FORTIFIED WINE

Historically in Australia, these would have been described as Port wines but out of respect for the long standing use of this term in the wider world to describe the fortified wines of the Douro Valley in Portugal, we have stopped labelling them with the word Port. The V.P. is a single vintage wine, bottled after 18 months maturation in barrel and suited to further bottle ageing. The Tawny is a blend of older vintages which have been matured in barrel in partial contact with the air for many years (the average age of the blend is 15 years) and it is ready to consume on release. We do not produce a V.P. every year, only when conditions are right. Nor can we release a Tawny every year as we do not have enough maturing barrel stocks to permit this. Most years we are able to release one or the other. Many of our V.P. customers like to cellar this wine and at 10 years old it is rich and smooth. However we do not discourage our more enthusiastic (typically younger) consumers from drinking their V.P. early as it is also delicious as a young wine. Further information on cellaring, individual vintages and how they are drinking is available by clicking on the “Tasting Notes” button. Food matching suggestions For V.P., try it with a platter of matured cheddar or other flavoursome cheeses such as Emmental, Gruyere, or Tilsit. Dried fruits or dried fruit cake (alone or with chocolate in the style of Panforté) is also a delicious accompaniment. For Tawny, try it with the finest quality walnuts you can find or plain cakes like Madeira cake. Really delicious. As an aside, whilst working the harvest in Bordeaux in 1992 I picked up the habit of drinking a small glass of chilled Port (from the fridge) as an aperitif. The cold serving temperature reduces the sweetness and the sugar feeds your appetite whilst you prepare for, or prepare, the evening meal. Works very well! Winemaking Fermentation takes place in small open vats which are regularly hand plunged to extract colour and tannins from the grape seeds and skins. Around two-thirds of the way through fermentation, the grapes are pressed and the still naturally sweet juice is fortified with brandy spirit to around 18-19 % alcohol. The wine is then matured for 18 months (in the case of the V.P.) or for around 15 years (in the case of the Tawny) in small oak barrels before bottling. The wine is made and bottled on the estate. Average Production 100 dozen (500mL) per release

Vintages Produced (V.P.): 2022, 2021, 2020, 2016, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 (the last two vintages were labelled Chalice) __________________________ Tawny (non vintage) : Released in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2020. __________________________ 2022 V.P. (750ml) Produced from 100% Shiraz from the Borrett's Hedge Block vineyard in Langhorne Creek. Very deep purple in colour (careful when wearing white clothes!). Rich and full of fruit flavour, this takes the intensity and structure up a notch on last year's wine. It finishes particularly clean and long. Drink now-2042+ 2021 V.P. (750ml) Produced from Shiraz from the Borrett's Hedge Block vineyard in Langhorne Creek. This wine is very deep red in colour as you would expect from Shiraz. Rich and as fruity as a fruit cake with all of the spices. It's just delicious and it makes me wonder why we don't drink more of this style of red these days... something to do with the pace of life I suppose. Make time for this wine and you'll be glad you did. It's great served cold as an aperitif while young or at any age with hard cheeses. Our 500mL bottle that we use for the Tawny and V.P. was not available this year due to COVID issues disrupting the supply chain. Consequently, we used a 750mL bottle which is finished with a gold cap for the first time so that it will be easier to distinguish from our dry reds. 2020 V.P. (500ml, screw cap) Produced from our Almond Block Graciano (85%) and Mataro (15%). This year the fruit ripened quickly to a high sugar level and looked perfect for VP production so we didn’t hesitate! With the addition of some quality brandy spirit and utilising Graciano’s natural acidity, this has produced a vibrant, almost refreshing fortified wine of unusual finesse. It’s fruity and delicious to drink now and will mature beautifully over many years if you’re patient. Delightful with matured cheese or just by itself as an aperitif! October 2020 Noon Tawny release (500ml, screw cap) This blend has an average age of 15 years. Combines sweetness with refinement and freshness with maturity. Seems very successful and delicious to drink