Technical Analysis
Noon Eclipse is produced predominately from Grenache (80%+), with smaller components of Shiraz and Graciano, from Noon's McLaren Vale estate vineyards.
Tasting note
The 2022 Eclipse displays a lovely red robe. The deep colour this year was immediately apparent when crushing the grapes. The aroma is very attractive, with ripe red berries in abundance, along with spice and a woodsy undergrowth note. Great depth of flavour filling every corner of the palate, developing richness and building right through to the long, firm finish. Produced from 81% Grenache, 14% Shiraz and 5% Graciano, all estate grown and hand-picked grapes.
Vintage conditions
A great vintage, delivering very high quality grapes which ripened at a steady pace, allowing for picking at the optimum time and making the cellar work a pleasure. An outstanding year for the wines.
Vinification details
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 small basket presses which are gentle and do not extract too much bitterness or astringency. Maturation takes place in small 300 litre French and American oak barrels and large (foudre) oak casks for 18 months. There is only a small percentage of new oak used (about 5-10%) normally just for maturing the Shiraz portion of the wine. Very little else is added or taken away by modern winemaking methods. Noon prefer to take a minimalist approach, believing that this will deliver a wine which genuinely reflects the grapes and the site. Eclipse is grown, made and bottled on the estate.
Technical Analysis
Noon Eclipse is produced predominately from Grenache (80%+), with smaller components of Shiraz and Graciano, from Noon's McLaren Vale estate vineyards.
Tasting note
'This is undoubtedly one of the best Grenache vintages I have seen. The wine looked notably dark in colour straight out of the vats. The Eclipse has an especially lovely perfume this year, combined with impressive structure. It is produced from 91% Grenache, 6% Graciano and 3% Shiraz, grown on the Winery Block, BJs Block and the Almond Block on our estate in McLaren Vale. 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 will mature very nicely over the next 10 years or more.' Drew Noon, winemaker
Vinification details
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 small basket presses which are gentle and do not extract too much bitterness or astringency. Maturation takes place in small 300 litre French and American oak barrels and large (foudre and demi-muid sized) oak casks for 18 months. There is only a small percentage of new oak used (about 5-10%) normally just for maturing the Shiraz portion of the wine. Very little else is added or taken away by modern winemaking methods. Noon prefer to take a minimalist approach, believing that this will deliver a wine which genuinely reflects the grapes and the site. Eclipse is grown, made and bottled on the estate.
Technical Analysis
Noon Eclipse is produced predominately from Grenache (80%+), with smaller components of Shiraz and Graciano, from Noon's McLaren Vale estate vineyards.
Tasting note
2017 Eclipse is full bodied, reflecting the late season sunshine, but not heavy, maintaining a lovely natural poise and balance. It is complex in flavour, with red fruits, spices and earthy/woody notes reflecting the cooler vintage. A blend of 90% Grenache, 6% Shiraz and 4% Graciano.
Vintage conditions
The 2017 growing season suited Noon’s old vines well. They benefitted from the abundant moisture of a cool, wet spring followed by the welcome arrival of warm dry weather in March, just in time to ripen the smallish crop to perfection. Healthy grapes led to healthy ferments so the work in the cellar was easy.
Vinification details
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 small basket presses which are gentle and do not extract too much bitterness or astringency. Maturation takes place in small 300 litre French and American oak barrels and large (foudre and demi-muid sized) oak casks for 18 months. There is only a small percentage of new oak used (about 5-10%) normally just for maturing the Shiraz portion of the wine. Very little else is added or taken away by modern winemaking methods. Noon prefer to take a minimalist approach, believing that this will deliver a wine which genuinely reflects the grapes and the site. Eclipse is grown, made and bottled on the estate.
Technical Analysis
Noon Eclipse is produced predominately from Grenache (80%+), with smaller components of Shiraz and Graciano, from Noon's McLaren Vale estate vineyards.
Tasting note
2016 has produced an excellent Eclipse. The old vines yielded small berries in response to the dry seasonal 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. 87% Grenache, 5% Shiraz and 8% Graciano.
Vintage conditions
The growing season was very dry and warm, producing an early harvest – but with cooler weather during the final stages of ripening distinguishing it from the preceding vintage and lending a degree of elegance to the wines. Winter and spring rainfall was well below average, with June, July, September and October unusually dry. Suddenly in October (the middle month of spring and a period of rapid growth for the vines) it turned very warm. December was also well above average in temperature, with 10 days through the month over 36°C. Temperatures eased after New Year and then significant rain (58mm at McLaren Vale) at the end of January and early February heralded a change in the season. Fortunately there was no further rain, which could have caused problems. Conditions were then close to ideal for the final stages of ripening in February and March, with mild sunny days and cool nights, maintaining a lovely freshness in the wines of this vintage.
Vinification details
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 small basket presses which are gentle and do not extract too much bitterness or astringency. Maturation takes place in small 300 litre French and American oak barrels and large (foudre and demi-muid sized) oak casks for 18 months. There is only a small percentage of new oak used (about 5-10%) normally just for maturing the Shiraz portion of the wine. Very little else is added or taken away by modern winemaking methods. Noon prefer to take a minimalist approach, believing that this will deliver a wine which genuinely reflects the grapes and the site. Eclipse is grown, made and bottled on the estate.
Technical Analysis
Noon Eclipse is produced predominately from Grenache (80%+), with smaller components of Shiraz and Graciano, from Noon's McLaren Vale estate vineyards.
Tasting note
From grapes grown at McLaren Vale on the Winery Block, Almond Block and BJ’s Block. The aroma combines perfumed fruit and earth scents. The wine is full bodied and concentrated on the palate and yet there is remarkable restraint and balance too. Firm tannins provide an authoritative finish. 90% Grenache, 3% Shiraz and 7% Graciano.
Vintage conditions
A dry winter and especially dry spring combined with well above average temperatures to have the vines growing very rapidly and advanced in their maturity at all stages following budburst. Even so, the speed of the final stages of ripening caught everyone by surprise. The temperature dropped for the first month of summer and everything slowed down, then a very hot first week of January (reaching 42°C on January 2nd) was followed by an unusually cool and cloudy one, along with 46mm of rainfall! This gave the vines a much needed drink, so when the weather turned hot again in February, the grapes ripened very rapidly.
Vinification details
The grapes are picked by hand and fermented in small open vats with manual pigeage, to help extract colour and tannins. Pressing is also done by hand, using small basket presses which are gentle and do not extract too much bitterness or astringency. Noon Eclipse is matured in small 300 litre French and American oak barrels and large (foudre and demi-muid sized) oak casks for 18 months. There is only a small percentage of new oak used (about 5-10%) normally just for maturing the Shiraz portion of the wine. The wine is then bottled on the estate without fining or filtration.
