Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay 2005


variety : Chardonnay [ 100% Chardonnay ]
winemaker : Hannes Storm
wine of origin : Walker Bay
analysis : alc : 13.1 % vol  rs : 3.0 g/l  pH : 3.23  ta : 7.19 g/l  
type : White  style : Dry  body : Medium  taste : Mineral   wooded
pack : Bottle  closure : Cork  

AWARDS
Rated one of the Top 20 Chardonnays in the world (the only South African Chardonnay on the list) by Anthony Rose for Harpers in the UK – July 2001
Five recent vintages have scored 90 or above (‘Outstanding’) in the Wine Spectator

Recent Wine Press Comments

Tim Atkin – The Observer
“South Arica’s best Chardonnay – elegant and beautifully poised … “

Douglas Bailey – Boston Globe
“ … this South African vineyard has become recognized as the country’s best producer of chardonnay and pinot noir.”

Gordon Stimmell – Toronto Sun
“Out of 1,000+ Chardonnays tried in the last three years, I consistently place these two in the top 30. My personal winner was the Hamilton Russell … “

Pierre Crison – Gault Millau
“Drawn from Pinot Noir, or as it happens, from Chardonnay as in Burgundy, perfectly balanced, they stand unrivalled among the best of the New World.”

Oz Clarke – London Telegraph
“ … superb, restrained, Burgundian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that set a standard for the rest of the hemisphere …”

Hugh Johnson – South African Wine Guide
“… much closer to the ripe complexity and subtlety of French styles that the general run of New World Chardonnays.’
in the vineyard : Soil: Low-vigour, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil.

Not just a Chardonnay, but a classic, origin expressive wine
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Chardonnay is different to most New World Chardonnays. Our stony, clay-rich, soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields of around 30 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines – give rise to a tighter, drier, more complex mineral character and length to complement the varietal fruit. Many wine enthusiasts prefer this more ‘classic’ style to the round, viscous, vanilla and sweet fruit character of so many Chardonnays. For this reason, many knowledgeable enthusiasts around the world regard Hamilton Russell Vineyards as the best ‘Chardonnay’ in South Africa and one of the best in the New World.

Growing Season
For the Cape overall, the 2005 vintage has been characterized as hot, dry and early. This was not the case for our own vineyards and the growers where the grapes were sourced in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and in the Walker Bay. While the 2005 harvest was a little warmer than 2004, it was cooler than 2003. The average maximum temperature for December, January, February and March was 25 centigrade – exactly equal to our long-term averages for the period. January was however cooler than average. Rainfall was average for December, wet for January, average for February and dry for March.

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