Our Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2012 Pinot noir will shortly be released. The 2011, as a particularly low yielding vintage, has sold out even faster than anticipated. It will have sold out in 6 months from release. The 2012 is however ready for release and is a really wonderful wine. Deeper and more textured than the fine, beautiful, more feminine 2011. If not the best Pinot noir made to date on Hamilton Russell Vineyards, I believe the 2012 to be the best made Pinot noir to date. It has a dark very complex, spicy fruit profile and a lovely voluptuous, richness of texture. At 14 hl/ha or 2 tons/ha yields were tiny and we have decided on a very small price increase to part compensatefor this.
The long awaited Ashbourne Sandstone 2008 is also now available for sale. The 2008 was particularly favourably reviewed by The Wine Spectator who scored the wine a very high 93/100. We were also flattered to have Ashbourne written up in the July 31st Wine Spectator Issue featuring South Africa as their cover story as being one of the 4 properties on South Africa’s Cutting Edge. Here is how our Sandstone 2008 was described “A rich and piercing white, with lemon zest, fleur de sel, chamomile and tarragon notes showing serious cut and drive through the rapier finish. Gorgeous and distinctive”. It was regarded as drinking well now but also up until 2017.
And the Southern Right 2013 Sauvignon blanc will shortly be released. This has always been a Sauvignon blanc known for minerality, complexity and age-worthiness ahead of simple upfront varietal character – much more towards the Loire than New Zealand. Many parcels of grapes, multiple ripeness levels, 4 yeasts, 5 clones and a carefully judged mix of clay-grown and sandstone-grown grapes, all come together in one wine to add significant breadth and dimension to a grape variety where simplicity can be a problem. 2013 was an excellent Sauvignon blanc year, with tiny yields (31.7 hl/ha or 4.5tons/ha) and a lovely fruit density to coat the bright natural acidity and very low pH. This is a very worthy successor to the 2012.
Finally, the Southern Right 2012 Pinotage will also shortly be released. As for most South African reds, 2012 is a fuller, deeper and more structured vintage than 2011 and we are thrilled with the year. This is typical Southern Right Pinotage, in being noticeably more “classically styled” than usual for the grape. The fruit is complex, spicy and dark and as for our other vintages it is hard to imagine this wine not being something from somewhere along the Rhone Valley or the South of France. We have always believed this age-worthy, highly individual Pinotage to be one of the exceptional wine values currently in the market.
All the best and we greatly appreciate your support of – and success with – our wines!