Charles Melton Rose of Virginia Barossa Valley 2023
This rosé has a fragrant Turkish Delight bouquet, with a little pepper and spice to add complexity. The usual unique vibrant cerise tint adds colour to the table. Balanced acidity, tannin and weight give the usual Rose of Virginia combination of richness yet crispness. It will retain its fruit sweetness and perfume over a couple of years at least.
At Charles Melton Wines, great emphasis is placed on the quality of fruit. All grapes are dry grown and harvested from the winery's own 80 acres of prime Barossa vineyard land, as well as from a select group of grape growers. Yields are extremely low with often only one tonne per half hectare and the vineyards are truly old with many exceeding 80 years.
The fruit was crushed and destemmed, then cold soaked on its skins for 48 hours. The juice was then drained and the skins pressed. Only the free-run juice was used for the Rose of Virginia. The juice was then cold settled, and racked off its lees after two days. The wine was fermented at low temperatures (10-12ºC) in stainless steel tanks to retain the elegant fruit and floral aromatics.
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.
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