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
Opulent nose with blackberry juice flavours and full-on richness. Expansive, confident and intense. Drink 2019-2029.
17/20 points, Richard Hemming, jancisrobinson.com, Feb 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+
The 2016 Shiraz Reserve is a star, marrying hints of mint with dark chocolate, blackberries and black olives. Full-bodied and plush, it features a lovely velvety texture that persists right to the end of the long finish. Big, powerful and intense, it retains a sense of softness and elegance, driven by the fineness of the tannins and notions of red raspberries that appear on the finish.
96 points, Joe Czerwinski (September 2018)
Balance is the key. This is sweet and ripe – and warm – but it’s remarkably well balanced. Raspberry, plum and darker berry flavours move into tar and sweet, meaty spice. A lick of coffee-cream too, though fruit has both hands on the steering wheel. 15.5% alcohol and yet it wouldn’t be hard to use the word ‘delicate’ here, as strange as that may seem.
91 points, Campbell Mattinson (November 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.
