The Auswine Forum

Hamilton Russell Vineyards is the southern-most wine estate in Africa, and their wines reflect the remarkable terroir of their location.

(Allow me to digress briefly and share an ironic anecdote about this wine: well over a year ago, the local distributor brought a bottle of the 2004 Hamilton Russell Walker Bay Chardonnay by for me to try, and I loved it for many of the same reasons I love its successor, so I ordered up several for my retail shelves. None were delivered, because they were out of stock, leaving me to exclaim WTF!?! How do you promote a bottle of wine that’s not in stock?!

Fast forward to April 2007: I noticed that the wine noted below was in stock in the same distributor’s book, so I immediately ordered some up for my shelves without tasting them, betting on the winery’s rep for producing excellent wares and Vineyard Brands’ penchant for importing the same. My bet paid off, because I brought one home to try, and as noted, liked it so well, I picked up another four as well. I ordered up another batch for the shelf and, yup, they were out of stock. Oh well, like the old folk song goes, “I got mine…”)

2005 Hamilton Russell Walker Bay Chardonnay2005 Hamilton Russell Walker Bay Chardonnay, 13% alc., $23.99: Medium straw color, with an immediate, and very aromatic creamy, stony minerality apparent on the nose, fanning out on the palate to include some subtle butterscotch over pear, cream and what my better half describes as “a little bit of that canned pea thing;” medium-full body, with a creamy texture that belies the crisp acidity and good length on the finish. Much closer to white Burgundy in character than, say, California Chardonnay, and that’s fine with us. We opened three of these with three different sets of friends, and it was a big hit each time, particularly with smoky grilled chicken. Sourced from low-vigor, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil, seeing 8 months in 228 liter French oak barrels; 7,000 cases produced.

Imported by Vineyard Brands, Inc., Birmingham, AL

-from A Bunch o' Whites (and One Pinky)

Reporting from Day-twah,

geo t.

George
Ta for the note and a winery I like - one of the first Pinot Noirs I took to and the Chardonnay is excellent as well.
regards
Ian

I had the good fortune to watch a local first division rugby game at the family home of the Hamilton Russells about 2 or 3 years ago during my last visit there. I was introduced through a good friend who was the winebuyer for SA Woolworths at the time.

We drank some excellent wines and had a very loud afternoon least I say.

I have visited Hamilton Russell a few times. My wife has family in Hermanus.

Hamilton Russel and Bouchard Finlyson make excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. They are in Hermanus which is about one and a half hours from Cape Town. It's almost like Melbourne, the weather is very cold and unpredictable.

The wines from Hermanus are very different to Stollenbosh, more delicate and linear. Although most RSA wines are quite big wines. Mixture of poor clones, vine virus and a warmish climate.

Franco

Franco wrote:I have visited Hamilton Russell a few times....The wines from Hermanus are very different to Stollenbosh, more delicate and linear. Although most RSA wines are quite big wines. Mixture of poor clones, vine virus and a warmish climate.

Franco

Franco comes out throwing punches The jarpies won't like that champ, your name will be on the secret service files and noted for the next visit!

Cheers

Ian S wrote:George
Ta for the note and a winery I like - one of the first Pinot Noirs I took to and the Chardonnay is excellent as well.
regards
Ian

Thanks for the feedback Ian; I just knew there'd be some fans of this producer loitering hereabouts.

Best,

geo

Glen wrote:I had the good fortune to watch a local first division rugby game at the family home of the Hamilton Russells about 2 or 3 years ago during my last visit there. I was introduced through a good friend who was the winebuyer for SA Woolworths at the time.

We drank some excellent wines and had a very loud afternoon least I say.

That sounds like great fun, Glen! I have friends who've visited the Estate, and they speak very highly of the family and their experience there.

Cheers,

geo

Grant,

I seriously love South Africa. I had even organised the assistant winemaker from Bouchard Finlayson do vintage here, but with the frost there was no point.

I think South African wine has improved dramastically over the last ten years. It will keep improving as clones/technology flows into the country.

I think in the past, especially with Chardy they used quite a bit of oak to mask any deficiencies with the fruit. This is changing for the better.

Although I must admit they have too much Chenin Blanc planted.

Franco

Franco,

You are right, of course, I just wanted to see you in some trouble with the in-laws!

Pre 1993, everything was pretty much controlled by the KWV. It was a very regressive, maintain the status quo type of program. Even the nurseries were controlled by them, and the fact that a lot of the stock coming out was infected with virus from inception didn't really seem to bother them.

The clone point you make is quite interesting. Pre 1993,to get anything new into the Cape it had to be smuggled in, as the KWV controlled clonal choice as well. Chardonnay was "smuggled" in (Michael Fridjhon has written a very interesting article on this on www.grape.co.za ) only for the first growers of it to find out that it was actually Auxerrois. Anyway, much has changed, and is changing; it is a fast moving work in progress.

As you know, there are some stunning vineyard sites all over the Cape, plus a lot of investment in the wine game, interestingly a lot of it from some of the biggest Bordeaux names. Some of the wineries there (Tokara, Vergelegen)make anything we have in Australia look miserly by comparison-big money has been spent.

I hope they still let in next time you go down there...!

Cheers

Grant wrote: Some of the wineries there (Tokara, Vergelegen)make anything we have in Australia look miserly by comparison.

I don't quite understand what you are hitting at there?

Also who is this Franco person and which winery do they work at?

steeley wrote:

Grant wrote: Some of the wineries there (Tokara, Vergelegen)make anything we have in Australia look miserly by comparison.

I don't quite understand what you are hitting at there?

Also who is this Franco person and which winery do they work at?

Err...

He is saying that they are very good and SA (and NZ for that matter) are scoring runs over Australia.

And if you want to know which winery Franco works at why don't you PM him?

Carl

Err ....

Because I wanted to get you to reply within this forum griff!

Err ...

steeley wrote:

Grant wrote: Some of the wineries there (Tokara, Vergelegen)make anything we have in Australia look miserly by comparison.

I don't quite understand what you are hitting at there?

Also who is this Franco person and which winery do they work at?

Steeley,

Franco is the winemaker at Hoddles Creek in the Yarra,

steeley wrote:

Grant wrote: Some of the wineries there (Tokara, Vergelegen)make anything we have in Australia look miserly by comparison.

This wasn't really a comment on quality, more on $ invested in winery infrastructure. The Tokara winery is a work of art, totally gravity fed, built by the owner of Sth Africa's biggest merchant bank, GT Ferreira.

He coined the phrase ( or at least is credited for it) that ROE ( return on equity) when used in relation to the wine industry becomes nothing more than Return on Ego!

Lots of beautiful, shiny new wineries and well preserved older ones.

Cheers

steeley wrote:Also who is this Franco person and which winery do they work at?

FWIW I was tempted to ask the same of yourself after some of your early postings - you certainly landed in the forum with some big comments, yet have taken offence at something which doesn't appear to be offensive.

regards

Ian