanya, who has worked at the winery since 1983, became Chief Winemaker in 1989 and Managing Director in 1999. She has worked tirelessly to continue developing the winery over this time, first introducing organic farming in 1998 and then, in 2004, saw it classified as a fully certified biodynamic estate.

Vanya’s work at Cullen has been recognised with numerous accolades. In 2023, she was awarded the Order of Australia (OAM) for her services to viticulture and wine, followed in 2025 by a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the Margaret River Wine Association. Andrew Caillard MW, author of The Australian Ark and widely regarded as one of the world’s leading authorities on Australian wine, commented that “Vanya would be considered as one of the great winemakers of her generation, not only here in Australia but around the world.” The acclaim Vanya has received reflects her fierce dedication to promoting sustainable viticulture. She is an influential figure to like-minded winemakers across the world.

The Cullen wines hail from two biodynamically farmed, estate-owned vineyards in Wilyabrup, a subregion of Margaret River. To promote the subregion as a distinct winegrowing area of Margaret River, all the Cullen wines are now labelled as Wilyabrup. The ‘Cullen’ vineyard, planted between 1971 and 1988, comprises soils of old, granite and gravely sandy loam, layered over a lateritic subsoil. The vines are dry-farmed and hand-pruned to maintain deliberately low yields of intensely flavoured fruit. The ‘Mangan’ vineyard, planted between 1995 and 1997, is directly adjacent to ‘Cullen’ and sits on a similar soil composition. Vanya and her team are undertaking selective replanting within both vineyards to safeguard them for the future. It is this attention to detail and investment in the land that ensures Cullen’s wines remain as revered today as 50 years ago.

Cullen’s flagship wines are named in homage to Vanya’s parents. The ‘Diana Madeline’ Cabernet Sauvignon and ‘Kevin John’ Chardonnay are among some of the very best of their styles in both Australia and beyond. The ‘Grace Madeline’ Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon is made using hand-picked fruit sourced exclusively from the Cullen Vineyard. Three-quarters of the wine is also aged in new French oak for five months to add complexity and depth. The ‘Elvie Clark’ Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon and the ‘Red Moon’ Malbec/Grenache/Mourvedre/Petit Verdot/Merlot are both fruit-driven wines that offer honest expressions of the sites they hail from. The Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot is a wine of great depth with vibrant aromatics and delicious fine-grained tannins. Cullen’s ‘Mangan East Block’ is a blend of Malbec and Petit Verdot grown on the prime eastern corner of the Mangan vineyard. It is opulent, vibrant, and beautifully balanced. ‘Amber’ is a complex, textural Sauvignon Blanc, fermented on its skins in various vessels, including amphora.