Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2007
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A particularly good winter chill ensured more even bud-break than usual and apart from a couple of strong winds in November, wind speeds were lower than average and conditions at flowering excellent. Humidity was higher than usual in January requiring vigilance to ward off disease. While January was warmer than average – contributing to a harvest one week earlier than normal, February and March were cooler than usual. Overall 2007 was a cool year versus our long-term average. Ripening was particularly even and fruit quality excellent.
Not just a Pinot noir, but a classic, origin expressive wine, Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir is different to most New World Pinot noirs. Our low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields of around 35 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines – give rise to a certain tightness, tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of our Pinot noir. Our Pinot noir is not overtly fruity, soft and "sweet" and it generally shows hints of that alluring "primal" character along with a dark, spicy, complex fruit perfume. For this reason, many knowledgeable enthusiasts around the world regard Hamilton Russell Vineyards as the best "Pinot noir" in South Africa and one of the best in the New World.
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Wine Spectator
Bold, aromatic and ripe, but imminently elegant, with racy acidity providing the ground wire for the rich black cherry, bramble, incense and sweet earth notes. Long, multi-faceted finish, the HR Pinot is quietly getting better and better. Drink now through 2013.
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Hamilton Russell Vineyards – one of the most southerly wine Estates in Africa and one of the closest to the sea – pioneered viticulture and winemaking in the beautiful, cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation, just behind the old fishing village of Hermanus. Tim Hamilton Russell purchased the undeveloped 425-acre property in 1975, after an exhaustive search for the most southerly site on which to make South Africa’s top cool climate wines from a selection of noble varieties. His son, Anthony Hamilton Russell, who took over in 1991 (finally buying the property in 1994), narrowed the range to only Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and registered Hamilton Russell Vineyards as an Estate, committing to work only with grapes from their terroir. Today, Anthony and his wife Olive, winemaker Emul Ross, and viticulturist Johan Montgomery are completely dedicated to expressing the personality of the Hamilton Russell Vineyards terroir in their wines. Tiny yields and intense worldwide demand keep the elegant, highly individual, estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in very short supply.