Charles Melton Rose Of Virginia 2022

Winemaking Notes
A number of key techniques are important to the 2022 Charles Melton Rose of Virginia, each carefully employed to maximise aromatic complexity and preserve the wine's vibrant character. The fruit is cold soaked on skins, a technique that gently extracts colour and aromatic compounds whilst minimising harsh tannin extraction, followed by clear settling of the juice to help heighten the aromatics and ensure purity of flavour. Co-fermentation of the major varieties delivers the superb bright pinkish red hue that defines this wine, allowing the different grape varieties to integrate seamlessly during fermentation rather than being blended afterwards. A six to eight week cool alcoholic fermentation follows, conducted at controlled temperatures to preserve the delicate tropical guava aromatics and fresh red fruit character. Immediate bottling after fermentation is crucial to retain as much youthful zest and life as possible, capturing the wine at its most vibrant and ensuring the Rose of Virginia displays the freshness and energy that have made it one of Australia's most respected rosés. This careful approach to winemaking, from cold soaking through to immediate bottling, ensures the wine maintains its beautiful weight, gentle grip, and exceptional length of flavour.

Vintage Conditions
The 2022 vintage provided excellent conditions for rosé production, allowing the fruit to develop the tropical guava aromatics and serious vinous character that define this release. The vintage produced fruit with beautiful natural acidity and aromatic intensity, providing the perfect foundation for the cold soaking and co-fermentation techniques that are central to the Rose of Virginia style. The bright pinkish red tones, similar to the acclaimed 2021 vintage, reflect the quality and consistency of fruit from Charles Melton's vineyards, with the 2022 season delivering grapes of exceptional purity and concentration. The cool fermentation conditions employed during the six to eight week alcoholic fermentation allowed the wine to develop its beautifully weighted palate whilst preserving the delicate aromatics and fresh red fruit character. The vintage's characteristics, combined with immediate bottling to retain youthful zest and life, have resulted in a rosé of exceptional quality with the gentlest touch of grip and remarkable length of flavour. The 2022 Rose of Virginia showcases the vintage's ability to produce rosé of both elegance and substance, with red fruits following all the way through the palate and the serious vinous aromatics that set this wine apart from typical rosé styles.