2018 Cullen Wines, Dancing in the Sun, White Wine, Margaret River, Western Australia.
The light and fresh Dancing in the Sun white wine by the famed Cullen Wines in the Margaret River is an all organic and unique blend of of 54% Semillon, 43% Sauvignon Blanc and 3% Verdelho, it is an Aussie white Bordeaux like hybrid that is a delightful Summer quaffer. This is the first time tasting this blend, while I’ve loved their Sem/Sauv’s in the past, this Dancing in the Sun shows loads of bright lemony flavors and vibrant acidity with layers of citrus, tangy white peach, gooseberry and wild herbs along with wet stones, a touch of waxy apple and lingering lemon curd. The 2018 Cullen Wines Dancing in the Sun is vivid still and light to medium bodied with a nice balance of tart fruit and subtle textural creaminess that is starting to develop, it is more serious than the first impression and a wine that goes great with a range of cuisine, especially with lighter sea food dishes and goat cheese, as well as roast chicken breast. Vanya Cullen, who has been winemaking at her family’s Wilyabrup estate since 1983, and was appointed to Chief Winemaker in 1989, after which the world discovered just how good these Cullen Wines are. As Managing Director, which she rose to back in 1999, Vanya is a Bordeaux style specialist, crafting awesome Cabernet based wines as well as her white blends and if you haven’t tried these wines you really should.
One of the first premium estates of Margaret River area of Western Australia, Cullen Wines was established when the Cullen’s, Kevin and Diana, first planted vines in 1971 in the unique Wilyabrup area with its red ochre soils and up river Ocean influence. All of Cullen’s vines are certified biodynamic and were pioneers in this region with holistic farming and are even carbon negative, they are ultra sustainable and great stewards of their environment, all of which shows in their beautiful wines, especially the Bordeaux style reds and this lovely white. Wilybrup is a very noteworthy region in its own right, as evidenced in the Cullen efforts, all terroir driven with distinct flavors and its own climate, this place has been recognized as a world class zone, and notably when in 1999 Cullen Wines and Moss Wood, other fantastic estate here, held a sub region tasting event to celebrate the long history here and with a look to the future of the Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grown here, which predicted the greatnesses of the wines that have emerged since then. This Dancing in the Sun white wine with its Semillon, Sauvignon and Verdelho is a fun offering with beautiful crisp details, delicate florals and coastal saline, it delivers everything you’d want want in a white wine of this price, making it a wonderful value and shows off a region that is little known in the States.
($20 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive