Vintages Produced: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, (no 2009 Noon Eclipse produced), 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998, 1997
Produced from 90% Grenache, 6% Shiraz and 4% Graciano, all estate grown and hand picked.
From a cool vintage, we picked in late March and early April this year as we used to in the good old days and 2 weeks later than the new normal. Produced from ripe, perfect looking grapes which we could see were going to make a terrific wine...and so they have. It makes me smile when I taste it! Ready to drink from release but will mature gracefully in a cool cellar until at least 2033.
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Produced from 81% Grenache, 14% Shiraz and 5% Graciano, all estate grown and hand picked.
From a small Grenache crop this year, the deeper colour was immediately apparent when crushing the grapes and is always a good sign. The aroma is very attractive, with ripe red berries in abundance, along with spice and a woodsy undergrowth note.
The depth of flavour is amazing. It fills every corner of your palate and doesn't let go, developing richness and building right through to a long, firm finish. It's a very satisfying wine to drink now or over the next 10 years plus.
Produced from 90% Grenache, 6% Shiraz and 4% Graciano all grown on our McLaren Vale vineyard.
The 2021 Eclipse has a lovely perfume of fresh red currants and wild strawberries. It almost smells of summer, all exotic berries and spice. The texture is smooth and full bodied. The balance is very good particularly considering the generosity of flavour here, with a long firm clean (almost refreshing) finish. Very attractive.
Produced from 92% Grenache and 8% Shiraz all estate grown at McLaren Vale.
The 2020 Noon Eclipse has turned out very well. It’s beautifully perfumed. In the mouth, it’s sweet fruited on entry and then a properly firm structure takes over leaving a lovely long tail of flavour.
It’s quite Pinot-like in style but with extra body. It will be delicious to drink any time from release and I expect it to mature slowly.
Produced from 88% Grenache, 7% Shiraz and 5% Graciano grown on our estate vineyards in McLaren Vale.
The 2019 Eclipse is concentrated in flavour due to the small crop resulting from the warm, dry growing season. Production was half of 2018. The freshness and firm tannin structure are particularly impressive this year and reminiscent of the 2018, with perhaps even higher fruit concentration.
Lovely to drink now and should be a particularly long lived Eclipse.
Produced from 91% Grenache, 3% Shiraz and 6% Graciano grown on our estate vineyards in McLaren Vale.
This is undoubtedly one of the best Grenache vintages I have seen. The wine looked notably dark in colour straight out of the fermentation vats.
The Eclipse has an especially lovely perfume this year, combined with impressive structure. It is more full bodied than usual and packed with flavour but the balance is excellent thanks to a high level of ripe tannins providing a firm finish.
It is great drinking now and I expect it to mature very nicely over the next 10 years or more.
Produced from 90% Grenache, 6% Shiraz and 4% Graciano grown on our estate vineyards in McLaren Vale.
The 2017 growing season seems to have suited our old vines well. They benefitted from the abundant moisture of the spring and then we were blessed by the late arrival of warm, dry weather in March to ripen the smallish crop to perfection.
Healthy grapes led to healthy ferments so the work in the cellar was easy. The resulting wine is very full bodied reflecting the late season sunshine but as usual it is not heavy, with natural poise and balance.
It's complex in flavour, with red fruits, spices and earthy/woody notes and it should provide delicious drinking at anytime over the next 10 years or more.
Produced from 87% Grenache, 5% Shiraz and 8% Graciano, all grown on our estate vineyards in McLaren Vale.
2016 has produced an excellent Eclipse. The old vines yielded small berries in response to the dry conditions and this has endowed the wine with extra flavour and tannin structure.
It is full bodied but not heavy, maintaining a lovely natural poise and balance. It’s amazing how Grenache can be so damn pretty and yet so authoritative. But you need old vines and low yields to get this intensity.
Drink it now with char grilled beef and garlic butter or cellar for up to 10 years.
This year's Eclipse is produced from 90% Grenache, 3% Shiraz and 7% Graciano, all grown at McLaren Vale on the Winery Block, Almond Block and BJ’s Block.
It has a lovely aroma combining perfumed fruit and earth scents in a way which is quite compelling. The wine tastes very full bodied and concentrated and yet there is remarkable restraint and balance too. Firm tannins provide a long finish.
I think the tasting impression is similar to listening to the first movement of Beethoven’s 5th symphony – quite dramatic! Drink now with flavoursome food or cellar for up to 10 years.
