The 2013 Charles Melton Nine Popes is one of Australia's most celebrated Rhône-style blends and a benchmark wine of the Barossa Valley. Crafted by Charles Melton Wines, Nine Popes has earned iconic status for its ability to combine the richness and power of Barossa fruit with the elegance and complexity of the great wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
First produced in 1988, Nine Popes helped redefine premium Australian Grenache-based blends and remains the flagship wine of Charles Melton. The 2013 vintage combines predominantly Shiraz and Grenache sourced from low-yielding old-vine vineyards across the Barossa Valley, delivering remarkable concentration, balance, and ageing potential.
The excellent 2013 growing season provided ideal ripening conditions, producing fruit with outstanding flavour intensity, natural balance, and fine tannin structure. Traditional winemaking techniques and careful maturation in French oak allowed the individual vineyard characteristics to shine while building complexity and longevity.
Now with over a decade of bottle age, the wine reveals an expressive bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, dark cherry, and plum, layered with notes of liquorice, five spice, dried herbs, earth, dark chocolate, and subtle savoury complexity. As the wine opens, additional nuances of leather, tobacco leaf, and forest floor emerge, reflecting its maturity and pedigree.
The palate is rich and generous, yet remarkably poised. Ripe dark fruits are supported by silky tannins, vibrant acidity, and a savoury mineral thread that carries through to a long, persistent finish. Grenache contributes aromatic lift and texture, while Shiraz provides structure, depth, and longevity.
Drinking beautifully now, the 2013 Nine Popes is entering a superb stage of maturity but still possesses the balance and structure to evolve gracefully over the next 10–15 years.
Winery: Charles Melton Wines
Region: Barossa Valley, South Australia
Varieties: Shiraz & Grenache
Vintage: 2013
Style: Full-Bodied Rhône-Style Blen
Food Pairing: Roast lamb, slow-cooked beef, duck, game meats, Mediterranean cuisine, and mature hard cheeses.
