Subtle, fragrant, a delicate Chardonnay with lots of finesse on show. Tree-fruit characters, allied with crisp lemon/lime acidity, pronounced mineral notes on the long finish. This will need more time to fully meld but all the structure is undoubtedly there - just needs a bit of time for the flesh to cover the bones.

Yields were very low on the 2024 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay, producing an unusually
concentrated wine. Benefitting from the contribution of four different clones, it's a rich, still youthful white with spice, vanilla-scented 28% new oak, flavours of tangerine, peach and
citrus zest and top notes of honeysuckle and saffron.

There is just something about Hemel-en-Aarde and also even the style of a Hamilton Russell chardonnay that seems akin to or at least shares some affinity with a most modernist take of present day Premier Cru Chablis. Consider Montée de Tonnerre with its intensity, powerful restraint and unbridled salty-mineral emotion. Now consider this 2024 Hamilton Russell chardonnay with similar if not the uncanny reprint of that blueprint. Then again we’ve seen and tasted many vintages of this top South African wine and the complete truth is witnessed in how consistent and constant it acts while being only what it can be. Often a great notion from the Valley, abiding to place and generous as ever.

After a musty start, with aeration this chardonnay from Hemel-en-Aarde pioneer Hamilton Russell emerges from its shell to reveal subtle, cool citrus fruit aromatics, white stones and sweet green herbs and gentle lees, tarragon and licorice that comfortably numbs the palate. Acids are bright, zesty, ripe but structure-providing, while length and depth are excellent. I'd see this again in another 2-3 years minimum, or cellar without concern into the mid-thirties considering the estate's track record.

Anthony Hamilton Rus­sell is one of the most urbane and cour­teous fel­lows in the Cape. While all around him middle-aged, cre­at­ively hir­sute, boho-wine­makers con­sume much of South Africa’s wine oxy­gen, AHR ploughs a thor­oughly civ­il­ised fur­row, craft­ing wines of uncom­mon refine­ment and global appeal. Since he assumed respons­ib­il­ity for his estate back in 1991, the chardon­nays and pinots here have under­gone a gradual, unre­lent­ing refine­ment, attain­ing world-class notori­ety, yet prices remain fair and unusu­ally enti­cing. Only the other day, Anthony showed me pre­views of his 2025 chardon­nay and 2025 pinot noir. Arriv­ing in April, these are finely wrought, min­eral-soaked, ultra­soph­ist­ic­ated wines with tran­scend­ent fla­vours. You should seek them out when they arrive. They will drink well from the off and age per­fectly for five years. At around £45 a throw, they ought to be atop your Bur­gundy-style wish list. While chat­ting, I noticed a pair of 2024 vin­tage mag­nums on his table, and I was elated to hear that both are still avail­able in the UK. The 2024 vin­tage was a chal­len­ging one, with very small, focused crops due to storms in 2023. My fea­tured wine is utterly incred­ible, and it is drink­ing now. Great qual­ity, keenly priced mag­nums are hard to come by, and this mag­num and its pigeon pair 2024 Hamilton Rus­sell Pinot Noir (£95.95, mag­num, uncorked.co.uk) are as good as it gets. You will not believe just how good these 2024s are. In mag­num size, they will not fail to attract atten­tion!