now. 2016 V.P. (500ml, screw cap) The last VP we made was in 2006 so after a 10 year absence it gives us great pleasure to be able to offer this wine again. Produced from 100% Shiraz grown on the ‘Hedge Block’ at Langhorne Creek by the Borrett family. Conditions during the latter part of harvest this year were ideal for late picked wine and so we seized the opportunity to produce this VP. Dark, rich and inviting, with a palate full of flavour but not too sweet, it is enjoyable chilled as an aperitif or with food such as matured hard cheeses or 70%+ dark chocolate. The V.P can be cellared for many years but it’s also terrific to drink young. Back vintages VP notes: 2006 V.P. (500ml, cork) Tasting note: Medium-deep red in colour with a strong purple hue. Lovely nose of sweet plum jam, ripe strawberries, red currant jelly and spices (vanilla and clove). The palate is very refined and elegant (typical of 2006) yet intense and very long in flavour. The finish lasts for over a minute! Richly sweet, balanced by perfect acid/tannin to provide a silky smooth mouthfeel. Excellent, refined V.P., with less power than the 05 but more elegance. Produced from 100% McLaren Vale Grenache. Optimum drinking time: As for all of the V.P.s this has a broad drinking window. Best 2008 to 2020+ 2005 V.P. The wine is very deep red in colour. Lovely aromas of ripe blackberry fruit and it appears young and intense at this early stage of its life. Overall, a very good young V.P. produced from 100% Grenache. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2025 2004 V.P. 100% Grenache. It has a complex and attractive nose showing a lot of rich, dark fruits. The palate is focused and pure, showing sweet fruits balanced by a near perfect marriage of acid, tannin and brandy spirit. Very good length of flavour. Simply, a good V.P. with plenty of potential for bottle ageing. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2020 2003 V.P. **NOT MADE due to insufficient grapes available in this very small vintage. 2002 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Impressive colour – very deep (much deeper than the 2001) and still holding a purple hue. A terrific nose of blackberries and red currants along with some floral notes (violets) and licorice. Smells complex and inviting. It is a powerful and youthful wine packed with sweet fruit and is reminiscent of a younger version of the 1998. An outstanding V.P. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2022 (try it with almond biscotti). 2001 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Excellent cork. This wine displays a medium red colour with some orange hues showing its development. The nose shows some bottle aged characters, with cinnamon, cherry jam and caramel notes. There is a lovely ripe sweetness of fruit on the palate that is well balanced by the brandy spirit which gives a dry spirity finish. This wine has excellent length and shows a warm year opulence and ripeness about it, in similar fashion to the 1997 V.P. Optimum drinking time: now to 2021. 2000 V.P. **NOT MADE due to unsuitable weather conditions. 1999 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Excellent cork. Very little sediment in the bottle. The colour is a medium-deep red, with orange hues. The nose shows quite a lot of bottle development (particularly in contrast to the 1998) with caramel, stewed apricots, dried plums and malt. The palate has lovely sweet fruit of good depth (better than the nose would indicate) and finishes with quite a firm tannin/acid combination. Optimum drinking time: passed 1998 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. There was a lot of sediment in the bottle upon pouring so decanting prior to serving is recommended. The colour of this wine is much more purple and less developed than the 1996, 1997 or 1999 V.P.’s. The nose is relatively young and undeveloped, still with lots of plum jam fruit aromas rising from the glass. A powerful palate, with big ripe plum and berry flavours that are balanced by strong tannins and complex brandy on the finish. This is a big, strapping V.P. that comes across as intense and drier in style. Optimum drinking time: now or through until 2025 if well cellared and with a good cork. 1997 Chalice (which became V.P. from the 1998 release) Last tasted: 16th of May 2011. The colour was medium to deep red with a tawny brown hue to the edge. This wine has thrown quite a deal of sediment in bottle with ageing. Decant before serving to avoid this. The wine is very expressive to taste, all sweet fruit, dominated by sultana, dried apricot and liqueur cherry. It has lovely