JANCIS ROBINSON – AUSTRALIA AUTUMN COLLECTION 4 DEC 2013

2011 Kevin John Chardonnay, Lovely purity and reticence on the nose, then a tight knit, gloriously refreshing palate…

Jancis and her team reviewed a very mixed bag of nearly 150 Australian wines tasted in London over the past few weeks which included both 2011 Kevin John Chardonnay and 2012 Mangan East Block. Listed in descending score order, Kevin John came an impressive third in the white wines after Grosset’s Polish Hill and Chardonnay while the East Block received a very respectable 16.5 points.

Cullen, Kevin John Chardonnay 2011 Margaret River 17.5 Drink 2014-2024
Lovely purity and reticence on the nose, then a tight knit, gloriously refreshing palate. Full of vim and waxiness. Fleshy and full – quite unlike the vogue Victorian Chardonnays. Nothing reductive about this! (RH)

Cullen, Mangan East Block 2012 Margaret River 16.5+ Drink 2014-2018
54% Petit Verdot, 46% Malbec. Still showing some fermentation aromas on the nose, seemingly? Soft, supple fruit. Great definition, very tender tannins. Lovely smooth structure. Not quite the power and breadth to last for a huge amount of time. (RH)