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Castle Rock A&W Riesling 2023

This is a tribute to Angelo and Wendy Diletti, Rob’s parents and the founders of Castle Rock. They planted their first Riesling vines in 1983. All blocks are considered for inclusion. The grapes are hand harvested, and selected from the best rows of the vintage. Whole bunched pressed, a cool fermentation in stainless steel and then four months on lees. A very pale yellow hue, the nose gives us ginger, limes, honey and wet stones. Impeccable focus and exceptional length are on show and the balance is also a highlight. This is obviously very young but already absolutely approachable. Even so, no harm in cellaring a few bottles for the next ten to fifteen years, probably longer. Anyone who has the slightest doubt as to the quality of Riesling from the West needs to try this, and the other CR wines. These are special Aussie Rieslings.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.

Wine writer and critic