ripeness rather than sugar sweetness that gives the palate an opulent fullness. There is excellent length of flavour and the brandy spirit leaves the finish nicely dry with good length and persistence. Optimum drinking time: Best drunk now (with a good wedge of Parmesan cheese and quince paste) or will hold until 2021 if well cellared and with a good cork. 1996 Chalice  (which became V.P. from the 1998 release) Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Only the 1996 and 1997 releases were labelled Chalice, a name which we were not able to trademark as it was already being used by another winery, unknown to us when we first began using it. In the glass, the wine shows a medium-deep colour with some tawny hues at the rim. The nose offers blackberry and prune aromas, with a hint of licorice. Quite sweet, with good depth of flavour and some brandy spirit showing on the finish. Not the most concentrated of our V.P.s but an attractive medium-weight wine. Optimum drinking time: Drink now with hard cheeses or dried fruit cakes such as Panforte or can be cellared further if you have a good cork. 1995 Noon’s Vintage Port  (dad's old burgundy label with tasting glass) Last noted: 16th of September 2009. Medium deep in colour with some brick hues to it, expected for a wine of this age. The nose was lovely and fragrant in a sweet red berry and spice way, along with a touch of brandy spirit. The palate was delicious, with lovely depth and balance. Optimum drinking time: now or longer if you're willing to gamble on the cork.

Historically in Australia, these would have been described as Port wines but out of respect for the long standing use of this term in the wider world to describe the fortified wines of the Douro Valley in Portugal, we have stopped labelling them with the word Port. The V.P. is a single vintage wine, bottled after 18 months maturation in barrel and suited to further bottle ageing. The Tawny is a blend of older vintages which have been matured in barrel in partial contact with the air for many years (the average age of the blend is 15 years) and it is ready to consume on release. We do not produce a V.P. every year, only when conditions are right. Nor can we release a Tawny every year as we do not have enough maturing barrel stocks to permit this. Most years we are able to release one or the other. Many of our V.P. customers like to cellar this wine and at 10 years old it is rich and smooth. However we do not discourage our more enthusiastic (typically younger) consumers from drinking their V.P. early as it is also delicious as a young wine. Further information on cellaring, individual vintages and how they are drinking is available by clicking on the “Tasting Notes” button. Food matching suggestions For V.P., try it with a platter of matured cheddar or other flavoursome cheeses such as Emmental, Gruyere, or Tilsit. Dried fruits or dried fruit cake (alone or with chocolate in the style of Panforté) is also a delicious accompaniment. For Tawny, try it with the finest quality walnuts you can find or plain cakes like Madeira cake. Really delicious. As an aside, whilst working the harvest in Bordeaux in 1992 I picked up the habit of drinking a small glass of chilled Port (from the fridge) as an aperitif. The cold serving temperature reduces the sweetness and the sugar feeds your appetite whilst you prepare for, or prepare, the evening meal. Works very well! Winemaking Fermentation takes place in small open vats which are regularly hand plunged to extract colour and tannins from the grape seeds and skins. Around two-thirds of the way through fermentation, the grapes are pressed and the still naturally sweet juice is fortified with brandy spirit to around 18-19 % alcohol. The wine is then matured for 18 months (in the case of the V.P.) or for around 15 years (in the case of the Tawny) in small oak barrels before bottling. The wine is made and bottled on the estate. Average Production 100 dozen (500mL) per release

