2019 Charles Melton Nine Popes

Totally opaque black dark red colour with a dark red hue. Potent aromas of black raspberry, liquorice and dark cherries waft through the olfactory senses complimented by vanillin cedar, scorched earth, a whiff of mocha and pepper. Rich and generous yet not overly weighty, the medium to full bodied palate is flush with dark to black raspberry, liquorice and dark plum fruits. Scorched earth, vanillin cedar, subtle dried meat and spicy pepper nuances ensue. Possessing excellent concentration and fleshy mouth feel it has a velvet like yet underlying muscular tannin structure. Some complexing earth and leather characters come through on the long finish.
Drink over the next 5-6 years.
Alc. 14.5%

Other Reviews…..
Charlie Melton's Nine Popes was one of the first wines that make me fall in love with Barossa wines, and it still makes me go all gooey-eyed. It's old-vine grenache and shiraz aged for 27 months in French oak (50% new). Wonderfully fragrant red and dark plum fruits with high tones of raspberry coulis and orange blossom. Under the fruit lies layered spice and hints of red licorice, redcurrant jelly, roasting meats and earth. The fruit on the palate is pure and true, the tannins tight, powdery and fine and there is a lovely cadence to the acidity as it propels the wine forward. It's still, and always has been, a joy to drink. Drink by 2035.
97 Points
Dave Brookes – James Halliday’s Australian Wine Companion