Noon's release 2012

Every year on the first week end in November Drew and Raegan Noon open their doors and show off their new release wines. This years wines are from the 2011 vintage with the fruit only coming from McLaren Vale. Drew only releases wines that he feels are up to his standard.

Noon Twelve Bells 2011

This wine is definitely a product of the vintage as it possess ultra fragrant notes of cherry lipstick, red licorice, spice and mouth watering acidity yet it still retains those Drew Noon’s notes. This is more a mix of elegance with a hint of full bloodedness thrown in, rather than the other way round. As a ten buck wine this is bloody spectacular and one that will last in the cellar for a fare while. I will be bring these out over the  next 12 months as it is the only way I can keep my hands off the eclipse which is another notch better.

Alcohol: 14.5%

Price: $10

Rated: 87

Drink: Now – 2017

Noon M2M 2011

My god this is the Mike Tyson of the wine world as it will definitely chew your ear off without a hint of remorse.  I didn’t think you could make a wine of this size in a vintage like 2011. What can I say about a wine that tastes nothing like anything I have ever tried from this producer? The 35% Grenache and 65% Shiraz were cofermented before being transferred to barrels for a little sleep before being bottled. The oak is very much evident but the fruit only needed a day to swallow it completely. Another thing that stands out is the mouth puckering level of tannins that this beast possesses. I was thinking this was a Nebbiolo as it sucked the life force out of my tongue and lips. Or maybe I just needed to book in with a dentist straight after to take the impregnable tannins off my teeth. This wine needs to come with a warning…drink at your own risk.

Alcohol: 16%

Price: $24

Rated: 90 and stupid value like all of Noon’s wines

Drink: No idea

Noon Eclipse 2011

Arrrrrrr this is so much easier to understand as it is back to a more medium bodied frame with the aromas filling the room. The highly exotic aromas of potpourri and dried cherries pack every molecule in my nasal cavity and this doesn’t stop once I tip the glass to my lips. It is definitely light bodied for an eclipse but it is also a little more savoury than previous years. Over the seven day period I tasted this there is still the licorice strap and earth laden raspberries which are so familiar in all the 2011 wines but this also possess depth of flavour and enjoyment. While this isn’t as good as the 2010 but it is an impressive achievement for the vintage.

Alcohol: 16%

Price: $27 cellar door

Rated: 92

Drink: Now - 2026