Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir 2013 – 2013 was a small but superb vintage. It has the sumptuous dark, wild, fruit perfume of 2012 and its lovely Christmas spices, but is a wine with more edge, structure and depth. Only very recently bottled, our 2013 will open up well over the coming months and should cellar particularly well. This is our 33rd Vintage of this Hemel-en-Aarde Valley wine!
Ashbourne
Ashbourne Sandstone 2009 – a truly exciting wine to follow the 2008 – a Wine Spectator Top 100 Wine of the year worldwide. Remarkably fresh and vibrant given the intentional bottle age, but far more complex because of it. The 2009 is an unwooded, lower alcohol, late release blend of 88% Sauvignon blanc and 12% Chardonnay, with the Chardonnay fermented and aged in small stoneware amphorae. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Wine of Origin.
Ashbourne Sauvignon blanc/Chardonnay 2014 – this is only the 3rd release of this bestselling new wine, which draws from the experience we have gained over the years with Ashbourne Sandstone. A classic, fresh, bright, fine wine style at a price which affords regular consumption. The blend remains 80% Sauvignon blanc and 20% Chardonnay. The vintage shows through in a little riper fruit profile, despite the lower alcohol. Walker Bay Wine of Origin.
Southern Right (Celebrating 20 years!)
Southern Right Pinotage 2013 – as for our Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir, this is a great vintage, with more structure and depth than 2012. True to our founding mission of re-defining Pinotage, this wine has marked classic styling and more in common with something from the Rhone than current SA Pinotage styles. On our international travels, where we encounter many wine enthusiast without knowledge of Pinotage (and therefore no prejudice!), this wine is often what excites them most in our entire line-up, particularly for what it offers at the price. Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Wine of Origin.
Southern Right Sauvignon blanc 2014 – a standout feature of the cool, wet 2014 vintage was achieving full ripeness at lower potential alcohol. This has really benefitted the Sauvignon blanc. Once again, multiple vineyards, 5 clones, 5 yeasts, multiple ripeness levels and two main soil types all coming together in one wine, have created depth and complexity without bigness or sweetness. 2014 has the marked dry minerality and marine “saltiness” we are known for. This our 20th vintage. Walker Bay Wine of Origin.