Vintages Produced (V.P.): 2022, 2021, 2020, 2016, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 (the last two vintages were labelled Chalice) __________________________ Tawny (non vintage) : Released in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2020. __________________________ 2022 V.P. (750ml) Produced from 100% Shiraz from the Borrett's Hedge Block vineyard in Langhorne Creek. Very deep purple in colour (careful when wearing white clothes!). Rich and full of fruit flavour, this takes the intensity and structure up a notch on last year's wine. It finishes particularly clean and long. Drink now-2042+ 2021 V.P. (750ml) Produced from Shiraz from the Borrett's Hedge Block vineyard in Langhorne Creek. This wine is very deep red in colour as you would expect from Shiraz. Rich and as fruity as a fruit cake with all of the spices. It's just delicious and it makes me wonder why we don't drink more of this style of red these days... something to do with the pace of life I suppose. Make time for this wine and you'll be glad you did. It's great served cold as an aperitif while young or at any age with hard cheeses. Our 500mL bottle that we use for the Tawny and V.P. was not available this year due to COVID issues disrupting the supply chain. Consequently, we used a 750mL bottle which is finished with a gold cap for the first time so that it will be easier to distinguish from our dry reds. 2020 V.P. (500ml, screw cap) Produced from our Almond Block Graciano (85%) and Mataro (15%). This year the fruit ripened quickly to a high sugar level and looked perfect for VP production so we didn’t hesitate! With the addition of some quality brandy spirit and utilising Graciano’s natural acidity, this has produced a vibrant, almost refreshing fortified wine of unusual finesse. It’s fruity and delicious to drink now and will mature beautifully over many years if you’re patient. Delightful with matured cheese or just by itself as an aperitif! October 2020 Noon Tawny release (500ml, screw cap) This blend has an average age of 15 years. Combines sweetness with refinement and freshness with maturity. Seems very successful and delicious to drink now. 2016 V.P. (500ml, screw cap) The last VP we made was in 2006 so after a 10 year absence it gives us great pleasure to be able to offer this wine again. Produced from 100% Shiraz grown on the ‘Hedge Block’ at Langhorne Creek by the Borrett family. Conditions during the latter part of harvest this year were ideal for late picked wine and so we seized the opportunity to produce this VP. Dark, rich and inviting, with a palate full of flavour but not too sweet, it is enjoyable chilled as an aperitif or with food such as matured hard cheeses or 70%+ dark chocolate. The V.P can be cellared for many years but it’s also terrific to drink young. Back vintages VP notes: 2006 V.P. (500ml, cork) Tasting note: Medium-deep red in colour with a strong purple hue. Lovely nose of sweet plum jam, ripe strawberries, red currant jelly and spices (vanilla and clove). The palate is very refined and elegant (typical of 2006) yet intense and very long in flavour. The finish lasts for over a minute! Richly sweet, balanced by perfect acid/tannin to provide a silky smooth mouthfeel. Excellent, refined V.P., with less power than the 05 but more elegance. Produced from 100% McLaren Vale Grenache. Optimum drinking time: As for all of the V.P.s this has a broad drinking window. Best 2008 to 2020+ 2005 V.P. The wine is very deep red in colour. Lovely aromas of ripe blackberry fruit and it appears young and intense at this early stage of its life. Overall, a very good young V.P. produced from 100% Grenache. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2025 2004 V.P. 100% Grenache. It has a complex and attractive nose showing a lot of rich, dark fruits. The palate is focused and pure, showing sweet fruits balanced by a near perfect marriage of acid, tannin and brandy spirit. Very good length of flavour. Simply, a good V.P. with plenty of potential for bottle ageing. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2020 2003 V.P. **NOT MADE due to insufficient grapes available in this very small vintage. 2002 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Impressive colour – very deep (much deeper than the 2001) and still holding a purple hue. A terrific nose of blackberries and red currants along with some floral notes (violets) and licorice. Smells complex and inviting. It is a powerful and youthful wine packed with sweet fruit and is reminiscent of a younger version of the 1998. An outstanding V.P. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2022 (try it with almond biscotti). 2001 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Excellent cork. This wine displays a medium red colour with some orange hues showing its development. The nose shows some bottle aged characters, with cinnamon, cherry jam and caramel notes. There is a lovely ripe sweetness of fruit on the palate that is well balanced by the brandy spirit which gives a dry spirity finish. This wine has excellent length and shows a warm year opulence and ripeness about it, in similar fashion to the 1997 V.P. Optimum drinking time: now to 2021. 2000 V.P. **NOT MADE due to unsuitable weather conditions. 