Hamilton Russell’s Pinot Noir Scores 94 Points With Wine Advocate
Hamilton Russell Vineyards’ Pinot Noir 2013 has scored an impressive 94 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate - the highest score for a South African Pinot in Neal Martin’s South African report.
In his report Martin also praised the Hemel-en-Aarde region, which was established by Tim Hamilton Russell and is now one of the best cool climate regions in South Africa.
Writing about the wine, Martin said: “The palate is very well balanced with good substance: beautiful, silky tannins and real poise on the Vosne-like finish. Dare I say, you might think that you were drinking say a Vosne-Romanee Beaux Monts, if it were not for the opulence on the nose. Superb."
“This is one of those Pinot Noirs that I would love to discretely smuggle into a lineup of Burgundy wines to see if professionals can spot the difference, because I for one wager that I probably could not,” he added.
“This is not suggesting the Hamilton Russell's are mimicking Burgundy, rather a testament to the quality of their wines. That includes their exemplary Chardonnay. Both effortlessly straddle Old World and New World, thanks to both the microclimate and terroir of the Hemel-en-Aarde valley and the talent in the winery."
Anthony Hamilton Russell is thrilled with the score and the recognition that Hemel-en-Aarde has received. “It is always reassuring to celebrate an important milestone with a great vintage, and our team was really proud that our 33rd vintage of Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir was awarded the highest score for a South African Pinot Noir. Neal has an extremely experienced international palate and a deep understanding of Burgundy, so his recognition of our 2013 Pinot noir was particularly meaningful to us.”
“We fully intend that our next 33 years will see us producing even purer and more compelling expressions of our terroir,” he added.
Hamilton Russell has recently completed a major fermentation cellar upgrade to tailor its capacity and tank design specifically to the eight sites on the estate that contribute to the Pinot Noir. There has also been work in the vineyards, where they are busy completing their first season of organic production in a steady move towards biodynamic farming.
Discover more about the Hamilton Russell Vineyards’ Pinot Noir 2013 here.