Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Kevin John Chardonnay is ripe and a little tropical, with round, polished fruit flavors and an ultra-glossy, nutty character that takes us (me) right out of Australia and lands somewhere in Meursault. Yet as the wine evolves in the mouth, it becomes obvious, mainly due to the shape and performance of the acidity and phenolics, that we are in fact not only in Australia but clearly in Margaret River. So, by way of deduction, we are at Cullen. There is struck match and pear, focus and streamlined shape through the finish, with a sleek close. 13.7% alcohol.
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Wine Spectator
Succulent and juicy, with lovely transparency and energy to the pear and white peach flavors, mingling with a smooth, creamy accent and plenty of hazelnut and spice details on the finish. Drink now through 2020.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
Home to some of Australia’s most elegant and long-lived red and white wines, Margaret River is situated in the farthest reaches of Western Australia. Relatively warm and dry, the region is cooled by breezes from the Indian Ocean. Margaret River takes some inspiration from Bordeaux, producing top-quality Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux Blends with firm structure, mouthwatering acidity, balanced alcohol and notes of herbs and spice. For white wines, refreshing blends of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon as well as complex, age-worthy Chardonnays are regional specialties.