Castle Rock Porongurup Pinot Noir 2019

I first met winemaker Rob Diletti at the Len Evans Tutorial, many years ago. My lasting impression is of a bloke who thought deeply about wine at every level. Since then, his Castle Rock wines have never failed to impress and I suspect if he was not such a quiet and modest guy that his wines would be far better known and receiving more of the accolades that they so richly deserve. 

Seven days cold soaking, natural fermentation, 100% whole bunch fermentation and then barrels. 10 months, no racking, in French barriques, 28% of which are new. 

A lovely gentle red colour. That 100% whole bunch fermentation is immediately apparent. I know this character divides pinot fans. For me, too obvious and it throws the wine right out of balance, making it too sappy. A little can really add to the complexity and class of a good pinot and that is the case here. Spices, herbs, florals, and underneath all that, some cherries. This is pretty much as good as WA Pinot gets, but it also suggests that the future in the West might be more exciting for this variety than most anticipate. Seamless, balanced, good acidity and underlying minerality. This has a good future. Definitely a wine which all Pinotphiles should check out.