Hamilton Russell Chardonnay

Hamilton Russell Chardonnay has a buttery, putty-like warmth is undercut by vivid, lemony acidity.

Hamilton Russell Chardonnay glows with a soft oak spice that comes from using different ages and different degrees of toasting (the wood is literally toasted inside with a flame) of barrels.

Tiny yields and strong world wide demand keep their elegant, individual, estate grown Pinot Noir an Chardonnay in very restricted supply.

The most southerly wine estate in Africa and the closest to the sea, concentrates on individual, terroir driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay which are widely recognised as the best in South Africa and amongst the best in the New World.

Hamilton Russell Vineyards, one of the most southerly wine Estates in Africa and one of the closest to the sea is located in the beautiful, cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation, just behind the old fishing village of Hermanus.

The Estate specialises in producing highly individual, terroir driven Pinot noir and Chardonnay, which are widely regarded as the best in South Africa and among the best in the New World.

Hamilton Russell was the first wine estate planted in Walker Bay, founded by Tim Hamilton Russell in 1975 and since that time has carved out a reputation for producing wines that straddle the old and new worlds.

Only two varieties are grown: there are 22 Ha of Pinot Noir vines, and 30 Ha of Chardonnay.

This contrasts with the usual new world model of growing perhaps 10 different varieties, with no attempt to concentrate on the varieties that best suit the terroir available.

In addition, recent vineyard improvement (the old Champagne clones of Pinot Noir have gradually been replaced with better vines) is paying off with an increase in quality of the Pinot Noir.

Theyve now expanded to include a second label Southern Right to produce a varietal Pinotage, and a Chenin-based white.

Tim Hamilton Russell was chairman of one of South Africa’s leading advertising companies when he purchased a run down property in 1975 that was to become one of the finest wine farms in the country.

In an industry not renowned for its progressive politics, he was a passionate advocate of minimum wages for black workers and was a prime mover in the abolition of the Dop system of paying wages in wine.

The estate is located only 3 kilometres from the Atlantic ocean and the cool breezes that come from the ocean make this the coolest region for wine production in South Africa.

Hamilton Russell wines are now only made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, grown on low vigour, stony, clay-rich Bokkeveld shale slopes. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/wine/11715979/Why-South-Africa-is-thrilling-the-wine-world.html

Present proprietor Anthony Hamilton Russell and winemaker Kevin Grant produced exemplary wines that are restrained yet complex and, most importantly, express their respective origins and terroirs.

Hannes Storm who worked with Kevin Grant before and worked at Sumaridge for a season has taken over the Hamilton Russell cellar.

When Anthony Hamilton-Russell returned in the early 1990s from a stint at Wharton Business School by way of the illustrious Elon College in Great Britain, he had big plans for his father’s vineyard, which he purchased in 1994.

His first task was to help make South African wines known around the worlda country-wide initiative that is still underwayand, more importantly, to put the wines of Hamilton-Russell on the map.

Hamilton Russell Chardonnay – Hay Wines