If you’ve visited us before, you’ll be familiar with our ‘Twelve Bells’ label and from time to time we have made other wines like M2M and Twelve Hundred Hours in response to the seasonal conditions of the vintage.
Then if you’ve been hunting around in old cellars, you might find a wine or two made by my dad (pre- 1996). They’re easy to recognise as he made his wines under a maroon coloured label with a gold tasting glass.
We’ve included this page called ‘Other Wines’ to give you a summary of some of those wines that aren’t always or aren’t any longer, in our range.
We generally consider our wines to be winter wines. While they can be enjoyed year-round they are particularly well suited to chilly nights, paired with hearty meals or the enticing aromas from a chargrill. Our reds offer a warm satisfying depth that white wines or light reds cannot match.
Twelve Bells
This is our second label wine, only sold domestically. It is perfect for everyday drinking and more casual occasions such as picnics and BBQs. It is produced from the same vineyards as our main reds, from fruit selected for producing softer wine for earlier drinking. The varietal composition varies widely from year to year; the blend was historically dominated by Grenache and in recent vintages is often mostly Shiraz. Prior to 2004 we sold this wine as a ‘cleanskin’ (with no label).
2023 Twelve Bells
Produced from 55% Shiraz, 23% Graciano and 22% Cabernet.
This is another very good vintage for the Twelve Bells because we were blessed with plenty of good grapes to produce this wine this year. It’s surprisingly full bodied and full flavoured for a drink-now wine but the balance is good, allowing for consumption anytime from now through 2030 if you like to cellar your reds.
2022 Twelve Bells
Produced from 77% Shiraz, 14% Graciano and 9% Cabernet. From a smaller Shiraz crop this year and you can taste the extra depth of flavour in the wine. Deep in colour and presenting with a full-bodied style, it retains a really nice balance between the elements and finishes clean and satisfying. Drink now and over the next few years. A very successful vintage for the Twelve Bells.
2021 Twelve Bells
After two releases of nothing or next to nothing, at last we have a good quantity of Twelve Bells again this year! We sourced more grapes than usual for this blend from the Borrett vineyards at Langhorne Creek and I’m delighted with the results. Predominantly Shiraz (75%), along with 10% Grenache, 10% Graciano and 5% Mataro, this is a full flavoured red suited to drinking young (now-2026).
2020 Twelve Bells
After discovering how frightfully small the crops were on all of our regular vineyards, Joe Borrett kindly offered a small amount of Shiraz from his Rankins block at Langhorne Creek to enable us to make a Twelve Bells this year and we gratefully accepted. This has produced a lovely wine with just the kind of full softness of flavour we look for in the Twelve Bells to provide very enjoyable drinking right off the bat. Thanks Joe. Delicious but very limited!
(2019 Twelve Bells)
not produced due to the very small crop
2018 Twelve Bells
Produced from approximately 45% Grenache, 45% Cabernet and 10% Graciano, this year’s Twelve Bells has a more refined character along with more cellaring potential than usual due to the high percentage of Cabernet this year. Even so, it is great to drink now or with a BBQ or picnic over the summer. There’s plenty of fresh fruit flavour to enjoy, along with a lovely firm (Cabernet) structure that gives this release a savoury quality which is very attractive.
2017 Twelve Bells
Produced from approximately 40% Shiraz, 25% Grenache, 20% Cabernet and 15% Graciano. Featuring fresh, bold fruit flavours and a soft finish, the new Twelve Bells is ideally suited to everyday drinking. Best drunk soon.
2016 Twelve Bells
Produced from approximately 70% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet and 10% Grenache, the 2016 Twelve Bells is full of ripe red berry flavours and is very attractive to drink now. It can also be cellared for a few years if you desire. Boldly flavoured, this is an ideal wine to accompany food from the BBQ (if the weather is warm, remember to serve the wine slightly cool).
2015 Twelve Bells
Sourced entirely from the Langhorne Creek vineyards, this year’s Twelve Bells is produced from Shiraz (71%), Grenache (24%) and Cabernet (5%).
2014 Twelve Bells
Produced this year entirely from the Langhorne Creek vineyards Shiraz (76%) and Cabernet (24%).
