Drew Noon has been pushing out unique wines from McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek for a while now but until the USA critics got a hold of him he was relatively unheard of in the Australian market. Has this gone to his head? No, he would be one of the most down to earth and thoughtful winemakers that I've spoken to. His wines are big but they remain balanced and structured. I've been collecting them since 2002 and since I've been opening them now I've come to the conclusion that they require a fair bit of age to show their best. My 2002 Eclipse taste the same as the day that i bought them. A few years ago he sent a letter saying that he would like to sponsor 10 more kids in Africa so a 2 dollar per bottle increase will be applied.
Noons Twelve Bells 2009
Now I normally don't like reaching for a wine with 15.5% alcohol on the label but in the colder months i find it calling to me. It is at the big end of town but there is a degree of elegance and control for its size. What you get is an easy drink with flavours of sour plums, red hum bugs (the ones your Gran used to give you at Christmas time), red liquorish, BBQ meats and a spicy cranberry sorbet. There is a little heat on the back end, but on a week night for a wine that's 10 bucks this is hard to beat. Actually I've had wines not up to this standard for three times the price. It satisfies the monster within me that only big wines can quench.
Alcohol: 15.5%
Price: $10
Rated: 85
Drink: now - 2014
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