One of South Africa’s top wine estates, Hamilton Russell Vineyards from the Hemel & Aarde Valley outside Hermanus, is celebrating the 30th vintage of its award-winning and iconic Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir, by launching a 5-year Vertical-Vintage pack of its Pinot Noirs from 2005 – 2009.

Pinot Noir is quoted in The Essential Guide to South African Wines as an “exasperating variety for growers,  wine-makers and consumers alike.  It is sometimes said to be feminine, alluring or capricious, but mostly it is the pursuit of richness and elegance which makes it ultimately satisfy the Holy Grail of winemaking”.  Hamilton Russell Vineyards is listed as one of the key South African Pinot Noir producers.  The 2010 Platter’s Guide awarded the 2009 4,5 stars and the 2008 4 stars, referring to it as ‘long a local classic”, and describing it as “black cherry, herbal aromas, hints of mushroom, forest floor, rhubarb”.

What makes the Vertical-Vintage Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir packs unique is that their back-labels have been specially made for the five-vintage pack, using the works of five top South African artists:

*   2005   William Kentridge

*   2006   Gerard Sekoto

*   2007   Gail Catlin

*   2008   JH Pierneef

*   2009   Beezy Bailey

Hamilton Russell Vineyards is selling 2400 Vertical-Vintage Pinot Noir packs for R 2000 each from its estate.   Only one-fifth of the total number of packs will be sold per year, for the next five years, and each year the cost will increase.   Half of the Vertical-Vintage Pinot Noir packs will be sold locally and the balance internationally.  Owner 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”.

The first  Pinot Noir was planted on the estate in 1976, and its first vintage was sold in 1981.   Hamilton Russell describes the ‘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.’

Using artwork on wine labels has been done by Tokara, used by William Kentridge for the promotion of his production of the opera ‘The Magic Flute’, and more recently by La Motte, in using woodcuts by JH Pierneef on the bottles as back labels for their Pierneef Collection.

Hamilton Russell Vineyards: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hermanus.  Tel (028) 312-3595.

Chris von Ulmenstein, Whale Cottage Portfolio: www.whalecottage.com   Twitter: @WhaleCottage