Charlie Melton was one of the first to recognise the value and tradition of the Barossa Valley’s old-vine Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre (Mataro). While others were pulling out Shiraz to plant more fashionable varieties, Charlie and a small band of Barossa winemakers were convincing farmers to keep their historic vineyards. These wines were initially styled on those from the Rhône, but are now considered leading examples of the varieties in their own right.
Since 1984, Charlie has produced premium Barossa red wines which have wonderful balance and freshness, with the use of French oak giving them a supple texture and poise. The grapes are dry-grown, chemical-free and harvested from the winery’s own vineyards in Tanunda and Lyndoch. The estate vineyards now comprise 32 hectares, the oldest having been planted in 1947, with the balance planted from the late 1960s onwards. The estate vineyards are supplemented by other growers with whom Charlie has worked for a number of years. The oldest grower block dates from the 1880s, with a number of vines ranging between 70 and 100 years old.
Pedro Ximenez and Muscadelle bunches are carefully hand-picked and placed in small crates before being taken to our ‘hanging shed’. There, an experienced team tie six to eight bunches of grapes onto strings which are then suspended from the rafters for up to eight weeks. The grapes dehydrate naturally as they are exposed to air, and when the team at Charles Melton Wines deems the grapes to be concentrated enough, the bunches will be pressed in a basket press. The juice is then yeasted and fermented in small 60-litre old oak casks known as ‘Caratelli’ for 18 months. After fermentation completes, the wine will remain in barrel for a further four years before it is bottled.
Types
Dessert Wine, Port & Dessert Wine
Producer
Charles Melton
Country
Australia
Alcohol by Volume
8%
Grape
Muscadelle, Pedro Ximenez
Region
Barossa Valley
Size
750ml
