To celebrate their milestone of 35 vintages of Pinot noir, Hamilton Russell Vineyards has just released their second five bottle (half decade) vertical of Pinot noir, with each vintage – 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 – carrying a specially chosen or commissioned South African artwork as a back label.
1,200 bottles of each vintage from 2010 were held back for the project, for a total of 1,200 five bottle cases. Each year only one fifth of the wine (240 five bottle cases) will be made available, but the price is expected to increase each year in line with the holding costs. This is to ensure that at least something is available each year until the next half-decade vertical has built up for release. 50% will be sold locally and 50 % internationally.
Proprietor, Anthony Hamilton Russell, said: “while many enthusiasts have cellared Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir over the years, there are still a lot who only encounter the wine at a youthful stage. This vertical allows enthusiasts to really get to know our Pinot noir and its story of place over time and through different life stages.
Since the first Pinot noir plantings on Hamilton Russell Vineyards in 1976 and from the release of our first vintage in 1981, many very able people have been involved in what has been a pioneering and extraordinary endeavour. Each of our wines however, has first and foremost been an expression of place – more than of people or of grape variety – and second to that an expression of vintage.
52 hectares of ancient, extremely clay-rich, stony soils on a 170 hectare Estate in the beautiful Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, surrounded by fynbos nature reserve and unusually close to the cold Atlantic, where the wines are grown, made, matured, bottled and labeled on the property. Our Pinot noir is an expression of this place. From the outset this expression has showcased an almost uniquely classic and “European” style within the New World, with each vintage showcasing it in a subtly different way. This is something which has excited wine collectors and Pinot noir enthusiasts – particularly Burgundy enthusiasts – for 30 vintages.”
The artworks on the back labels are by the following artists:
2010 – Heike Davis
2011 – Piet van Heerden
2012 – Jan Vermeiren
2013 – Stefan Ampenberger
2014 – Arabella Caccia
For purchases or information please contact Talita Engelbrecht on + (27) 28 312 3595 or info@hamiltonrussellvineyards.com.
The cellar door price for the vertical is R3,000.