2008 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir

The 2008 Pinot Noir is a little disappointing, already displaying some fungal, decayed leaves on the nose that needs more freshness and is shown up by the more exuberant 2007, though faint scents of dried blood come through with aeration. The palate is actually better than the aromatics with more joie-de-vivre with very fine definition and tension, that sensation of crushed stone coming through towards the finish. Overall, this is a very fine Pinot Noir let down by the nose. I would opt for the following vintage. Hamilton Russell put Hemel-en-Aarde and South African Pinot Noir on the map. Their first plantings were back in 1976 and they debuted with the 1981 vintage that deftly combined Old World and New. Their Chardonnay debuted in the early 1990s and when land came up for sale adjacent to the original estate, they used this vineyard to expand their range that includes the Ashbourne and Southern Right labels. Tasting verticals of their most recent vintages, my own impression is that their Chardonnay continues to rank amongst South Africa’s finest and in great vintages, their Pinot Noir can be utterly sublime and age as well as any great Burgundy. However, there is no escaping the fact that their Pinot Noir suffers under-ripeness in less benevolent, cooler vintages due to leaf-roll virus that was evident in the vineyards on my visit. Vinification is done through partial native yeasts and around 30-45% new oak is used with respect to both wines. Importer: Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, Alabama. Tel 205-949-6262.