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CHARLES MELTON, ‘ROSE OF VIRGINIA‘ BAROSSA VALLEY 2009
Charles Melton Wines has produced premium Barossa red wines since 1984. At that time, Charlie and a small and of Barossa winemakers turned their winemaking efforts to what were then considered a couple of unfashionable varieties: Shiraz and Grenache. These wines were initially styled on those from the Rhone but are now considered leading examples of the varieties in their own right. The wines have always attracted national and international recognition, and an enduring commitment to dry farmed vineyards and careful crafting of the wines will ensure that this continues.
At Charles Melton Wines, great emphasis is placed on the quality of fruit. All grapes are dry grown and harvested from the winerys own 50 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 to the acre, and the vineyards are truly old with many exceeding 80 years.
An early week of heat at the end of veraison caused some minor crop loss, mainly on the Shiraz, but after the passing of the warmth the main body of harvest time was idyllic. Night temperatures of 8-9ºC and bright days of 25-28ºC with no rain meant ideal finishing conditons, especially for the later varieties such as Grenache and Cabernet.
Co-fermentation of the varieties gives the bright pink colour, and a variation in skin contact times allows us to arrive at just the right combination of colour and tannin. The slow, cool fermentation is stopped when just a few grams of natural grape sugar are left in the wine. This to soften rather than sweeten. Picking slightly early helps retain the natural acidity. The wine is then bottled immediately to capture its youthful zest and fragrance.
A slightly higher Grenache portion (60%) than the previous few years. Our aim was to lighten the style just ever so slightly away from the super rich rose style. The wine remains lightly perfumed from its Grenache origins with the usual restraining influence from the Cabernet and Shiraz portions ever so slightly drier than the 08. Vivid fuschia in colour, with lovely aromatic Grenache perfumes on the nose, given a touch of spice by the Shiraz and Cabernet. On the palate the wine is well-balanced, with good mid-palate richness and the surprising weight and trademark tannins of the Rosé of Virginia.
This wine is also available in the 2008 vintage.
Other Charles Melton wines available from HarperWells include the 'Nine Popes' Barossa Valley 2006 and the Barossa Valley Shiraz 2005. If you would like further information on theses wines, or would like help finding something similar you can use our search facility. Alternatively you could call the HarperWells office on 0844 355 8324, or email sip@harperwells.com where we would be pleased to answer any questions.