Charles Melton, `Nine Popes` Barossa Valley

Charlie Melton was among the first to recognise the value and tradition of Barossa Valley’s old-vine Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre (Mataro). While others were grubbing up Shiraz to plant more fashionable varieties, Charlie and a small band of Barossa winemakers convinced farmers to keep their historic vineyards. These wines were initially styled on those from the Rhône but are now considered leading examples in their own right.

Since 1984, Charlie has produced premium Barossa red wines. Charles Melton is a family project, and today his daughter Sophie, a talented young winemaker, assists Charlie in the winery. The wines have lovely balance and freshness, with the use of primarily French and some American oak giving them a supple texture and poise. The grapes are dry-grown, chemical-free and harvested from estate-owned vineyards in Tanunda and Lyndoch. These vineyards now comprise 20 hectares, the oldest planted in 1947 and the rest from the late 1960s onwards. The estate vineyards are supplemented by other growers with whom Charlie has worked for many years, with the oldest grower block dating from the 1880s, with numerous vines ranging between 70 and 100 years old.

Best known for his ‘Nine Popes’ blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro, Charlie’s single-site wines such as ‘Grains of Paradise’ and ‘Voices of Angels’ have drawn much attention in recent years. The former, from the Barossa, is a modern classic that is full-bodied and opulent, yet refined, while the latter, from a vineyard straddling the border of the Adelaide Hills and Eden Valley, is elegant and perfumed with a lovely mid-palate generosity. Named after Charlie’s wife, the ‘Rose of Virginia’ is a unique style of rosé. Vibrant cerise in colour, this is full-bodied yet crisp, with a fragrant bouquet of Turkish Delight, seasoned with pepper and spice. The ‘Kirche’ is a Cabernet Shiraz blend named after an old Lutheran church that the vineyard surrounds. It is aged in both French and American oak, delivering a plush style with plentiful fruit, vanilla and sweet spice. The Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon, made exclusively from ‘Kirche’ vineyard estate fruit, is rich and layered with fine tannins.