Castle Rock Estate Pinot Noir 2021
- 93
- $40
- Drink by: 2022-2028
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My first thought after tasting this wine was that if Western Australia keeps making Pinot Noir like this then we might have to revise our stereotypical opinions of West Australian Pinot. Cold soaking for a week, wild yeasts and barrel fermentation, maturation was in French barriques for nine to ten months with around one quarter of them new. Pale garnet in colour, the wine offers the enthralling aromas we look for in a classic Pinot. Some early complexity; game, red fruits, cranberries, spices, cherries, a hint of a briary note and some undergrowth. Then well balanced, linear and with good persistence plus silky tannins. This is lovely now but should continue to improve over the next five to six years. 93 with potential to rise. Castle Rock is a name which should be on every Aussie winelover’s must drink list.
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.