2013 Twelve Bells
Shiraz 60%, Grenache 30%, Cabernet 10%
2012 Twelve Bells
Shiraz 50%, Grenache 40%, Cabernet 10%
2011 Twelve Bells
Grenache 78%, Graciano 11%, Cabernet 11%
2010 Twelve Bells
Shiraz 46%, Graciano 33%, Grenache 16%, Cabernet 5%
2009 Twelve Bells
(the first vintage sealed with a screwcap)
Shiraz 42%, Graciano 33%, Grenache 25%
2008 Twelve Bells
Grenache 70%, Shiraz 23%, Graciano 7%
2007 Twelve Bells
Grenache 42%, Graciano 42%, Shiraz 14%, Cabernet 2%
2006 Twelve Bells
Grenache 59%, Shiraz 14%, Graciano 25%, Cabernet 2%
2005 Twelve Bells
Grenache 82%, Graciano 10%, Shiraz 8%
2004 Twelve Bells
(the first vintage of Twelve Bells)
Grenache 80%, Graciano 20%
M2m
M2M, short for Minute to Midnight.
This wine was initially produced as a one-off in 2011 due to the unique circumstances of the vintage when we were not able to produce a Reserve Shiraz however we repeated production of M2M in 2023 for the same reason.
M2M is not a wine for beginners! It’s a dark, very full bodied red with plenty of tannin on the finish and comes across as dense and rustic rather than refined or elegant. If Eclipse could be likened to an Aston Martin then M2M is a Ford Mustang V8 from the 1970’s!
2011 M2M
(the first vintage of M2M, sealed with a cork)
Produced from Shiraz from Sellicks Beach grown by our friends the Petagna family, co-fermented with 35% of our old vine Grenache.
This wine was intended to be a one-off production, in response to the unique circumstances of the 2011 vintage during which we lost the entire Shiraz crop at Langhorne Creek due to unfavorable weather before and during the harvest.
The 2011 M2M is a very full bodied wine. Rich and smooth would be appropriate tasting notes.
Back then, with no track record, we estimated the optimum drinking time to be from 2013 to 2020 however we underestimated. It’s still tasting great and can be enjoyed anytime from now until 2030+ if you have a good cork and good cellaring conditions.
2023 M2M
(screw cap)
This time produced from 70% Langhorne Creek Shiraz with 30% Sellicks Beach Shiraz
In the cool, late 2023 harvest the Shiraz at Langhorne Creek was struggling to reach full ripeness and we had to make a decision to wait longer and hope for a miracle or find another way. So I called our friend Paul Petagna once again to ask if he had finished picking his Shiraz yet? No, he said he hadn’t, but it was very ripe. Great I replied! And so it was that we organized a team to pick some of his Shiraz at the same time as George Borrett harvested some of his Shiraz and we fermented them together to produce this wine. It’s big, bold and reminds me in style once again of a muscle car from the 1970s.
Our cellaring expectations for the 2023 are 15-20 years+ however the tannins, although there’s plenty of them, taste rounded and smooth from the start, so there isn’t the need for extended cellaring if you don’t want to wait that long. We hope you’ll enjoy it whenever you drink it!
Twelve Hundred Hours
In 2013 we released Twelve Hundred Hours for the first and only time, in place of the Reserve Cabernet. It was so delightful to drink at the time of its release that most people consumed it immediately, which explains why it is now rare to find a bottle.
2013 Twelve Hundred Hours
Produced from 100% Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon. Screw cap.
Twelve Hundred Hours is a softer, earlier maturing version of the Reserve Cabernet, so the flavour will be familiar to you even though the label is not (a nice new art label painted for this wine by Rae).
Produced from the Fruit Trees Cabernet block at Langhorne Creek, it was fresh and pure and full of life, a lovely wine for drinking young, over say the first 5 years of its life. It is still a lovely wine to drink today (if well cellared) although fully mature. Drink up.
Noon’s Solaire
Noon Solaire Reserve Grenache was first made in 1996 (750mL bottle), followed by 1997 (750mL), 1998 (the first in 500ml), 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004 and was last made in 2008. It is produced from very ripe Grenache grapes and is full bodied and slightly sweet making it a perfect accompaniment for many of the world’s delicious hard cheeses such as Edam, Gruyere, matured Cheddar and especially the fruity flavour and grainy texture of Parmesan. Produced from grapes harvested late in vintage, it is a wine high in natural alcohol. Only 2 barrels were produced each vintage.
