Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2022 Bottle size: 750ml

‘Our low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields of well under 35 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines – give rise to a certain tightness, tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of our Pinot noir. Our Pinot noir is not overtly fruity, soft and “sweet” and it generally shows hints of that alluring savoury “primal” character along with a dark, spicy, complex primary fruit perfume.’ – Winemaker

This vintage has not been rated yet, see previous tasting notes:

'The latest in an impressive run of Pinot Noir releases from the ever youthful Emul Ross, this estate red is more backward than the 2020 release, with some earthy grip and structure. Stylishly oaked in 29% new barrels, it's savoury and spicy, with 12% whole bunches, sinewy tannins and a core of plum, raspberry and dark cherry fruit. 2023-30' – Tim Atkin, MW, South African Special Report 2022, 95/100

'Shy with backward, dark cherry and quiet, perfumed fruit purity. A nice touch of reduction leads to a palate that is light, ethereal, and elegant, with a nicely saline line running through to its refined and detailed finish. This a finely crafted wine that reflects the purity and effortless grace of a magnificent vintage.' – James Pietersen (March 2022)

'This stellar vintage was later and cooler than usual. Based on our measure of temperature, the average of the maximum temperatures for the 4 hottest months (crucial to harvest) Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, 2021 came in at 24.3 Centigrade. This compares to 24.8 Centigrade for a long-term average of the equivalent period in Burgundy. In the last 25 years, only 2001, 2004 and 2008 have been cooler. Winter was wetter than usual with 140mm more rain than average, filling dams and building the water table beautifully. Chill units started accumulating later than usual and a cool Spring and later budding accounted for the later harvest. A warm January was a welcome help towards healthy ripening. Any disease pressure from rain showers during ripening was effectively controlled organically. Yields, as always for us, were low. The Pinot noir harvest finished 10 days later than 2020, and the Chardonnay harvest finished 8 days later. Fruit quality and acidity were exceptional for both. The 2021 wines stand out for their complex, layered elegance, purity and mineral liveliness.

Our low-vigour, stony, clay-rich soil, cool maritime mesoclimate, naturally tiny yields of well under 35 hl/ha and our philosophy of expressing our terroir in our wines – give rise to a certain tightness, tannin line and elevated length to balance the richness and generosity of our Pinot noir. Our Pinot Noir is not overtly fruity, soft and 'sweet' and it generally shows hints of that alluring savoury 'primal' character along with a dark, spicy, complex primary fruit perfume.' – Hamilton Russell Vineyards