Vasse Felix Tom Cullity 2020

Unlike Bordeaux Grand Cru Classé wines at comparable price points, the Tom Cullity is sealed under screwcap — a closure that provides a more consistent ageing environment than cork by eliminating the risk of TCA taint and oxidative variation. Unlike other Australian Cabernet Sauvignon at the premium tier, this wine is made from the original 1967 plantings — the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vines in Margaret River. Old vines produce smaller berries, lower yields and a flavour concentration that younger plantings cannot replicate regardless of winemaking technique. For buyers in Nairobi comparing the world’s best Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Tom Cullity sits alongside wines from Napa Valley and Bordeaux that command two to three times the price — a position validated by two independent 98-point scores from the world’s two most influential wine publications.

TASTING NOTES

Opaque garnet with flashes of deep crimson that signal both the concentration and the youth of the wine. The nose requires patience. It opens slowly and changes significantly over the first 30 minutes in the glass. Initially, cassis, mulberry and dark cherry dominate, dense and concentrated. With air, graphite, bay leaf and polished cedar emerge alongside a distinctive floral thread of pressed violet and tuberose. Further into the glass, roasted chicory, dark chocolate and a savoury nori-salt note appear. These are the signatures of old vine Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon and they are present here in their most complete form. The palate entry is powerful and composed. The tannins are the defining feature; ultrafine, chalky and silty rather than hard or gripping, spreading across the palate in a textural wave rather than landing in a defined point. They are fully integrated with the fruit and the acidity, which is bright, silvery and linear. Blackcurrant and plum carry through the mid-palate alongside baked plum, boysenberry and a thread of dark chocolate. The 16% Malbec contribution is felt as a plush, creamy quality at the mid-palate that prevents the Cabernet Sauvignon from feeling austere. The 3% Petit Verdot adds a faint violet and spice note to the back palate. The finish is outstanding in length. Tobacco leaf, crushed rock, dark berry skin and a mineral saline trace persist for well over a minute. This wine is still a baby. It will drink well now with a long decant. It will drink better in 2028 and better still in 2035.

Food Pairing

The Tom Cullity demands food with significant weight and richness. Bone-in ribeye and slow-roasted rack of lamb are the strongest matches. The wine’s firm but fine tannins cut through charred fat cleanly, and the cassis and dark fruit character mirrors the intensity of aged and roasted red meat. Beef wellington and braised short rib with a reduced wine sauce both hold alongside a glass. Aged hard cheeses — particularly those with a savoury, crystalline texture — work at the end of a meal when the wine has had time to open fully in the decanter. This is not an everyday bottle. It is a wine for a specific occasion: a significant birthday, a milestone dinner, a corporate gift of substance. In Nairobi, it is the most compelling argument for cellaring that The Wine Box currently offers. Decant for a minimum of 45 to 60 minutes before serving at 17 to 19°C.

What You Need to Know:

This wine has 98 points from Robert Parker. What does that actually mean in practical terms?
Robert Parker Wine Advocate rates wines on a 100-point scale and scores above 96 are reserved for wines described as extraordinary in all respects. The 2020 Tom Cullity was scored 98 twice — independently, on two separate tasting occasions — which places it among the finest red wines assessed globally in that vintage year.

Should I drink this now or cellar it, is the 2020 vintage ready?
It is drinkable now with a 45 to 60 minute decant, but it will improve significantly with time. James Halliday’s tasting team sets the drink window at 2025 to 2040. Virginia Willcock considers it still a baby. The most rewarding drinking window is likely 2028 to 2035.

How is Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon different from Bordeaux?
Both are Cabernet-dominant blends from maritime climates with gravel soils. Margaret River delivers more fruit intensity and density than most Bordeaux at a comparable price point, with the same structural precision. The key difference is that Margaret River fruit ripens fully every year — the vintage variation of Bordeaux does not apply here.

Does screwcap affect the quality of a fine wine intended for long cellaring?
No. Screwcap provides a more consistent ageing environment than cork by eliminating TCA taint and oxidative variation between individual bottles. Multiple longitudinal studies confirm that premium wines under screwcap age as well or better than under cork over a 15 to 20 year horizon.

What food should I serve with a wine of this calibre?
Bone-in ribeye, slow-roasted rack of lamb and beef wellington are the strongest matches. The tannins and fruit weight require food with significant richness and fat. Aged hard cheese works alongside a poured glass at the end of a meal once the wine has fully opened in the decanter.

What should I do if this bottle is out of stock?
Our customer service team can help you find a suitable alternative or source the product where possible. Reach out before your event.

Where can I buy Vasse Felix Tom Cullity 2020 in Nairobi?
Nairobi orders placed before 9 PM qualify for same-day delivery, typically completed within a 1-hour window. Free delivery applies to orders above KES 3,000 within Nairobi. Orders outside Nairobi are delivered nationwide across Kenya within 24–48 hours.