2002 Noon Eclipse Proprietary Red Mclaren Vale / Langhorn Creek

(97 points) The 2002 Eclipse (70% Grenache and 30% Shiraz) is a brilliant exercise in vineyard sourcing and management. It was produced from 60- to 70-year-old vines, spent 18 months in a combination of small oak casks as well as foudres, and enjoyed a meticulous upbringing. The result is a prodigious dense ruby/purple-colored red boasting a glorious perfume of black fruits, licorice, vanilla, graphite, and Asian spices as well as a touch of incense. Full-bodied, gorgeously pure, elegant, and seamless, it’s hard to know how this beauty will age, but I suspect it should be consumed during its first 10-12 years of life Wine Advocate #155 Oct 2004