2010 will be our 30th Vintage of Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir . . . . . and the harvest began on Tuesday February 2nd, a beautiful clear, sunny day with a gentle cooling breeze off the Walker Bay and maximum temperatures of 22 degrees centigrade.
It was fitting to kick-off with Pinot noir. 3.5 tons of Dijon Selection Clone 115 were harvested early in the morning from the lower portion of our Russell vineyard – one of 8 Pinot noir vineyards on Hamilton Russell Vineyards. The grapes were extremely healthy and augured well for the 2010 vintage.
Our Winemaker, Hannes Storm has assembled a team of four French assistant winemakers – to strengthen his permanent team for the harvest – with wide-ranging experience in Burgundy, Alsace, Champagne, the Rhone, Bordeaux and California.
We only expect to finish the 2010 harvest towards the end of March, but so far it looks to be another very good year.