Technical Analysis
Grapes for the Reserve Shiraz have been sourced from the same vineyard (the 1.6 hectare ‘20 Rows’ Block in Langhorne Creek owned by the Borrett family) since the first Reserve Shiraz in 1997.
Tasting note
Dense and full bodied. The texture is round and the balance is excellent, with detail and nuance to the deep set flavours. This is a lovely wine to drink now or cellar for many years.
Vinification details
Each year Noon work closely with the Borrett family to choose the ideal harvest time. Fermentation takes place in small open vats which are hand plunged to help extract the naturally abundant colour and tannins present in the grapes. After fermentation is complete (typically 10 to 20 days) pressing is done by hand in small manual basket presses and care is taken not to extract too much bitterness or astringency by rough handling and over-pressing. Maturation takes place in small (300 litre) French and American oak barrels for 18 months, approximately 30-40% new oak, with the aim of adding complexity and structure without dominating the fruit flavour. The wine is crushed, fermented, matured and bottled on the property.
Technical Analysis
Grapes for the Reserve Shiraz have been sourced from the same vineyard (the 1.6 hectare ‘20 Rows’ Block in Langhorne Creek owned by the Borrett family) since the first Reserve Shiraz in 1997.
Tasting note
Dark in colour and with a very intriguing, complex aroma of molasses, green tea, fresh earth and blueberries. It presents a big mouthful of flavour, being notably soft and generous and yet still managing to finish firm and balanced; a large scale, complex-tasting wine.
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
Each year Noon work closely with the Borrett family to choose the ideal harvest time. Fermentation takes place in small open vats which are hand plunged to help extract the naturally abundant colour and tannins present in the grapes. After fermentation is complete (typically 10 to 20 days) pressing is done by hand in small manual basket presses and care is taken not to extract too much bitterness or astringency by rough handling and over-pressing. Maturation takes place in small (300 litre) French and American oak barrels for 18 months, approximately 30-40% new oak, with the aim of adding complexity and structure without dominating the fruit flavour. The wine is crushed, fermented, matured and bottled on the property.
Technical Analysis
Grapes for the Reserve Shiraz have been sourced from the same vineyard (the 1.6 hectare ‘20 Rows’ Block in Langhorne Creek owned by the Borrett family) since the first Reserve Shiraz in 1997.
Tasting note
This wine is intriguingly subtle to smell at first, with complex, savoury aromas (soy sauce, nutmeg and green tea) emerging with time in the glass. The palate is medium to full bodied and has a rounded mouth feel with lovely balance and a persistent firm tannin to finish.
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
Each year Noon work closely with the Borrett family to choose the ideal harvest time. Fermentation takes place in small open vats which are hand plunged to help extract the naturally abundant colour and tannins present in the grapes. After fermentation is complete (typically 10 to 20 days) pressing is done by hand in small manual basket presses and care is taken not to extract too much bitterness or astringency by rough handling and over-pressing. Maturation takes place in small (300 litre) French and American oak barrels for 18 months, approximately 30-40% new oak, with the aim of adding complexity and structure without dominating the fruit flavour. The wine is crushed, fermented, matured and bottled on the property.
Technical Analysis
Grapes for the Reserve Shiraz have been sourced from the same vineyard (the 1.6 hectare ‘20 Rows’ Block in Langhorne Creek owned by the Borrett family) since the first Reserve Shiraz in 1997.
Tasting note
Produced from Langhorne Creek Shiraz from the Borrett family's 20 Rows block. The wine is deep in colour, with aromas of beef stock, soy sauce and molasses, while the palate is full bodied but round, with firm tannins providing a lovely balance and a long finish.
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
Noon Reserve Shiraz is matured in small (300 litre) French and American oak barrels for 18 months – approximately 30-40% new oak is used, with the aim of adding complexity and structure without dominating the fruit flavour. Each year Noon work closely with the Borrett family to choose the ideal harvest time. Fermentation takes place in small open vats which are hand plunged to help extract the naturally abundant colour and tannins present in the grapes. After fermentation is complete (typically 10 to 20 days) pressing is done by hand in small manual basket presses and care is taken not to extract too much bitterness or astringency by rough handling and over-pressing. The wine is crushed, fermented, matured and bottled on the property without fining or filtration.
Technical Analysis
Grapes for the Reserve Shiraz have been sourced from the same vineyard (the 1.6 hectare ‘20 Rows’ Block in Langhorne Creek owned by the Borrett family) since the first Reserve Shiraz in 1997.
Tasting note
The 2014 Reserve Shiraz is an attractive and intriguing wine to smell, displaying different characters when you go back to it on different occasions. There are sweet berries (like blackcurrant cordial) dominant sometimes and more spicy/roast beef/soy sauce characters at others! The flavours are typically full bodied, with a lovely softness in this vintage and it has excellent balance and structure which suggests a good cellaring future.
Vintage conditions
The 2013 winter was good and wet, with warm nights leading to a lower level of dormancy in the vines and an early bud break. September was very warm and dry from the outset, getting the growing season off to a fast start with rapid vine growth. Surprisingly mild temperatures prevailed in late spring. The summer then slowly turned hot, with a 41°C day in December, a heatwave in January and a very hot start to February. The vines searched deep for survival before rain mid-February brought much needed water. Cooler conditions in Langhorne Creek pushed the harvest date well into autumn, and much later than usual, with crops slightly above average.
Vinification details
The grapes were hand picked in two passes. The fruit was fermented in small open vats, with manual pigeage to help extract colour and tannins from the grapes. After fermentation was complete, pressing was done by hand in small manual basket presses, with care taken not to extract too much bitterness or astringency by rough handling and over-pressing. Maturation then took place in 300l oak barrels (both French and American oak) of which 40% were new, for 18 months.
Green credentials
Member of Sustainable Australia Winegrowing.
