The Stepmother 2020

Located in the renowned Barossa Valley in South Australia, the Charles Melton estate boasts hillside vineyards and old vines rooted in diverse soils of sand, clay, and gravel. The La Belle Mère cuvée is primarily sourced from Grenache, Shiraz, and Mourvèdre plots cultivated around Krondorf and the central valley, benefiting from a warm climate tempered by cooler influences from the surrounding hills. This mosaic of terroirs imparts a generous, structured, and balanced character to the wine.

The grapes for this cuvée are harvested at full maturity, and each varietal is vinified separately before blending. Fermentation takes place in open vats, with regular pump-overs to extract color and structure. After racking, the wine is aged primarily in French oak barrels, including a proportion of new barrels, complemented by older barrels to preserve the fruit. Aging continues in barrels before bottling at the estate.

This wine reveals notes of ripe red fruit , juicy black fruit , and plum , enhanced by spicy touches of pepper and licorice , as well as delicate floral nuances and integrated oak with hints of vanilla and cedar . The palate is full-bodied and supple, supported by fine tannins, a fresh acidity that balances the richness of the fruit, and a lingering finish with spicy and slightly chocolatey notes.

Australia began producing wine more than two centuries ago. This has resulted in a country rich in old vines, multigenerational winemaking families, and a deep-rooted knowledge and respect for craftsmanship. Add to this a thirst for exploration and innovation, a fearless attitude, and a diverse portfolio of 65 wine regions across a wide range of climates, and you have the makings of an extraordinary wine nation. Australia burst onto the export scene in the 1980s and has since been offering the world vibrant, fruity, and exceptionally good-value wines. Until the late 1990s and early 2000s, the history of Australian wine was dominated by examples of Shiraz, Grenache, and overly concentrated red blends. Between these two extremes lies the diverse range of high-quality Australian wines and regional wines that has always existed. Australian viticulture is concentrated primarily along the southern coastline where conditions are cooler. There are four main wine regions, each centered around major cities: Western Australia around Perth, South Australia around Adelaide, Victoria around Melbourne, and New South Wales around Sydney. The country is one of the world's largest wine producers and was the fourth-largest exporter in 2011. This recent development has made Australia one of the most prominent countries for the quality of its wines. You can taste Australian wines throughout the country. Each Australian region has its own grape varieties. Australian wines are defined by their grape variety, unlike French wines, which are defined by their terroir.