Description
‘Charlie, one of the Barossa Valley’s great characters, and wife Virginia, make some of the most eagerly sought-after wines in Australia.’ James Halliday
Charlie Melton needs no introduction. Since his first vintage in 1984 and on to his first vintage of Nine Popes in 1988 and beyond he has been a leader of the Barossa Valley. Importantly, he was one of the first to recognise the value of the Barossa’s old plantings of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, at a time when the S.A. Government launched the infamous Vine-Pull Scheme, paying growers to remove these so unproductive vines!
And thank goodness he did! Since those early days, the range of Charles Melton Wines has expanded, with total plantings today of just over 34 hectares, the majority being old vine plantings in Krondorf, Lyndoch and Rowland Flat. Indeed, the very oldest of these (at Rowland Flat) will be celebrating their centenary in 2027.
As if this pedigree needed any endorsement, the 2014 Nine Popes was awarded the trophy for Best Australian Red at the 2017 International Wine Challenge in London. Today, Charlie has been joined by daughter Sophie as winemaker, further underwriting the future of this much admired and celebrated family business.
About this wine: Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet from the Barossa and Eden Valleys. All hand-picked fruits are de-stemmed and given a 48-72 hour cold soak before the juice is enzyme settled to brilliant clarity. Two different aromatic yeast strains are used to give both perfume and mouthfeel in the ferment. The wine is bottled immediately post ferment to retain the superb aromatic characters of guava and Turkish delight, with some added vinous complexity. Finely structured, but with a touch of red fruit richness.
From the winemakers: “A great follow on to the 2022. Sharing many of the same characteristics. Similar depth and vitality to the colour, as is expected, and what has made Rose of Virginia unique in the ebb and flow of Rose trends. A sultry musk upon initial pouring, with that trademark spicy hint of high-quality Turkish delight but not at all losing its serious vinosity. A fine, dry structure, but again a touch of the smoothness but liveliness of our Rose cellar style. Perfectly weighted for that spring & summer lunch.”
Review for 2022, 97 points, Halliday “.. The vivid magenta hue (in a clear glass bottle) is, to put it mildly, jaw-dropping. But it’s far more than show; it’s wondrously fruity, yet bone dry, its rainbow of small red berries enough to stop those who ‘don’t like rosés’ in their tracks.”
RRP $39 Our Special Price $29.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine
