Wine Advisor
Noon Winery, Eclipse 2014
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Joe Czerwinski
Since 2012, Eclipse has been produced exclusively from estate-grown McLaren Vale fruit. The 2014 Eclipse is a blend of 85% Grenache, 8% Shiraz and 7% Graciano, aged almost entirely in used oak. Aromas of spiced strawberries and raspberries are inviting and complex, hinting at white pepper, cardamom and allspice. It's full-bodied yet seems almost weightless, buoyed by high-toned fruit and bright acids, while fine-grained, silky-textured tannins give shape and focus to the palate and add a savory edge on the long finish.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
Deep, lurid ruby. An explosively perfumed nose evokes ripe red and blue fruits, incense, woodsmoke and Indian spices, and a suave floral element emerges steadily with air. Deeply concentrated black raspberry and boysenberry flavors show outstanding clarity and no rough edges. Becomes more energetic as it opens out, picking up a hint of cola along the way. Smooth, rounded tannins lend shape to a strikingly long, floral-tinged finish that leaves a suggestion of sweet hoisin sauce behind.
About the Producer
The founder of Noon Winery is David Noon (David Noon). In 1976, he started making red wine for a living. Later, David Noon bought a bit of Shiraz and blended it with Grenache grapes to make the winery's signature red wine. He originally named this full-bodied red wine "Burgundy", but it is now called "Eclipse". After that, in the next 27 years, the winery's winemaking technology and wine production have not undergone any changes. The vineyards of Norn Winery cover a total of 16.79 acres, and the grape varieties planted include Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. From 934 to 1943, Grenache was planted, Syrah in the early 1960s, and Cabernet Sauvignon in the early 1970s. The vines are planted at a density of approximately 1,800 vines/ha. In terms of wine production, the wines of Norn Winery are all hand-brewed, using traditional open fermentation barrels and basket presses, and the output is very small. The wine is aged in oak barrels for 18 months before being bottled without any clarification or filtration. In the process of wine making and maturation, the content of additives and the degree of human intervention are reduced to the minimum, so as to keep the natural characteristics of the grapes as much as possible.