1999 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Excellent cork. Very little sediment in the bottle. The colour is a medium-deep red, with orange hues. The nose shows quite a lot of bottle development (particularly in contrast to the 1998) with caramel, stewed apricots, dried plums and malt. The palate has lovely sweet fruit of good depth (better than the nose would indicate) and finishes with quite a firm tannin/acid combination. Optimum drinking time: passed 1998 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. There was a lot of sediment in the bottle upon pouring so decanting prior to serving is recommended. The colour of this wine is much more purple and less developed than the 1996, 1997 or 1999 V.P.’s. The nose is relatively young and undeveloped, still with lots of plum jam fruit aromas rising from the glass. A powerful palate, with big ripe plum and berry flavours that are balanced by strong tannins and complex brandy on the finish. This is a big, strapping V.P. that comes across as intense and drier in style. Optimum drinking time: now or through until 2025 if well cellared and with a good cork. 1997 Chalice (which became V.P. from the 1998 release) Last tasted: 16th of May 2011. The colour was medium to deep red with a tawny brown hue to the edge. This wine has thrown quite a deal of sediment in bottle with ageing. Decant before serving to avoid this. The wine is very expressive to taste, all sweet fruit, dominated by sultana, dried apricot and liqueur cherry. It has lovely ripeness rather than sugar sweetness that gives the palate an opulent fullness. There is excellent length of flavour and the brandy spirit leaves the finish nicely dry with good length and persistence. Optimum drinking time: Best drunk now (with a good wedge of Parmesan cheese and quince paste) or will hold until 2021 if well cellared and with a good cork. 1996 Chalice  (which became V.P. from the 1998 release) Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Only the 1996 and 1997 releases were labelled Chalice, a name which we were not able to trademark as it was already being used by another winery, unknown to us when we first began using it. In the glass, the wine shows a medium-deep colour with some tawny hues at the rim. The nose offers blackberry and prune aromas, with a hint of licorice. Quite sweet, with good depth of flavour and some brandy spirit showing on the finish. Not the most concentrated of our V.P.s but an attractive medium-weight wine. Optimum drinking time: Drink now with hard cheeses or dried fruit cakes such as Panforte or can be cellared further if you have a good cork. 1995 Noon’s Vintage Port  (dad's old burgundy label with tasting glass) Last noted: 16th of September 2009. Medium deep in colour with some brick hues to it, expected for a wine of this age. The nose was lovely and fragrant in a sweet red berry and spice way, along with a touch of brandy spirit. The palate was delicious, with lovely depth and balance. Optimum drinking time: now or longer if you're willing to gamble on the cork.

Historically in Australia, these would have been described as Port wines but out of respect for the long standing use of this term in the wider world to describe the fortified wines of the Douro Valley in Portugal, we have stopped labelling them with the word Port. The V.P. is a single vintage wine, bottled after 18 months maturation in barrel and suited to further bottle ageing. The Tawny is a blend of older vintages which have been matured in barrel in partial contact with the air for many years (the average age of the blend is 15 years) and it is ready to consume on release. We do not produce a V.P. every year, only when conditions are right. Nor can we release a Tawny every year as we do not have enough maturing barrel stocks to permit this. Most years we are able to release one or the other. Many of our V.P. customers like to cellar this wine and at 10 years old it is rich and smooth. However we do not discourage our more enthusiastic (typically younger) consumers from drinking their V.P. early as it is also delicious as a young wine. Further information on cellaring, individual vintages and how they are drinking is available by clicking on the “Tasting Notes” button. Food matching suggestions For V.P., try it with a platter of matured cheddar or other flavoursome cheeses such as Emmental, Gruyere, or Tilsit. Dried fruits or dried fruit cake (alone or with chocolate in the style of Panforté) is also a delicious accompaniment. For Tawny, try it with the finest quality walnuts you can find or plain cakes like Madeira cake. Really