TN: Castle Rock A&W Reserve Riesling 2016

[Waiters Friend]

This Porongorups winery has long made cracking Riesling.

Light straw colour, even at 4 years old. Delicate but intense nose of lime and lemon, with some orange rind, and florals. There's pronounced minerality on the palate (think slate or river pebbles) along with incredible purity of fruit. Acid is refreshing but not searing, and the wine seems perfectly balanced.

This has plenty of time, and will fill out and improve over the next 5 years at least.

[Dave Dewhurst]

These guys and Duke's (whose wine is made by Rob Diletti) for me make close to the best Rieslings in the country, Grossets and the like notwithstanding!

Cheers

Dave

[Waiters Friend]

These guys and Duke's (whose wine is made by Rob Diletti) for me make close to the best Rieslings in the country, Grossets and the like notwithstanding!

Cheers

Dave

I couldn't agree more, Dave. I've been buying a six pack of Dukes' Magpie Hill Riesling for the past five or more years, along with a fair amount of Castle Rock. There's a fruit purity and power with restraint and minerality which I don't see in other Australian Rieslings.

Cheers
Allan

[Dave Dewhurst]

Yeah, agreed. It made me chuckle when Duke's got the Halliday plaudits for their 2017 but also sad as a hidden gem became much harder to find! Certainly well deserved and just delightful people. Up for sale now I believe.

Cheers

Dave

[Waiters Friend]

Yeah, agreed. It made me chuckle when Duke's got the Halliday plaudits for their 2017 but also sad as a hidden gem became much harder to find! Certainly well deserved and just delightful people. Up for sale now I believe.

Cheers

Dave

Yes, definitely on the market, and the last estimate I had was $1.8M. Duke turned 80 in 2019 (I think) and retirement was definitely on the agenda when I last saw him. The location itself is idyllic.

I also had a chuckle when Halliday 'discovered' the Magpie Hill Riesling, but I still got my six pack each year regardless.