Well this is a fascinating wine for Rob Diletti & family. The Castle Rock Estate Diletti Riesling 2021 is a barrel-fermented and matured take on the usual house style, with a pitch to take Porongurup Riesling to another level.

The result isn’t necessarily an easy, fresh life invigorating drink like the rest of the Castle Rock Riesling range, but there is much interest here. You don’t see the barrel influence per se, but it does tone down the aromatics a smidgen. The main game here is the palate, which is like a wall of ultra-concentrated grapefruit. Gee there is some latent, power in there (and no shortage of acidity). Yet it’s not an obvious wine – it’s too condensed and brooding for that. You feel like this will slow burn forever, with that grapefruit core lasting for generations.

How do you score it? It’s not a slam dunk gold medal wine now. But in years to come, this could be really something. Best drinking: net decade maybe? Or at least 2-3 years for a revisit. 18/20, 93/100+. 11%, $36. Would I buy it? Worth a bottle for the cellar.