2008 Noon Solaire Reserve Grenache (500mL 17.0% v/v)
Food match when last tasted: A selection of cheeses, purchased from one of our favourite shops in McLaren Vale called Blessed Cheese. The breads chosen were a Sourdough Rye and a homemade Fruit, Nut and Seed Loaf. The aim of this exercise was to find the best cheese companions for our 2008 Solaire drawn from barrel prior to bottling.
Cheese number 1; Midnight Moon, a goats milk cheese from Holland that was sweet, creamy, rich and nutty in flavour. This cheese was fabulous as it reduces the sweetness in the Solaire and cleanses the palate. The result; this is a lovely match
Cheese number 2; Pecorino Romano, an Italian sheep’s milk cheese with a granular texture. It is intense in flavour and is rich, acidic and very salty. With this cheese our Solaire tended to taste more acidic than it usually would, probably due to the saltiness in the cheese. The result; not a bad match but not the best.
Cheese number 3; Morbier, a French cows milk cheese that has a natural brine washed rind. It has an ash layer through the centre that separates the morning milk and the evening milk in the cheese wheel. This creamy cheese works beautifully with this wine and makes both taste complex and gamey, a perfect match. The result; A supermatch!
Cheese number 4; Bruchettes Piccandine which are little French goats milk cheese Cigars that are distinctively goaty in flavour with a dusting of white mould. This was not a good match with the Solaire. The wine tasted metallic alongside the goat cheese. Do not put this wine with tomatoes or tomato based dishes as the effect would probably be similar. The result; Not a good food/wine match. It is a nice cheese that is probably better suited to a racy Sauvignon Blanc.
Cheese number 5; Marcel Petite Comte Gruyere, a French cows milk cheese that is nutty, yeasty and creamy with honey flavours. This cheese works very well with the Solaire making it taste fruity, fresh and vibrant. The result; this is a great combination.
Cheese number 6; Tasmanian Heritage Deep Blue Cheese. This is quite a lovely cheese that is creamy with sweet/yeasty notes but is probably better suited to drinking with a much sweeter wine such as Port.
We came to the conclusion that mature, creamy, nutty styles of cheese are the best matches for this wine. Therefore when choosing cheeses for Solaire, think along the lines of Gruyere and Tilsit, hard cheeses that are strong in flavour and will stand up to the strong rich flavours in this wine. Not delicate Brie styles, Blue cheeses or intense Goat Cheeses.
One more thing……..we had slices of Rolada (a sweet fruit roll of fig and walnuts made by Star Foods) between tasting each cheese. It was delicious and lovely with the Solaire too!
The 2008 Solaire will be at or past it’s peak now. Drink up.
2004 Solaire Reserve Grenache (500mL 16.8 percent v/v)
Last tasted: 20th of May 2011 We enjoyed this bottle with a big wedge of Parmigiano Reggiano and warm crusty sourdough loaf. The colour was deep with a brick red hue at the rim. After a few minutes, the nose opened to reveal scents of cedar, clove, quince and vanilla (although there was no new oak used in the maturation of this wine). The palate is very full bodied with a hint of sweetness. The rich, ripe style retains good balance and a long finish. Excellent with the cheese.
Now fully mature. Drink up.
2002 Solaire Reserve Grenache (500mL 17.2% v/v)
Harvested on 25 April. Now fully mature. Drink up.
2001 Solaire Reserve Grenache (500mL 17.2% v/v)
Last tasted: 27th May 2007 Tasting note: Some sediment in the bottle at decanting. Medium-deep red, with some brick hues in keeping with all of the 2001 wines now. Offers up lovely ripe aromas of sweet plum jam, strawberry jam and sweet spices. The palate is deep-flavoured and well structured, with some nice dry tannin on the finish. It is very sweet fruited but remains remarkably balanced. The finish persists for 45 secs+.
Now at or past it’s best. Drink up.
1999 Solaire Reserve Grenache (500mL 17.9% v/v)
Last tasted: October 2010 Food match: Wide strips of pasta with a rich ragu (minced beef and tomato) sauce, which worked beautifully. (We have noted in the past that duck cooked with dried figs and port was also a great food match for this wine. A very rich meal but the wine beautifully balanced the rich sweetness of the duck dish.) Tasting note: What a lovely surprise it was to find this wine looking so good! (opened this evening to see if it would be suitable to take to a seminar in the USA called the Hospice du Rhone in April 2011.) The nose offers sweet blackberry and strawberry aromas along with fresh earth and cedar spice notes. It is medium-deep in colour and the palate is powerful, intense and fresh. There is a rich sweetness at first but the palate finishes dry with the flavours lingering for a long 45 seconds or more. There is good balance despite the intensity of this wine and it carries the alcohol without a problem. This is an exciting wine to drink and is maturing slowly.
