Vasse Felix Tom Cullity

Vasse Felix Tom Cullity bottle image

Wine Description

Vasse Felix, Margaret River's founding wine estate, was established by Dr Thomas Brendan Cullity in 1967. Among his first plantings were Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec vines, from which he produced the estate’s first red wine. The Tom Cullity descends from these original vines and represents the pinnacle of Vasse Felix.

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Acclaim
Some wines take your breath away – this is one of them. A Cabernet/Malbec blend with 68% new French oak; there’s no shortage of wood, but the fruit glimmers through like a mirage. Potpourri, plum skin, blueberry and damson are laced with sweet wood spice, dark chocolate shavings, liquorice strap, clove, briar rose florals and a compelling other-worldly spice. Bonfire smokiness compels. The intensity of perfume on the nose is matched on the palate, complete with splayed, shapely, firm tannins, a spider thread of acidity and a mouth-filling delicacy of fruit. A pinch of dried cranberry, saltbush and red peppercorn adds a nose-crinkling freshness to the finish. Just sublime. — Decanter, Jun 2025
Often when a structured and very young flagship wine is up for tasting, I’ll assess it initially, maybe try it with food, and spend a couple of days thinking about it and retasting. They need respect. But this time, I poured a big glass of Tom Cullity and enjoyed it immediately, as it’s approachable and complete. Even a few days later, no signs of fading. This is exceptional. There’s a certain refinement within, almost open-knit. A whorl of dark fruit, from mulberries to red berries, very spicy, very savoury, ferrous, full of nori, licorice, florals and more. It’s complex, shaped by beautifully defined tannins, the length long, the pleasure factor 10 out of 10 with ageability the same. — James Halliday, Jun 2025
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Vineyard & Production Info
Soil composition
deep gravel loam soil over clay
Year vineyard planted:
1967
Harvest time:
March-April 2016
First vintage of this wine:
2013
Bottles produced of this wine:
8,000
Average Vine Age:
53 years
Certifying Organizations:
NASSA
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Winemaking & Aging
Prefermentation Technique:
100% wild yeast, whole berry
Time on its skins:
11-30 days
Varietal composition:
81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Malbec
Fermentation container:
78% Static Fermentation, 22% Open Fermentation
Malolactic fermentation:
Full
Fining agent:
Egg white
Type of aging container:
Barriques
Type of oak:
French
Length of aging before bottling:
19 months
Age of Aging Container:
80% new, 20% 1-4 year old
Total SO2
75
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Analytical Data
pH level:
3.54
Acidity:
5.9 g/L
Alcohol:
14.2 %
Dry extract:
29 g/L
Total SO2
75
Residual sugar:
0.3 g/L
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Wine Production

All blocks destemmed only without crushing and then allowed to ferment naturally. The Cabernet Sauvignon (making up 78%) was static fermented, gently pumped over through a splash tub and then left on skins for up to 30 days. This was a particularly brilliant year for tannin ripeness and the time on the skins allowed for the wine to become structurally sound and stabilised. The Malbec and Petit Verdot (making up 22%) were open fermented, hand plunged and pressed dry. The small sections were basket pressed to fine French oak and matured for 19 months. The strength of the fruit in this vintage resulted in a greater contribution from new oak compared to previous vintages.

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About the Vineyard

Dry warm spring conditions at the end of 2015 helped establish a healthy fruit set and better yields than the previous two seasons.

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POS MATERIALS
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