Pinot Noir from the Porongurup region in Western Australia’s Great Southern region continues to build its reputation as one of the state’s best. The variety has a natural affinity with the region, which is being fastidiously explored by Castle Rock Estate’s Rob Diletti.
The winery has recently released three new vintage Pinot Noirs. These wines are the 2022 Castle Rock Estate ‘A&W’ Pinot Noir, 2022 Castle Rock Estate ‘Diletti’ Pinot Noir and 2022 Castle Rock Estate Pinot Noir.
The first Pinot Noir vines were planted at Castle Rock Estate in 1986. The Porongurup boasts a unique climate due to its aspect and elevation. This creates a nocturnal thermal zone due to warm air rising above denser cold air sliding down the hillsides. The conditions produced from this air drainage are ideal for ripening and reduces the risk of frost.
Pinot Noir is recognised for its ability to convey terroir due to its delicate but balanced structure. In the winery we minimise winemaker intervention where possible to maintain the wines regional expression. With our Pinot Noir we follow traditional winemaking methods such as the use of oak barrels, whole bunch fermentations, and extended maceration to build complexity and structure, but never at the detriment of varietal expression.
The 2022 Castle Rock Estate Pinot Noir is a complex and structured wine, that has evolved over the last 20 years to showcase the diversity and uniqueness of our site. Estate fruit is sourced from vines aged between 8-37 years.
It is hand and machine harvested with the winemaking comprising seven-day cold soak, whole bunch fermentation and barrel fermentation. It was filled to a mix of new and seasoned French barriques and matured for 10 months on medium lees (24% new oak, 19% whole bunch).
Our ‘Diletti’ wines are an exploration of texture in balance with our natural fruit character. Our 2022 Castle Rock Estate ‘Diletti’ Pinot Noir focuses on the inclusion of whole bunch fermentation as the source of texture in this wine. Whole bunch fermenters were sealed and gassed with CO2 to encourage carbonic maceration and left to cold soak. The ferments were foot stomped post-cold soak, and through fermentation. The wine was then matured in barrel for ten months on medium lees (18% new oak, 73% whole bunch).
The 2022 Castle Rock Estate ‘A&W’ Pinot Noir honours our founders, Angelo and Wendy, who planted the first Pinot Noir vines on our site in 1986.
This wine is made with fruit sourced primarily from these original plantings. We consider this the best Pinot Noir fruit on our site. Only the best barrels were selected from several small batch treatments for the final blend. It was matured in French oak on medium lees for ten months (23% new oak, 32% whole bunch).