Optimum drinking time: Now probably passed though there’s still a chance of a good bottle. Drink up.
1997 Solaire Reserve Grenache (750mL, 15.9%v/v)
The late picked Grenache in 1997 filled the winery with the heady aromas of Turkish Delight and Rose oil during fermentation. It made a beautiful rich red wine that was full bodied, with a hint of sweetness. Lovely to drink with hard cheeses. I haven’t opened a bottle for many years but I expect it to be past its best now. Drink up.
1996 Noon Solaire Reserve Grenache (750ml)
Last tasted: October 2010. Tasting note: Good level in this bottle, although the cork was a little soft and needed care in removing. A medium depth of colour (though not as deep as the 1999 Solaire) and there were some tawny hues which is normal for this age. The bouquet shows bottle developed secondary aromas of cedar and spice, tobacco and malt along with some berry fruits. The palate is full bodied, with a noticable sweetness and soft, mature tannin structure. The flavour persists for a long time – up to 45 seconds.
Optimum drinking time: Probably passed. Drink up.
Noon’s (Old label)
This is the old label, burgundy in colour with a gold tasting glass image, used by David Noon from about 1984 up to and including the wines of the 1995 vintage. Rae and I changed to the new label after we took over from mum and dad in 1996. There are a few tasting notes on the old “Noon’s” wines such as Noon’s Burgundy (the forerunner to Noon Eclipse) and Traditional Red (forerunner to Reserve Shiraz) under the “Tasting Notes” tab below. Unfortunately, we do not have many of these bottles left in the cellar.
1985 Noon’s Grenache Shiraz (old label)
Last tasted: 5th of June 2007 over dinner with Rae’s parents and my parents.
Food match when last tasted: Roast lamb and rosemary, served with roasted vegetables and snow peas. The wine had a perfect cork and excellent ullage level, so should have been a good example. It was medium-deep in colour, with a developed brick hue. The nose opened up to show nice ripe fruit, with sweet stewed plums, licorice and a farmyard/animal note. The palate was full bodied and gentle with soft, ripe tannin and a touch of cinnamon in the long flavour. An attractive old wine, still drinking well.
Fully mature or past it’s best now.
1982 Noon’s Burgundy (old label)
Last tasted: 10th of July 2011 Opened at a luncheon with Mum and Dad and friends, Jacquie Taylor, Bart and Gary Hancock. This bottle was gifted to us by one of our mailing list customers, Gary Priest, who purchased it from a restaurant in Alice Springs and brought it back for us!
The ullage level on this bottle was good for its age (level to the bottom of the neck) and the cork was fragile but was removed intact and OK. The colour of the wine was tawny red-brown as you would expect. Unfortunately the nose was affected by a hint of musty TCA cork taint but there was also enough ripe berry, cedar and spice aromas to make it worth tasting. We found the palate to be in remarkably good condition given the warm cellaring temperatures one would expect the wine had encountered in the Alice, with the palate being soft and gentle, with good balance and nice length. It was a lovely surprise to find this wine still alive and tasting really good! Thanks Gary.
Optimum drinking time: Fully mature or past it’s best now.
1993 Noon’s Traditional Red Shiraz (old label)
Last tasted: 10th of May 2007
Food match when last tasted: Slow cooked beef casserole. The cork was in good condition and the ullage level was good, slightly low but normal for this age. The wine appeared very deep red in colour which was encouraging to see, with a brick red hue. The nose was an attractive blend of molasses, ripe plums and pepper/spice. The flavours were rather developed from the long period of maturation in oak during its vinification, which also softens the finish nicely. It possesses a big, rich palate, with flavours reminiscent of stewed plums and marmite. Good length and good quality, if a little old fashioned in style.
Now fully mature. Drink up.
Noon Winery supports the responsible service of alcohol. It is against the law to sell or supply alcohol to, or obtain alcohol on behalf of, a person under the age of 18 years.
SA Liquor Licensing Act 1997, Section 113. Liquor Must Not Be Supplied To Persons Under 18.