2023 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir

This wine comes from a site with iron-rich soils, resulting in structure and savory aromas. Made with Dijon clones (113, 115, 667 and 777), the Hamilton Russell Vineyards 2023 Hemel-En-Aarde Valley Pinot Noir has dark fruit (blackcurrant), grilled rosemary and a ferrous note of rusty nail. Clones with bigger clusters are used because the site tends to produce small bunches naturally. Anywhere from 10% to 15% whole-cluster fruit is used, depending on vintage. The wine undergoes a wild fermentation, and if the winemaking team does inoculate, they use yeast from the property. Cap management has changed over the years from twice daily punch-downs to a gentle approach resembling a tea infusion, with wine poured over the cap. There is a heavier note to this wine that is specific to this site and builds a robust fruit profile.

The 2023 Pinot Noir matured in one-third new French oak for 14 months. It has a fresh and perfumed bouquet, perhaps one of the most floral and potpourri-like that I have encountered in recent years. You could almost mistake this for a Grenache. Fresh and vibrant, the palate is medium-bodied with crunchy red fruit, a crisp line of acidity and a touch of sour cherry on the finish. Very fine.

Full bottle 1,352 g. Grown on l ow-vigour, stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil. Yield 27.9 hl/ha. Aged 10 months in 228-litre François Frères barriques (31% new). 2,854 cases made. Transparent garnet. Hint of rusty nail on the nose but attractive, salty-sweet tamarind fruit on the palate and some persistence. Just a little sweet and sour without the two fully integrated yet. Fresh but without quite the conviction and fruit-brilliance of their Chardonnay 2023. Perhaps it just needs time? I'm sure it's among South Africa's better Pinots. (JR)