Noon Reserve Shiraz, Langhorne Creek
This opulent and densely concentrated wine is sourced from the ‘20 Rows’ block within the Borrett family’s Langhorne Creek vineyard. It is vinified in small, open vats, pressed using a traditional basket press and aged for 18 months in new (30-40%) and seasoned, 300-litre American and French oak barrels. It is unashamedly a full-bodied, generously-flavoured wine with annual production between 750 and 850 dozen.
"We produce generous, full-bodied wines from old vines growing is a warm climate. They are best consumed with equally flavoursome food"
- Drew Noon
Even more concentrated than the impressive 2014, the 2015 Shiraz Reserve is almost painfully intense -- in a good sense. Dark berries, culinary herbs and roasted meat notes combine in a mouthwatering nose, which leads into a dense, creamy-textured palate. While most Noon wines can be drunk on release (as can this one, albeit in a soft-core S&M sort of way), I would suggest holding this one for a couple of years and drinking it over the next decade.
97 points, Wine Advocate, March 2018
Life is too short not to be drinking the wines of Drew Noon. Robert Parker
Parker’s ratings for 15 Noon Reserve Shiraz vintages between 1997 and 2013 inclusive comprise five 99s, three 98s, two 97s, four 96s and one 93+
Sheesh, this is powerful. Not just concentrated in fruit character but incredibly vice like in its feel. Sinewy tannins, so drying, but not dried out, rule the roost. It’s loaded with lavish chocolate, dark berry, mulberry and kirsch scents, while the palate delivers a thick set, muscular push of more dark berry fruit with clove spice, bay leaf and eucalyptus/mint herbal notes and a firm, salt and sweet earth finish. No hiding from this. Pretty impressive in its way.
93 points, Mike Bennie (September 2017)
Vines were first planted in Langhorne Creek, south of Adelaide, by Frank Potts soon after the establishment of Bleasdale in 1850. The region is a large, broad, sparsely-populated plain watered by the Bremer and Angas rivers. It was named after Alfred Langhorne, a drover who crossed the Bremer River at a place that became known as Langhorne's Crossing. The name evolved to become Langhorne Creek. A cool, maritime region with deep, fertile, alluvial soils, Langhorne Creek is best known for medium to full bodied red wines made, in particular, from shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and malbec. Reliable quality and volume has made it a favoured source for major producers and much of the region’s large crop goes to make wines that are not specifically identified with the region.
