2022 Castle Rock Estate Porongurup Pinot Noir, Great Southern

This puts Castle Rock into the top echelon with those cool climate regions in eastern Australia. The colour is superb, the bouquet and mouth-filling palate a symphony of strawberry and red cherry fruits, spices of every hue, and a peacock’s tail opening on the finish and aftertaste.

97 points James Halliday's Top 100 20 Reds Under $40 November 2023

$40, 13.5% alcohol

Drink to 2033

Trophy ‘Best Pinot Noir‘ 2023 Perth Royal Wine Awards
Gold Medal 2023 Perth Royal Wine Awards

Another outstanding Pinot from Castle Rock. Diletti has managed to combine the immense power and flavour of this variety in a very good vintage with a degree of subtle finesse to create a thoroughly beautiful example of Pinot Noir from the Great Southern. The intense strawberry fruits are complemented with a savoury element. Seamless with a fine lingering acidity. Makes quite a statement.

96 points Ray Jordan winepilot.com 

Vine age here is between 8 – 37 years with whole bunch fermentation and barrel fermentation. A mixture of old and new oak matured for 10 months on lees. Red strawberries, cranberries and stewed rhubarb with a herbal lift of lavender, redcurrant and pink peppercorn, which adds another exciting dimension to the wine. Tannins are gritty, crumbly and built from fruit rather than oak. Acidity is crunchy and bright. This is a serious Pinot Noir from Porongurup, with angles and edges to pillowy red and black fruit. If this is their estate Pinot Noir what more can they do? I could easily drink this all day long. Pair with seared duck breast served pink. Delicious now and will cellar well for 3-5 years.

95 points Shanteh Wale winepilot.com