From a small crop and a vintage of more modest alcohol levels, resulting in a dense, slow maturing wine. Denser and firmer in style than the Reserve Shiraz and Cabernet from the same vintage. The 2014 Eclipse is produced from 85% Grenache, 8% Shiraz and 7% Graciano; all estate grown in McLaren Vale. Only medium deep red in colour, with a touch of brick in the hue. Smells very inviting, with wild strawberries and kirsch liqueur, along with hints of cardamom and white pepper. A full bodied wine, with a lovely soft mid-palate texture before quite firm tannins on the long finish. Has excellent balance and lots of potential. Should mature nicely and be a long lived Eclipse.
From a warm, early vintage, this looks to be a very good Eclipse. Produced from 86% Grenache, 6% Shiraz and 8% Graciano, all estate grown. Medium deep colour. Lovely nose, with ripe berry fruit along with a touch of lavender, thyme and spice. Very attractive. A big ripe sweet fruited palate, evidently high in alcohol but carrying it easily, retaining nice balance from some savoury tannins and excellent length. Poised, despite its size. Good length. Full bodied, impressive Grenache. Drinking nicely now but will mature slowly through until 2021+
This is the first release to be sealed with a screw cap. Produced from 88% Grenache, 9% Shiraz and 3% Graciano, all estate grown. Medium deep red in colour, with a slightly brick hue. The nose is quite shy on pouring but opens with breathing to reveal red berries, spice, tar and charcoal. A little closed and promises more with time in the glass or bottle. The palate is firm and full bodied, with nice balance and very good length. Delicious now but this is a more tightly structured Eclipse which I expect to continue to evolve with further cellaring.
This release is produced from 81% Grenache, with 13% Shiraz and 6% Graciano and is the first produced entirely from estate grown grapes. Nice long, quality cork. The aroma is a little shy at first, opening up with breathing to reveal sweet berry fruit. The palate offers a lovely full body, with excellent balance and length. Despite the cooler, later season this wine tastes ripe and generous thanks to warm, dry weather which arrived in McLaren Vale just before picking in early April. Developing nicely. Optimum drinking time: 2017 until 2021+
**Eclipse vintages from 2010 to 2002 are now fully mature but most will still be drinking well, depending partly on a good cork and good cellaring.
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 45%, Shiraz (LC) 35%, Cabernet Sauvignon (LC) 5% and Graciano (McV) 15%.
Notably deep in colour because of the relatively low percentage of Grenache in the wine this year due to the small Grenache crop. Attractive nose, with fennel, spice, blackberry and dried fig notes. Full bodied, with deep-set flavour and a long, well-balanced finish. This is looking good and gives the sense that it will drink well over a long time to come.
Optimum drinking time: now through to 2020+
Unfortunately we did not produce a 2009 Noon Eclipse due to the very hot weather conditions experienced prior to harvest which affected our old bush vines more than most, as they are unirrigated. For further information on the 2009 harvest, please click on the “Vintages” button in Journal.
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 38%, Shiraz (LC) 50%, Cabernet Sauvignon (LC) 10% and Graciano (McV) 2%. An unusually high percentage of Langhorne Creek Shiraz and Cabernet this year due to the challenges of a harvest heatwave.
We bottled a small trial lot of this wine with screw caps and we can now compare the cork sealed wine with a screw capped one. Tasted June 2019. The cork finished bottle appeared to be a good example, with good level and little wine travel evident on the cork. It tasted good, showing some maturing characters alongside robust, ripe fruit. It is a generously proportioned wine, with nice old-vine depth and appears to show the increased Shiraz component this year in its more robust frame. Best drinking from now until around 2020+ (cork). The screw capped wine was more shy aromatically, with a hint of reduction on first opening which lifted with airing in the glass (the cork finished wine smelled slightly caramelised by comparison). On the palate the difference was just as evident. The purity and freshness of the fruit on the screw cap wine really stood out. It looks beautifully preserved and on a slower maturation curve than the cork wine. Best now until 2025+ (screw cap trial).
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 61% and Shiraz (LC) 39%.
Last noted: 20 June 2014 Nice cork, no travel. Quite deep in colour, now showing a maturing brick/terracotta hue. Attractive nose (even poured straight from the bottle) of molasses, strawberries and spice. Possesses a very full bodied palate, packed with flavour. A big, impressive Eclipse, from a small production drought year.
Optimum drinking time: now nicely mature and ready to drink or can be cellared further, until 2020+.
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 63% and Shiraz (LC) 37%.
