Hamilton Russell Vineyards
Hamilton Russell Vineyards - one of the most southerly wine estates in Africa and one of the closest to the sea - pioneered viticulture and winemaking in the beautiful, cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Appellation, just behind the old fishing village of Hermanus.
The Estate specialises in producing highly individual, terroir driven Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which are widely regarded as the best in South Africa and among the finest in the New World. Founder, Tim Hamilton Russell, purchased the undeveloped 170 hectare property in 1975, after an exhaustive search for the most southerly site on which to make South Africa’s top cool climate wines from a selection of noble varieties.
His son, Anthony Hamilton Russell, who took over in 1991 (finally buying the business in 1994), narrowed the range to Pinot noir and Chardonnay only and registered Hamilton Russell Vineyards as an Estate, committing to only work with grapes from their terroir. Anthony, winemaker Emul Ross and viticulturalist Johan Montgomery are completely dedicated to expressing the personality of the Hamilton Russell Vineyards terroir in their wines.