2002 Noon Eclipse

($52.50; a blend of 70% McLaren Vale grenache and 30% Langhorne Creek shiraz; 15.9% alcohol) Saturated deep ruby. Sweet aromas of black raspberry, licorice, violet pastille and menthol. Supersweet flavors of blackberry liqueur and violet pastille, given clarity and penetration by strong, integrated acidity. Not particularly complex but the fruit offers superb purity and impressive power. Finishes with fine-grained tannins and strong dark berry fruit. I'd drink a wine like this over the next five or six years for its terrific primary fruit.

Grenache/Shiraz. Purplish. Sweet, syrupy, with signs of all modern winemaker's batterie de cuisine . Very hot with marked tannins and quite a bit of acid. Not a complete whole but a serviceable, arresting drink for the medium term. (JR)

Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2002 Noon Eclipse contains 30% Langhorne Creek fruit from the “20 Rows” block. With evolving aromas of plum preserves, Christmas pudding, dark chocolate, espresso and licorice alongside nuances of earth and creme de cassis, this very big, rich and full-bodied wine offers plenty of dried fruit and spice flavor layers with just enough acid to refresh and a medium level of chewy tannins to frame. It finishes very long. Mature and drinking nicely now, it should cellar to 2017+. Feb 2013, www.robertparker.com