Last noted: 13 July 2014 Medium-deep in colour, still holding a youthful appearance. Attractive and complex nose, showing kirsch liqueur, molasses and earth, along with strawberry conserve, spice and a hint of graphite/charcoal. Lovely balance and freshness of flavour. Excellent length and harmony. Poised and quite elegant.
Optimum drinking time: now, but will hold until 2018+
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 60%, Shiraz (LC) 34% and Cabernet Sauvignon (LC) 6%.
Last tasted: 20 September 2015 Best decanted just prior to serving to leave behind the sediment. Displays a healthy red colour, now showing a little brick in the hue appropriate for its age. Smells very inviting, with sweet berry fruit along with vanilla and spice and a touch of cedar from bottle development. A big, soft, generous mouthful (don't serve this too warm 16-18 degrees is ideal). Good length. Very attractive.
Optimum drinking time: now to 2020+
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 66% and Shiraz (LC) 34%.
Last tasted: 15 June 2015 Medium-deep red in colour with a touch of brick in the hue-youthful looking for its age. Attractive nose of sweet red and black berries, with some undergrowth and black pepper/spice notes. Nice smooth palate texture, showing good depth of flavour and balance. Not as big as the 2003; a refined Eclipse from a more gentle vintage.
Optimum drinking time: best now to 2020
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 68% and Shiraz (LC) 32%
Last tasted: 31 July 2015 Medium-deep red in colour, holding a good hue for its age. Sweet, ripe, attractive and slightly old-fashioned nose, with a hint of molasses. Big mouthful of flavour, dense and ripe with a firm finish. A big wine from a drought year, well balanced and travelling along nicely.
Optimum drinking time: best now to 2020
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 70% and Shiraz (LC) 30%.
Last tasted: 19 July 2015 2 bottles tasted, the first looked slightly oxidised and over-mature, though not undrinkable, the victim of a bad cork (random oxidation). The note below is from the second bottle which was in excellent condition as expected. Medium to deep red in colour with only a touch of brick in the hue, excellent for its age. The nose shows plenty of dark fruits (blackberry, plum) along with some black pepper/spice. There is a sweet freshness to the flavour which is very attractive, along with a robust texture and firm finish suggesting this will be quite long lived. Generous but well balanced. One of my favourite Eclipse vintages.
Optimum drinking time: now through until 2022+ if well cellared and with a good cork (as applies to all older wines)
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 66% and Shiraz (LC) 34%.
Last tasted: 19 July 2015 Light to medium deep red in colour. Attractive, mature nose with ripe berries, cedar, molasses and white pepper. A large-framed, soft textured wine in a generous style from a warm season.
Optimum drinking time: best now until about 2020
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 65% and Shiraz (LC) 35%.
Last tasted: 19 July 2015 From a difficult vintage due to summer rain. The colour shows good depth and hue for its age. The nose is a little dull however, with some berry fruits along with a meaty/leather character. Full bodied but there is a sharpness to the acidity and the finish which detracts.
Optimum drinking time: now past its best
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 65% and Shiraz (LC) 35%.
Last tasted: 20 September 2015 Impressive colour, deep and with only a little brick hue evident. VG for this age. Attractive, mature nose of cedar/spice with balsamic notes and a little fresh earth. Sweet blackberries behind. Full bodied but with a tight structure (typical of this vintage). Firm, dry finish. Now fully mature but on a slow evolutionary track.
Optimum drinking time: now to 2020+ if well cellared and with a good cork
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 64% and Shiraz (LC) 36%.
Last tasted: 6 May 2018 during dinner with Joe Czerwinski at SC Pannell
Tasting note: Deep colour. Smells remarkably fresh, this bottle was even a little reduced at first. A good sign! Tastes mature but in good health, still with fresh berry fruit flavours (blackberry/raspberry) of good depth and intensity. A very full bodied wine. The tannins are round and evolved. The acidity is fresh keeping the palate taut and trim. Impressive for the way its hanging on to its youthful vigour. A big, generously flavoured but tightly structured wine. Will hold longer if you get a bottle with a good cork like this one. Impressive.
Optimum drinking time: now; will hold to 2020+ (cork willing)
Varietal Composition: Grenache (McV) 62% and Shiraz (LC) 38%.
Last tasted: 8 July 2014 Still deep red in colour, with a brick hue. A relatively youthful appearance. The nose shows fresh forest berries, along with some tar/molasses (typical of a warm vintage) and spice. The palate has a soft, full bodied structure, with evident high alcohol and a taut acidity adding balance. Tastes mature but not over-mature. Looking good and will hold until well past 20 years if you have a well cellared bottle and a good cork.
Optimum drinking time: now.
