Charles Melton is one of Australia's most accomplished winemakers. His vineyards are situated in the Barossa County in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. His Nine Popes wine is delicious but a little expensive now in the UK; nevertheless his wines compare favourably with the best from Europe and the US.
The 2008 Voices of Angels had been laying flat at home for a good number of years. The bottle was sealed with a screw cap so there was no real need to lay it down. I can't remember whether I bought it or not or whether it was a present. Probably I bought it in London. The wine was fermented in new oak barrels,
75% french and 25%, and then left on its lees for 24 months before bottling. Charles Melton recommends drinking this wine after a decade or so. The wine was perfect for drinking in 2019. We drank it with family as we ate pasta with a beef based ragout: the rest of the bottle was reserved for French , English and Spanish cheese.
The wine had maintained its deep purple colour possibly because the screw cap had not allowed oxygen to infuse into the bottle, to slightly oxidise the wine which would happen if the bottle was sealed with a cork. The wine smelt and tasted completely fresh. It was strong in alcohol but this was strongly integrated into the wine. The wine was full bodied but the tannin of the Shiraz grapes were softening. The wine tasted of Shiraz spice but it was fruity, complex and concentrated. It had all of the hallmarks of a superb wine that would age for another decade.
This wine is not something that you should slosh down at a party or barbecue. It is meant to be appreciated with good food. It delivers on high quality and taste. It is expensive but really worth trying to see what superior wine making from Australia can truly deliver. It is well recommended. Why not go out and spoil yourself. I don't think the winemaker is producing this brand any longer so it could increase in value.
http://www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au/products/our-wines
https://www.vivino.com/charles-melton-wines-voices-of-angels-shiraz/w/1540420?year=2008
