Noon 2008 Eclipse

16/06/10

'These are wines of extraordinary depth and richness. Life is too short not to be drinking the wines of Drew and Rae Noon.' - Robert Parker, The World's Greatest Wine Estates

Like yesterday's Pontet-Canet, a Noon offer is always a slightly nervous time. Production is tiny, and as a result we risk disappointing more people than we can please. But last year we went to visit Drew and Rae Noon at home in their winery (quite literally - the building is winery, barrel cellar and home) and, after some ruthless arm-twisting, we managed to secure a much bigger allocation of Eclipse, their signature wine and one of Australia's most sought-after. (To give you an idea, the winery shop opens for two mornings a year and that only to enable the more rabid fans to collect their small orders and not actually to sell anything.)

The Noons changed Eclipse in 2008 and from now on it will be more than just a Grenache/Shiraz blend. With the addition of a small amount of old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, and an even smaller quantity of Graciano, it has become more complex, more savoury and altogether more complete than it ever was before. (Graciano is a low yielding, deeply coloured and perfumed grape from Rioja). And so a new chapter begins for one of Australia's reference point wines.

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