Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006
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» Hamilton Russell Vineyards   +27.283123595     www.hamiltonrussellvineyards.com     hrv@hermanus.co.za
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006

contact us
  Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Phone +27.283123595
Fax +27283121797
eMail hrv@hermanus.co.za
URL www.hamiltonrussellvineyards.com
Address P O Box 158
Hermanus
7200
South Africa

 
our wines » Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006

technical analysis
Winemaker :  Hannes Storm
Main Variety :  Pinot Noir
Alcohol :  14.2  %vol
pH :  3.55
RS :  3.5 g/l
Total Acid :  6.03 g/l
Yield :  3.3  ton/H
Appellation :  Walker Bay
characteristics
Type :  Red
Style :  Dry
WOODED

 
accolades
Recent Wine Press Comments

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

Michael Fridjhon – Business Day
‘Unless the other high price players match the vinousity of the Hamilton Russell wines, they will resemble an imperial dynasty at a Beau Brummel Resort.’

Pierre Crisol – Gault Millau
‘Drawn from Pinot Noir, or as it happens, from Chardonnay and 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 …’

Len Rothenberg – Boston Globe
‘What I would really like is a nice bottle of mature grand cru Burgundy. But that would cost $150 or more – and I don’t think I’ve been that good. I would happily take what seems to me the next best thing; the 1998 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir from South Africa. With my palate open and my eyes closed, drinking it is like being on the Cote de Nuits in a good, lush year.’

Jim Ainsworth – Drink
‘If I were a Burgundian winemaker I would lie awake at night worrying about this wine.’

Frank J Prial – The New York Times
‘No Pinot Noir enthusiast should miss the chance to try it.’

Irina von Holdt – Cape Wine Master
‘One of the Cape’s enduring classics.’

David Fingleton – The Spectator
‘We drank a magnificent Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir from the Cape. One of the finest New World reds I have tasted.

Recent Successes

Winner of the “Bouchard Finlayson Trophy” for the best Pinot noir at the 2003 International Wine & Spirit Competition out of 91 top Pinot noirs from around the World.
Veritas Double Gold Medal for the last three vintages
Top wine in category on SAA selection – 2001
Top international Pinot noir at the 2001 Hamburger Wein Salons tasting in Hamburg
Best Value Pinot noir and highest medal rating out of 64 New World Pinot noirs at WINPAC 2001 Hong Kong
Top Ten Award and Gold Medal at the 2001 Air France – Preteux Bourgeois Classic Wine competition
Best Wine of the Tasting for the sommeliers tasting world Pinot noirs for Ambience Magazine - Belgium
Five stars out of five in Oz Clarke’s 1997 Wine Guide.
Rated one of the 100 best red wines in the world in the UK book “Red Wine Companion.
Seven times Wine of the Month on SAA First Class.
Wine of the Week with our Pinot noir in the Sunday Times - UK.
Wine of the Week in the New York Times - US.
Wine of the Week in the Sunday Morning Post - Hong Kong.
“Best Purchase” with our Pinot noir in food and wine Magazine, Mad & Bolig - Denmark.
First place with our 98 Pinot noir in the July 2000 “Ten of the Best Tasting”.
5 stars in John Platter
 
blend information
100% Pinot Noir
 
in the vineyard
Soil: Low-vigour, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil.

Not just a Pinot Noir, but a classic, origin expressive wine
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir is different to most New World Pinot Noirs. Our low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields or around 35 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines – give rise to a certain tightness, tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of our Pinot Noir.

Our Pinot Noir is not overtly fruity, soft and ‘sweet’ and it generally shows hints of that alluring ‘primal’ character along with a dark, spicy, complex primary fruit perfume. For this reason, many knowledgeable enthusiasts around the world regard Hamilton Russell Vineyards as the best ‘Pinot Noir’ in South Africa and one of the best in the New World.

Growing Season
The vineyards had higher than average winter rainfall, lower than average spring rainfall and slightly lower than average rainfall during harvest. Overall, conditions for disease control were highly favourable and this combined with extremely low yields resulted in grapes of exceptional quality.

In terms of temperatures, it was a cool harvest, starting with a good winter chill and more even bud break than usual. December and March were particularly cool. The average of the maximum daily temperatures for the 4 hottest months of the year – Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar – was 24.2 Centigrade vs our long term average of 25.
 
  
 
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other vintages

Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2011 Hannes Storm Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2010 Hannes Storm Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009 Hannes Storm Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2008 Hannes Storm Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2007 Hannes Storm Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006 Hannes Storm Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2005 Hannes Storm Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2004 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2003 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2002 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2001 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2000 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1999 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1998 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1997 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1996 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1995 Kevin Grant Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1994 Storm Kreusch-Dau Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1993 Storm Kreusch-Dau Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1992 Storm Kreusch-Dau Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1991 Storm Kreusch-Dau Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1990 Peter Finlayson Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1989 Peter Finlayson Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1988 Peter Finlayson Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1987 Peter Finlayson Pinot Noir
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 1986 Peter Finlayson Pinot Noir