Monday, August 21st- Noon, Kay Brother's, Shirvington

We’re checked in at McLaren’s On The Lake for a couple days in McLaren Vale. We start our morning with a tour, tasting and coffee at a little place called Noon. If you have never had a Noon wine before, if you beg me I might sell you a bottle.
Drew and Rae Noon source grapes from Langhorne Creek for their Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Cabernet and use estate-grown fruit for their Eclipse Grenache-based wine. We finished the visit with some hot coffee and some of Drew’s home-baked cookies.


We tasted the…
1998 Noon Reserve Cabernet
200? Noon Reserve Shiraz
2004 Noon Eclipse

We traveled down the road to Kay Brother's Amery Vineyards for a tour, tasting and lunch. The view of the valley from the winery is one of the most idyllic in wine country- the Hillside vineyard is actually on a hillside and the Block 6 compromises a few rows at the bottom of the hill. Chief winemaker Colin Kay led the tour though the grand, old winery and into the hall for lunch. The Kay’s have kept meticulous hand-written, daily records of the winery’s activity, weather, etc. since it’s inception in 1891.

Tasted were…
2003 Kay’s Amery Hillside Shiraz
2004 Kay’s Amery Hillside Shiraz
2004 Kay’s Amery Shiraz
2004 Kay’s Block 6 Shiraz
2004 Kay’s Amery Cabernet
2005 Kay’s Amery Hillside Shiraz (barrel sample)
2005 Kay’s Amery Shiraz (barrel sample)
2005 Kay’s Amery Block 6 Shiraz (barrel sample)
2005 Kay’s Amery Cabernet (barrel sample)
2005 Kay’s Amery Merlot (barrel sample)
2005 Kay’s Amery Cuthbert Reserve Cabernet (barrel sample)
1997 Kay’s Amery Hillside Shiraz
multiple Tawny's and Dessert wines















Off to Scarpantoni for a tasting and tour at their winery. Phil Scarpantoni and the gang make a wide array of wines that are very popular in Australia. The US only receives a couple of their wines. These wines deliver for the money.



We left Scarpantoni and drove down to Maslin Beach for a walk on the sand. Maslin Beach was Australia’s first official nude beach so of course we had to take pictures of the sign (Unclad Bathing Foreshore Reserve Area- South of This Point Only).












Back into the town of Wilunga for a cleansing ale at the pub before joining the Shirvington’s and winekaer Kim Johnston for dinner at Fino. The Shirvington wines were, well, Shirvington wines. They also happened to be from the 2005 vintage (the best since 1998). I'll leave the rest for your imagination. The Italian banquet style (aka family style) food kept coming and the corks kept popping. Everyone had too much fun that night- this event was definately one of the highlights of the trip. Thank God we had the whole restaurant to ourselves.

Swilled were…
2005 Shirvington Shiraz
2005 Shirvington Cabernet Sauvignon











(pictured- the Florida boys with winemaker Kim Johnston)


Back to the hotel for a party in room #7, again.