Hamilton Russell

HISTORY 

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 Pinot Noir and Chardonnay only and registered Hamilton Russell Vineyards as an estate, committing to work only with grapes from their terroir. Extensive soil research initiated in 1994 identified 130 acres of stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil as optimal for the individual, origin-expressive style to which they aim, and all plantings have now been limited to this soil type. 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. Hamilton Russell Vineyards is certified sustainable by the Integrated Production of Wine, farms their vineyards organically, and are World Wildlife Fund Conservation Champions. Tiny yields and intense worldwide demand keep the elegant, highly individual, estate-grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in very short supply. 

HEMEL-EN-AARDE 

The Hemel-en-Aarde is a grouping of 3 contiguous nested appellations within the much larger cool maritime Walker Bay District: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. The common feature of the Hemel-en-Aarde, which translates to “Heaven on Earth”, is the strong cooling maritime influence of the Walker Bay. The three appellations were created in the mid 2000’s by Anthony Hamilton Russell’s initiation, and today are recognized as the heart of quality Pinot Noir production in South Africa with an Old World style. Hamilton Russell Vineyards are located within the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley ward, which is located closest to the South Atlantic Ocean and has soils very high in iron and clay.