The Great Southern Diaries: Castle Rock

Arguably the focal point of the Porongorups is the Granite outcrop known as Castle Rock (part of which is pictured below) which also lends its name to the venerable (particularly so for the area) winery perched very close to the bottom of the outcrop access trail (below right in the picture above).

The Castle Rock winery was first established in 1981 by Angelo & Wendy Diletti, with the first commercial release in 1986. The wines have been made on site by their highly regarded winemaking son Robert since 2000, before that they were produced at the (also top notch) Alkoomi Frankland River winery. We were served by Angelo himself who keeps close tabs on the vineyard even though he is ‘retired’ (I asked him whether the late harvest style had any Bortrytis and he responded ‘No, I wouldn’t let any of that stuff into the vineyard).

The backbone of the Castle Rock range is the delightfully minerally (reflecting the weathered granitic soils) Riesling, but as you can see by my notes below, the range is consistently high quality. in a refined and delicate. cool climate framework. After trying the Plantagenet’s on the previous day and being somewhat underwhelmed, these wines seemed like a return to freshness and vitality.

Castle Rock Riesling 2008
Great way to start. Lifted grapefruit & lemon on the nose with some floral Gardenia perfumes. The palate is pretty, light & stony with soft, natural acidity & a real delicacy. Clean, pure and delicious. Drinkable immediately or hold & expect it to turn it like below. Stunning value @$18. 18.5 (we bought some).

Castle Rock Riesling 2004
Such a clear lineage here with the 2008, this with a more honeyed citrus and lemon toast developed overtone. The palate is again softly citrussy and pure. A snapshot of where the 08 will go and a lovely, lightly developed Riesling. 18.5

Castle Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2008

Almost colourless. Snappy green bean aromatics in a slightly subdued, citrussy mould. The palate is light & fresh with more citrus and green bean. Really refreshing, clean and delicate. I liked this. 18.0

Castle Rock Chardonnay 2008
I’m not sure of the direction here. Apparently a Chablis style, though its more like a delicate Unwooded Chardonnay. Very light, subdued nose with grapefruit and peach. Imperceptible oak. Its very youthful, but its just too delicate to be convincing. I can’t help but think this vineyard might be best suited to the aromatic varieties. 16+

Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2005
I remain unconvinced about this regions Pinot suitability. It just gets too warm. Saying that, this is a reasonable example. Quite a tawny colour. The nose is Pinoty with cherry & stewed rhubarb fruit, backed by a hint of spice. The palate is slightly subdued and light but still fresh and drinkable. 17

Castle Rock Shiraz 2005
Big and distinctly regional with the mouthfilling chocolate & eucalypt style that is characteristic of both the region and the vintage. The nose has a good dose of peppery meaty aromatics which flow onto the generous palate. Good, but not brilliant. 17.1

Castle Rock Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Herby, capsicum nose with cassis & black fruit underneath. Its very dry and tannic through the palate with a drying back end. Needs time, but I quite like the structure here. 17+

Castle Rock Late Harvest Riesling 2008
Its an off dry version of the Estate Riesling & I think if you like the Estate Riesling you will probably like this. Perfumed floral with a citrussy pungency and a delicate soft palate. Very pure and pristine, if quite light. Tasty. 18