TASTING NOTES

Displays ripeness and drive, citrus oil, white peach, and salted butter notes offset by bracing fleur de sel and thyme accents. Silky and lush with ripe citrus, peach and crisp acidity; fresh, clean and balanced with style and focus. The long, rapier finish pulls you back for another sip.

The Hamilton Russell Vineyards are among the furthest south of any of the wine farms in South Africa, and is exceptionally close to the sea. Positioned in the Hemel-en-Aarde winelands, it is considered to be one of the best wine farms to find good, strong wines that have a touch of class. The vineyard is not a new acquisition, being purchased in 1975, but quota laws limited the amount of wine that the Hamilton Russell Vineyards could produce. The land was purchased after a desperate search for a vineyard which was built on the southern region of South Africa, and was designed to accommodate a number of European vines that prefer to have a cold climate. The Hamilton Russell Vineyards farm suited the demands of the vines, and Tim Hamilton Russell bought 170 hectares of land in order to ensure that the varieties were able to thrive, and as much wine as possible could be grown. This desire was passed down to his son, Anthony, who took over and then bought the farm in the early 1990s. The son reduced the number of wine varieties that the estate was growing, choosing only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as the base wines for his production. He also purchased a license for Hamilton Russell Vineyards to practice as an estate, meaning that he could not use any grapes that had been produced anywhere but on his own land. By committing himself to work only with grapes that could be produced on the terroir, Anthony Hamilton Russell had taken on a tough task. The estate owner decided that the vines would only be planted in this ideal soil. The vines planted are not the most vigorous, so there is only a small yield each year, but there is a big demand, both in the domestic arena and overseas, that keen this small South African producer in short supply.