Varietal composition: Grenache (McV) 65% and Shiraz (LC) 35%
Last tasted: 19 July 2015 Lots of sediment in the bottle, so decanting is recommended but only just prior to serving as this wine is now quite fragile. The colour is still deep, with a brick hue. Attractive, mature nose of cedar, plum and spice. Full bodied, with a soft, generous, well balanced palate. The flavours are quite mature.
Optimum drinking time: now fully mature and on a slow decline into old age.
The vines which produce this wine surround our house and the furthest are 500m from it, so they are very familiar in all their seasonal guises. They are like old friends. I have pruned and tended them since I was a child and so the appearance of the vines themselves, the leaves and the bunches as they develop, is very familiar. I feel like I share a life experience with them and so they are close to my heart.
The wine we produce from them reflects this vineyard and our region. Noon Eclipse is produced predominately from Grenache (80-90%+), along with small amounts of Shiraz and Graciano.
Ideal drinking time is generally at 5-10 years of age, when the wine is still youthful but has gained complexity and softness from time in bottle. Most of our customers tell me they find the wines to be still quite youthful at this age but I prefer to be conservative with recommended cellaring times, allowing for people’s different cellaring conditions. And it’s far better to drink them a little too young than too old as there’s no going back!
You can also drink your Eclipse much earlier than this of course. There’s plenty of enjoyment to be had from drinking at 1-5 years when the wine is robust and full of vigour. At this age I recommend giving the wine some air and a little time to breathe to soften the tannins before consuming. Decanting an hour or more ahead will do this. The younger the wine the tighter the tannins and the more time required. When we drink the current release we usually find it tastes even better the next day.
Varietal Composition
Grenache (80-90%), Shiraz (5-10%) and Graciano (5-10%); all estate grown.
Note that prior to 2011 (bottles sealed with a cork) the Eclipse was typically produced from 65% estate grown Grenache and 35% Langhorne Creek Shiraz (20 Rows block).
Food Matching Suggestions
Noon Eclipse is best served with richly flavoured foods. It is not a wine for sipping over a light summer salad lunch. It is more suited to an Autumn or Winter’s evening with food based around chorizo sausage, anchovies, olives etc.; think along the lines of hearty Mediterranean dishes.
The stage of maturity of the wine also has an influence on the best food pairing. As a young wine (say from 1 to 4 years) choose quite strongly flavoured more complex dishes such as kangaroo or duck in richly sauced casseroles. As an older wine choose robust dishes but served simply, with minimal adornment such as char grilled steak with chips or roast chicken.
For tasting notes on individual vintages of this wine click on the ‘tasting notes’ tab.
The Vineyard
We are lucky here in South Australia to have old vines growing on their own roots (not grafted onto rootstocks necessitated by the presence of phylloxera). This could be more important than is generally recognised, allowing our vines to more readily reflect their terroir and produce wines with a ‘sense of place’. This circumstance is quite rare in a world sense and gives us a unique advantage.
Our vines grow in natural harmony with their environment. They are unirrigated and not trellised, so they appear quite ‘free range’ compared to most modern vineyards. Yields are low, ensuring the grapes ripen easily with full flavour development.
The grapes for Noon Eclipse are picked from three vineyards surrounding and adjacent to our house and winery in McLaren Vale. From the Winery Block where we grow Grenache bush vines, which were planted in 1934; from the Almond Block where we grow Shiraz and Graciano (bush vines) which were planted between 1998 and 2001, and from BJ’s Block which is another Grenache bush vine vineyard, planted in 1943.
We believe the key to Noon Eclipse lies in the special qualities that each of these blocks and varieties brings to the wine and feel lucky to be able to work with such wonderful vineyards.
Winemaking
Noon Eclipse is usually quite high in alcohol because it is produced from Grenache grapes from low yielding vines. We do not set out with the aim of making a wine of high (or low) alcohol. Our desire rather is to harvest fully ripe fruit which best expresses the flavour of the grapes and the site.
Noon Eclipse is matured in seasoned 300 litre French and American oak barrels and large (Foudre and demi-muid sized) oak casks for 18 months.
The grapes are picked by hand and fermentation takes place in small open vats with manual pigeage, to help extract colour and tannins. Pressing is also done by hand, using manual basket presses which are gentle and do not extract too much bitterness or astringency.
Very little is added or taken away by modern winemaking technology.
Noon Eclipse is grown, made and bottled on the estate.
AVERAGE PRODUCTION
Average production is 700 – 800 dozen 750ml bottles.
Production can be halved in drought years.
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.