Description
Palate: The feature of the palate is the tightly wound structure that is enveloped by beautiful rich lime juice fruit characters. This fruit richness provides the generosity and succulence that is so appealing as a young wine. The core of natural acidity creates that great structure, finesse and length for the wine. The balance between the fruit generosity and tight acid structure is the hallmark of Castle Rock Rieslings. Lively, crisp and with an attractive delicacy now, this wine will blossom with age for at least fifteen years.
FOOD ACCOMPANIMENT
Ideal aperitif wine, will also accompany fish, delicate crustacean and mild Asian dishes.
CELLARING POTENTIAL
Excellent ageing potential. It will continue to improve through its first year and then plateau, should drink well for at least 15 years.
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AWARDS & ACCOLADES
96 Points “The nose has lime, crushed slate and citrus blossom with lifted jasmine notes. The palate has a litheness if acidity and chalky texture with a build of ginger and lime infused with citrus blossom. The mineral edge has an almost saline note before the expansive finish focuses on citrus. A stellar release of what is one of the best value and consistent in Australia.” The Wine Reviewer, Feb 2020
95 Points “The Porongurup region in the Great Southern of WA is highly regarded for its capacity to produce riesling of precision and drive. Castle Rock and winemaker and vigneron Rob Diletti have ridden that wave from the beginning, with other producers seeking out Rob’s winemaking prowess to give their riesling fruit every chance of flourishing in the bottle.
“Still a relatively young region, we are still anxiously observing just how long these piercingly focused rieslings can thrive and evolve in the bottle. This wine is poised to push those boundaries. A bright and intense yellow in the glass. The nose is equally intense, lemon pith and flesh, ripest grapefruit. A wine of tremendous drive, lime essence carries the palate, pure and pristine. Will live for quite some time.” The Real Review, Nick Butler, Feb 2020
95 Points “Super classy stuff. Get on board! Superb Riesling here from the Great Southern region. There’s tension which draws you in before a focused line of fruit and well balanced acidity keeps you mind in the game all the way. Delicate scents and a mouth full of green apples, lime juice and sizzling chalky finish. Brilliant drinking for the money. Drink to eight years+ but I reckon get amongst this while it is fresh.” QWine, Feb 2020
93 Points “The Rieslings from Porongurup in the Great Southern are renowned for their shy characters when young – these are acid driven wines with fantastic purity of fruit that generally demand time. But 2019 is a bit of a different vintage. They are still unmistakably Great Southern but in a slightly rounder, richer style. It is pale coloured, pungent and pure with concentrated citrus and green guava fruits that are focussed with a nice touch of spice. It has then got some good weight to it, with generous fruits and then finishes long and dry. An earlier drinking vintage of Castle Rock but no less delicious. It screams for some King George Whiting fillets.” Wine Pilot, Angus Hughson, March 2020
93 Points “Grapefruit, bath salts, a tropical periphery: think guava, a suggestion of Passionfruit perhaps. Grapefruit acidity presents itself early, lemon barley even. Takes me back to watching Wimbledon as a kid that does. Acidity a touch nervy at this early juncture, one suggests it will settle. It’s tense, poised, as if walking a razor wire tightrope – nervous tension like. I like it. A lot.” The Vinsomniac, Mar 2020
19/10 “Lime depth, richness like brulee with honeysuckle/honeycomb with pure mineral quartz lines and sea-spray. The palate so clean: precise and pure with just a briny texture to give grip. The finish bone dry and long. A beautiful Riesling with personality and depth…. a bargain.” Vinonotebook, March 2020
“… this is a fine, chiselled, emphatically dry riesling in style. In the glass, there is a firm aroma of lemon and stones. The palate has fresh, biting acidity and a mineral edge. Ready to drink now, this should improve with 4 to 5 years in the cellar. Rating: Good.” Grape Observer, Sea Mitchell, Feb 2020
“Owner / Winemaker Rob Diletti has again crafted a superb young Riesling reflective of the Great Southern region of WA. Even in its primacy, it is teasingly velvety with a tightly structured backbone. Steely acid grips a core of vibrantly fresh fruit in the lime blossom minerally spectrum. This well-integrated, fragrant 2019 offering showcases the best varietal attributes from that region, refreshingly different from some of the more notable Rieslings from other areas. It is a Riesling of temperament and distinction which will reward mid-term cellaring whilst delivering ample palate pleasure now.” The Grape Hunter, Gilbert Labour, Feb 2020
“Porongurup, a small part of the much larger West Australian Great Southern wine region, is rapidly gaining a significant reputation for its reasonably restrained, high quality rieslings with considerable aging potential. Look for riesling hallmarks of floral and citrus characters. Drink with grilled white-fleshed fish or share over a plate of oysters.” John Rozentals Drinks, Feb 2020
“Elegant, subtle citrus aromas, crisp zippy palate with delicious citrus flavours & beautifully balanced acidity making it enjoyable now, whilst being a REAL KEEPER!!” Dan Traucki, Wine Assist, Feb 2020
“Castle Rock Estate winemaker Rob Diletti is something of a riesling specialist. This is one of three rieslings in the current range and is absolutely outstanding both in terms of quality and value-for-money. The Great Southern in Western Australia is a region that can compete with any in Australia in regard to riesling quality and potential longevity. Pale, but intense, this still quite tightly wound in its youth with lime and grapefruit juice notes to the fore. It has terrific structure and fresh zingy acid on the finish and is lip-smackingly good right now. Pair it with pan-fried” Winsor Dobbin, Mar 2020
