Noon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2015

Region and Vineyards

The 2015 Noon Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a single 1.2-hectare plot known as the Fruit Trees Block, located in Langhorne Creek, South Australia. This historic vineyard has supplied fruit for every Reserve Cabernet vintage since its first release in 1996, and the block is dry-farmed and managed without synthetic inputs.

Langhorne Creek enjoys a unique climatic balance, with maritime influences from Lake Alexandrina offering cooler conditions than might be expected this far inland. The 2015 growing season began with a very dry winter and spring, leading to accelerated vine development. While a cool early summer initially delayed ripening, a hot January followed by unexpected rain and cool weather in late summer contributed to complex, balanced fruit. Cabernet Sauvignon from this site ripened later than Shiraz, and was harvested in April, allowing full phenolic development.

Winemaking

The grapes were hand-harvested and fermented using manual punchdowns in open-top fermenters to extract colour and tannins gently but thoroughly. Following fermentation, the must was pressed using traditional basket presses, a hallmark of Noon’s artisanal approach. The wine then matured for 18 months in French oak barriques (225 L), with approximately 40% new oak, contributing both richness and structural framing.

All vinification and bottling were conducted on-site. The finished wine was bottled under screwcap, with no fining agents used—making it suitable for vegans and vegetarians.

The final composition is 15.5% alcohol, with 6.7 g/L total acidity, pH 3.75, and just 0.3 g/L residual sugar—an indicator of its dry, age-worthy profile.

Tasting Notes

• Color: Deep ruby with a garnet rim, showing signs of evolution while maintaining concentration.
• Aroma: Sweet red berries, cedarwood, and tobacco leaf rise from the glass, joined by earthy, mineral, and graphite undertones.
• Palate: Full-bodied with great clarity and precision, revealing a core of redcurrant and cherry, framed by firm tannins and savoury oak. The finish is long and persistent, marked by freshness and mineral drive.

Did you know?

The Fruit Trees Block that supplies this wine spans only 1.2 hectares, and the wine is crushed, fermented, matured, and bottled entirely on the estate. Noon’s commitment to quality means the Reserve Cabernet is not made every vintage—further elevating its cult status and collectability.

Wine Pairing Ideas

• Herb-crusted rack of lamb: Echoes the wine’s herbal and savoury complexity while softening the tannins.
• Duck breast with cherry glaze: A perfect interplay of fruit sweetness and structured tannin.
• Grilled Portobello mushrooms with balsamic reduction: A vegetarian option that matches the wine’s earthy depth.
• Aged Manchego or Ossau-Iraty: Nutty and umami-rich cheeses enhance the Cabernet’s tertiary notes.

History of Noon Winery

The story of Noon Winery began in the 1960s, when David Noon, a French teacher turned farmer, began selling grapes from his property in McLaren Vale to local wineries. Encouraged by the quality of his fruit, he started vinifying small lots himself, eventually creating a loyal following by nothing more than word of mouth—and a simple sign at the end of his driveway.

In 1996, David’s son Drew Noon, having earned his stripes at Tyrrell’s Winery in the Hunter Valley and later achieving the title of Master of Wine, took over the estate with his wife Rae. From that moment, Noon Winery was reborn with a clearer focus on site-specific, terroir-driven red wines. The Noons enhanced vineyard practices, adopted biodynamic principles, and refined a low-intervention approach to winemaking.

Drew Noon’s philosophy is rooted in authenticity and transparency: no fining, no filtration, and minimal sulphur use. His hands-on experience in both vineyard and cellar defines every wine released under the Noon label.

Region and Vineyards

Noon Winery is situated in the heart of McLaren Vale, a region famed for its Mediterranean climate, ancient soils, and exceptionally old vines, particularly of Grenache. The proximity to the Gulf of St Vincent provides beneficial cooling breezes, tempering ripening conditions and preserving acidity in the wines.

The estate owns and works with several key vineyard parcels, notably the Winery Block, BJ’s Block, and Almond Block, located less than 400 metres from the Noon residence. The Grenache vines, many of which were planted in 1934 and 1943, are bush-trained, dry-farmed, and ungrafted, offering pure and concentrated expressions of fruit and site.

Additional fruit is sourced from the Borrett family’s vineyard in Langhorne Creek, particularly for the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz used in wines such as Reserve Cabernet and Reserve Shiraz. These vines, aged 30–50 years, grow in deep, alluvial soils with excellent water-holding capacity, ideal for producing structured, age-worthy reds.

Wine Range of Noon Winery

Noon’s production is small-scale and highly selective, with wines released only in years that meet the estate’s quality threshold. The flagship wines include:

• Eclipse – A Grenache-dominant blend (with Shiraz and Graciano), and the winery’s most iconic wine, expressive of old vines and Mediterranean warmth.
• Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon – Sourced from the same Langhorne Creek block since 1996, showing power, depth, and longevity.
• Reserve Shiraz – A bold, dark-fruited wine with exceptional ageability, made only in top vintages.
• Cabernet Sauvignon – A varietal expression from Langhorne Creek, blending richness and structure.
• Shiraz – Juicy, vibrant, and densely textured, with a touch of new oak and natural acidity.

Each wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top wooden vats, basket-pressed, and aged in a mix of seasoned French and American oak—typically large formats to minimize wood influence. All wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered, preserving natural texture and flavour.

Did you know?

Drew Noon is one of the few Masters of Wine in the world who actively farms and makes his own wine. Despite its international reputation, Noon Winery produces only a few thousand cases per year, making its wines highly sought after and rarely seen outside Australia. The Eclipse Grenache vines are nearly 90 years old, among the oldest still-producing Grenache vines in the country.