Tasting Notes: (new vintage picture to be uploaded soon)
Probably one of the only wine titles to grow out of linguistic incompetence, the origin of ‘Nine Popes’ is an interesting one! Chateâuneuf du Pape, the stuff upon which Nine Popes is based, when translated into English means ‘Castle of the New Pope’. For a worldwide audience, Charlie decided to give the name an Aussie twist. The problem was that his French skills were somewhat sketchy and he thought that Châteauneuf du Pape meant home of the ‘Nine’ popes.
Charles Melton's Nine Popes is recognised as Australia's benchmark interpretation of a southern Rhone blend. The Nine Popes is intensely dark purplish red in colour with characteristic musky, spicy perfumes of violets and herbs. On the palate the plump ripe Grenache fruit with its trademark muskiness envelopes the muscular structure of the more tannic Shiraz. Warm earthy notes and spices from the Shiraz and Mourvedre add another layer of complexity. It is long and intense through to the finish which lingers on notes of aniseed, sweet liquorice and cinnamon.
The Grenache fruit in this blend comes principally from old dry grown bush vines, the Barossa being one of the few areas retaining this rich heritage of Australia’s early wine makers. The Shiraz and Mourvèdre are a mix of trellis grown and bush vines of similar age.