delicious. As an aside, whilst working the harvest in Bordeaux in 1992 I picked up the habit of drinking a small glass of chilled Port (from the fridge) as an aperitif. The cold serving temperature reduces the sweetness and the sugar feeds your appetite whilst you prepare for, or prepare, the evening meal. Works very well! Winemaking Fermentation takes place in small open vats which are regularly hand plunged to extract colour and tannins from the grape seeds and skins. Around two-thirds of the way through fermentation, the grapes are pressed and the still naturally sweet juice is fortified with brandy spirit to around 18-19 % alcohol. The wine is then matured for 18 months (in the case of the V.P.) or for around 15 years (in the case of the Tawny) in small oak barrels before bottling. The wine is made and bottled on the estate. Average Production 100 dozen (500mL) per release

Vintages Produced (V.P.): 2022, 2021, 2020, 2016, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2002, 2001, 1999, 1998, 1997, 1996 (the last two vintages were labelled Chalice) __________________________ Tawny (non vintage) : Released in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2015, 2020. __________________________ 2022 V.P. (750ml) Produced from 100% Shiraz from the Borrett's Hedge Block vineyard in Langhorne Creek. Very deep purple in colour (careful when wearing white clothes!). Rich and full of fruit flavour, this takes the intensity and structure up a notch on last year's wine. It finishes particularly clean and long. Drink now-2042+ 2021 V.P. (750ml) Produced from Shiraz from the Borrett's Hedge Block vineyard in Langhorne Creek. This wine is very deep red in colour as you would expect from Shiraz. Rich and as fruity as a fruit cake with all of the spices. It's just delicious and it makes me wonder why we don't drink more of this style of red these days... something to do with the pace of life I suppose. Make time for this wine and you'll be glad you did. It's great served cold as an aperitif while young or at any age with hard cheeses. Our 500mL bottle that we use for the Tawny and V.P. was not available this year due to COVID issues disrupting the supply chain. Consequently, we used a 750mL bottle which is finished with a gold cap for the first time so that it will be easier to distinguish from our dry reds. 2020 V.P. (500ml, screw cap) Produced from our Almond Block Graciano (85%) and Mataro (15%). This year the fruit ripened quickly to a high sugar level and looked perfect for VP production so we didn’t hesitate! With the addition of some quality brandy spirit and utilising Graciano’s natural acidity, this has produced a vibrant, almost refreshing fortified wine of unusual finesse. It’s fruity and delicious to drink now and will mature beautifully over many years if you’re patient. Delightful with matured cheese or just by itself as an aperitif! October 2020 Noon Tawny release (500ml, screw cap) This blend has an average age of 15 years. Combines sweetness with refinement and freshness with maturity. Seems very successful and delicious to drink now. 2016 V.P. (500ml, screw cap) The last VP we made was in 2006 so after a 10 year absence it gives us great pleasure to be able to offer this wine again. Produced from 100% Shiraz grown on the ‘Hedge Block’ at Langhorne Creek by the Borrett family. Conditions during the latter part of harvest this year were ideal for late picked wine and so we seized the opportunity to produce this VP. Dark, rich and inviting, with a palate full of flavour but not too sweet, it is enjoyable chilled as an aperitif or with food such as matured hard cheeses or 70%+ dark chocolate. The V.P can be cellared for many years but it’s also terrific to drink young. Back vintages VP notes: 2006 V.P. (500ml, cork) Tasting note: Medium-deep red in colour with a strong purple hue. Lovely nose of sweet plum jam, ripe strawberries, red currant jelly and spices (vanilla and clove). The palate is very refined and elegant (typical of 2006) yet intense and very long in flavour. The finish lasts for over a minute! Richly sweet, balanced by perfect acid/tannin to provide a silky smooth mouthfeel. Excellent, refined V.P., with less power than the 05 but more elegance. Produced from 100% McLaren Vale Grenache. Optimum drinking time: As for all of the V.P.s this has a broad drinking window. Best 2008 to 2020+ 2005 V.P. The wine is very deep red in colour. Lovely aromas of ripe blackberry fruit and it appears young and intense at this early stage of its life. Overall, a very good young V.P. produced from 100% Grenache. