Winemaker Notes
Ruby with a purple hue. A deep perfume of wild berries reveals distinctive savory characters, woodsy Margaret River Forest and briny ocean breeze. Intense and powerful with dried rose petal and violet paired with earthy aromas of mushrooms, the spice of fresh cedar, and linseed oil. Hints of peppermint tree leaves are complemented by enticing notes of a canelé pastry and dark chocolate. Incredibly luscious, rich fruit builds into a long, fine, powdery tannin structure. Refreshing floral notes are expressed throughout the palate with lingering blackcurrant and blackberry. Medium bodied, the complexity of ocean and nori influence pairs beautifully with notes of chocolate, leather polish and exotic spices. An elegant, palpable and clean dry finish with earthy power and wild berry custard tart rounding out this complex palate.
Blend: 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Perfumed with exotic spice, incense, blackcurrant flower and plush plum, while the palate is textured with lush, rich fruit and a neat acidity.
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James Suckling
This has a very complex, integrated array of red-plum, redcurrant and mulberry aromas with cedary nuances, as well as forest wood, fresh earth, graphite, pepper, leaves, shitake mushrooms and more. The palate is finely layered with grainy, powerful tannin and gives an overall impression of focused power with deeply rich dark berries, plums, berries and mulberries. Seamlessly composed. This has a long life ahead.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Tom Cullity Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec is rich and powerful, with a robust fruit profile and firm tannins. For all the descriptors, it remains an elegant wine in the wider context of Cabernet from Margaret River, yet today, it shows to be of firm textural disposition than its vintage siblings. Here, it has dark chocolate and notes of charcuterie, licorice, nori and tapenade. The tannins, while profuse, are agile and flexible. Rating: 96+
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Vinous
Deep ruby. Expansive aromas of red and dark berry preserves, incense, black pepper, candied rose and allspice; suggestions of cured tobacco and vanilla build as the wine opens up. Seamless and broad on the palate, offering impressively concentrated yet lithe bitter cherry, cassis, licorice and floral pastille flavors that turn sweeter through the back half. Shows outstanding energy and sharp definition on a strikingly long, floral- and mineral-accented finish given shape by polished, fine-grained tannins.
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Wine Enthusiast
currant, cedar, olive brine, bay leaf and cigar box. Layers of texture and flavor flow over the tongue, knit together by a powdery, fine line of tannins. Oak is present but should integrate seamlessly with time in bottle. It's a classy wine that walks a tightrope of power and elegance.
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Wine & Spirits
This wine is dedicated to the founder of Vasse Felix, one of the pioneering growers in Margaret River; the cabernet sauvignon and malbec vines Virginia Willcock farms for this wine are descendants of the vines Tom Cullity planted at his vineyard in 1968. Ocean currents meet red and black currants in this smooth and luscious blend, engaging for its voluptuous texture as well as its splash of colorful fruit. There’s an undertow taking you deeper into red cherry and pomegranate, leaving you in the midst of succulent tannins, receding slowly into addictive freshness that immediately brings you back for more. Or so it did for me. This is an Aussie cabernet with elegance, one with decades of life ahead.
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Wine Spectator
There's an elegance and juiciness to the bright red fruit flavors and notes of spiced plum at the core, with pretty details of matcha green tea, nutmeg and toasted herb. Cumin, black pepper and cedar accents linger on the finish, where the tannins firm up. Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
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.