Charles Melton Wines
Barossa Valley , South Australia
Winery Overview
Since the first vintage of Charles Melton Wines in 1984, this boutique Barossa Valley winery has gained both national and international recognition for its premium red table wines.
The wines move from our renowned rosé, ‘The Rose of Virginia’, through to Australia’s premier Rhone-style red, ‘Nine Popes.’ Charles Melton also produces Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sparkling Red, and is the earliest Australian producer of a Vin Santo style dessert wine, Sotto di Ferro.
Charlie was one of the first to recognise the value and tradition of the Barossa’s old vineyard Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro. In the 1980s, when others were pulling out vineyards of old Grenache and Shiraz to plant white varieties, Charlie convinced growers to retain their historic vineyards. He was one of a small group of winemakers who helped retain the viticultural heritage of the Barossa. Charles Melton Wines are now proud custodians of bush vine Grenache over 70 years old and 90 year old Shiraz vines.
Whole bunch fermentation, open fermentation, hand plunging of ferments, wild yeast and malolactic fermentation are all used in the winemaking process. These techniques provide a wide range of blending options, allowing Charles Melton to achieve a balance between wines that portray pure fruit flavours and more complex/gamey characters.
Our dry reds are matured in both French and American Oak, which have been seasoned for 3 years in France, before the staves are shaped via immersion rather than the traditional fire method. This gives rise to cellar style which allows the rich fragrance and flavours of old dry grown Barossa vines to move to the fore, with subtle oak complementing the fruit.
Showing complexity from a range of vineyard sites and vinification techniques, the wines have demonstrated over the last three decades an ability to cellar gracefully into mature examples of the finest Barossa styles.
Available in
Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, UK
Chief Winemaker/s
Charlie Melton , Sophie Claire Melton
Winemaker Bio
If old vine Barossa Shiraz had few friends in the 1980s, old vine Barossa Grenache was even less popular. If it was made into wine it was made into cheap fortified styles that were high on alcohol but low on complexity. Unlike most in the Barossa Valley, Charlie saw potential in these dry grown old Grenache vines. While others neglected them, Charlie treated them with care and love. He focused on reducing yields in his vineyards, vastly improving the quality of the grapes produced. Taking inspiration from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Charlie took the fruit from these vines and blended it with Shiraz and Mourvedre (Mataro) to create what would become his flagship wine, Nine Popes. Charlie loved the resulting wine but knew that if he labelled the wine as a Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvedre (GSM) blend his chances of selling the wine were next to zero. So he looked to the region that had inspired the wine and translated it into English. And so Châteauneuf-du-Pape became Nine Popes and a legendary Australian wine was born, Only one little problem, of course, Châteauneuf-du-Pape translates to Castle of the New Popes not Castle of the Nine Popes! By the time Charlie released his translation was off it was too late, and just like Charlie Melton in the Barossa, Nine Popes was here to stay.
Sophie Melton is a second-generation Barossa Valley winemaker and has always been surrounded by wine. She pursued a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide and has since been at Peter Lehmann Wines and then as Assistant Winemaker at Thorn-Clarke Wines learning her craft before joining her family business Charles Melton as Winemaker in 2022. Her outstanding undergraduate work was recognised when she was presented with the 2018 Gramp Hardy Smith Memorial Prize for most outstanding student in Viticulture & Oenology.