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2025 2004 V.P. 100% Grenache. It has a complex and attractive nose showing a lot of rich, dark fruits. The palate is focused and pure, showing sweet fruits balanced by a near perfect marriage of acid, tannin and brandy spirit. Very good length of flavour. Simply, a good V.P. with plenty of potential for bottle ageing. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2020 2003 V.P. **NOT MADE due to insufficient grapes available in this very small vintage. 2002 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Impressive colour – very deep (much deeper than the 2001) and still holding a purple hue. A terrific nose of blackberries and red currants along with some floral notes (violets) and licorice. Smells complex and inviting. It is a powerful and youthful wine packed with sweet fruit and is reminiscent of a younger version of the 1998. An outstanding V.P. Optimum drinking time: 2010 to 2022 (try it with almond biscotti). 2001 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Excellent cork. This wine displays a medium red colour with some orange hues showing its development. The nose shows some bottle aged characters, with cinnamon, cherry jam and caramel notes. There is a lovely ripe sweetness of fruit on the palate that is well balanced by the brandy spirit which gives a dry spirity finish. This wine has excellent length and shows a warm year opulence and ripeness about it, in similar fashion to the 1997 V.P. Optimum drinking time: now to 2021. 2000 V.P. **NOT MADE due to unsuitable weather conditions. 1999 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Excellent cork. Very little sediment in the bottle. The colour is a medium-deep red, with orange hues. The nose shows quite a lot of bottle development (particularly in contrast to the 1998) with caramel, stewed apricots, dried plums and malt. The palate has lovely sweet fruit of good depth (better than the nose would indicate) and finishes with quite a firm tannin/acid combination. Optimum drinking time: passed 1998 V.P. Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. There was a lot of sediment in the bottle upon pouring so decanting prior to serving is recommended. The colour of this wine is much more purple and less developed than the 1996, 1997 or 1999 V.P.’s. The nose is relatively young and undeveloped, still with lots of plum jam fruit aromas rising from the glass. A powerful palate, with big ripe plum and berry flavours that are balanced by strong tannins and complex brandy on the finish. This is a big, strapping V.P. that comes across as intense and drier in style. Optimum drinking time: now or through until 2025 if well cellared and with a good cork. 1997 Chalice (which became V.P. from the 1998 release) Last tasted: 16th of May 2011. The colour was medium to deep red with a tawny brown hue to the edge. This wine has thrown quite a deal of sediment in bottle with ageing. Decant before serving to avoid this. The wine is very expressive to taste, all sweet fruit, dominated by sultana, dried apricot and liqueur cherry. It has lovely ripeness rather than sugar sweetness that gives the palate an opulent fullness. There is excellent length of flavour and the brandy spirit leaves the finish nicely dry with good length and persistence. Optimum drinking time: Best drunk now (with a good wedge of Parmesan cheese and quince paste) or will hold until 2021 if well cellared and with a good cork. 1996 Chalice  (which became V.P. from the 1998 release) Last tasted: April 2007 as part of a V.P. vertical line up. Only the 1996 and 1997 releases were labelled Chalice, a name which we were not able to trademark as it was already being used by another winery, unknown to us when we first began using it. In the glass, the wine shows a medium-deep colour with some tawny hues at the rim. The nose offers blackberry and prune aromas, with a hint of licorice. Quite sweet, with good depth of flavour and some brandy spirit showing on the finish. Not the most concentrated of our V.P.s but an attractive medium-weight wine. Optimum drinking time: Drink now with hard cheeses or dried fruit cakes such as Panforte or can be cellared further if you have a good cork. 1995 Noon’s Vintage Port  (dad's old burgundy label with tasting glass) Last noted: 16th of September 2009. Medium deep in colour with some brick hues to it, expected for a wine of this age. The nose was lovely and fragrant in a sweet red berry and spice way, along with a touch of brandy spirit. The palate was delicious, with lovely depth and balance. Optimum drinking time: now or longer if you're willing to gamble on the cork.