Winemaker Notes
This 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 primary fruit perfume.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Anthony Hamilton Russell hopes this will be a unique wine, being the only HR Pinot Noir to be made with bought-in grapes (generously sold to him by other high-quality producers) when fire hit the estate, with 84% of their own fruit affected. This is a blend of grapes from Upper Hemel-en-Aarde and the Ridge. Very approachable already, attractive red-fruits and a slight earthiness. A fine effort in trying circumstances. Labelled just Hamilton Russell, rather than Hamilton Russell Vineyards to distinguish.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Before I begin my tasting note, I'd like to quickly focus on what Hamilton Russell has written on the back of their 2019 Pinot Noir label. While wildfires are not an uncommon occurrence for South Africa, it is refreshing to see such high integrity and transparency as Hamilton Russell has displayed in a challenging situation. Bottled as Walker Bay wine of origin, they had to reject almost all of their Pinot Noir vineyard fruit due to a wildfire. The estate stands to gain more trust and brand loyalty from their followers from the decision to be completely open and transparent about what happened to them and their Pinot Noir in 2019. I wish more of the world were as honest and transparent as Hamilton Russell has demonstrated to every consumer of this vintage. I don't know everything there is to know about building brand loyalty, but I am confident that the first chapter of that playbook begins with what Hamilton Russell has written on the back of this particular bottling.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A relatively cool, maritime climate area, Walker Bay includes three important wards: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. These sites benefit from the cooling ocean winds and are reputed for the production of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinotage.