I thought that maybe I had held this one too long, but the first taste suggested otherwise. PNP’d to a glass and I was met by a deep, brick-orange red wine, an opening taste of ripe cherry and currant fruit with a bit of acid that kept it fresh, a mid-palate transition to more spiced fruit and finally with a pleasing, drying, spicy finish. I continued to sip at it with pleasure as I pan-cooked a duck breast for dinner, rendering the fat from its skin side and finishing it medium rare. The wine continued to develop and showed a more forceful spicy fruit profile, that went well with the duck. Very nice wine!
P.S. I was pointed to Hamilton Russell maybe twenty years ago by a friend of my wife who worked as a journalist both in France and in South Africa. She thought that both the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay compared favorably to Burgundy. I visited the estate in 2009 and found the Hamilton Russells to be very welcoming and gracious hosts.
I am a fan of Hamilton Russell (both the Pinot and the Chardonnay). They seem to age faster and are much more approachable at an early age and I think the leaf roll virus that many of the South African vineyards have may contribute to that (but that is only a guess). The Chardonnay has a really distinctive minerality and chalkiness in the mid-palate that is very alluring.
I have not drunk the 2012, but a big fan of HR. Always one of the highlights from the Hemel-an-Aarde valley and SA wines in general.
Thanks for the note. I have a couple left of the '13 that I’m continuing to hold. The wines do age. Since they start their life with somewhat savory, almost meaty aromas, they can almost seem more aged on the nose than they are. But they’re sufficiently structured to handle at least medium-term aging. I tried a 20-year old example at a tasting once with Anthony Hamilton-Russell, and while perhaps a bit older than I prefer it was by no means dead.
out of the mouths of babes (and also experienced tasters apparently) . . .
Jacqueline had the last glass of this wine tonight and exclaimed “pomegranate!” I asked for a sip and I agreed that what I called cherry in my TN might be better called pomegranate. Thinking this was a remarkable tasting observation by my unpretentious wine taster wife, I searched WB posts for the word “pomegranate” and there were 42 pages of results! So I guess she has a lot of company.
I used to sell the brand and enjoyed both the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It was a pleasure working with Anthony Hamilton Russell on a ride along back in the day. I saw in a recent magazine that they are now making wine in the Eola-Amity hills in Oregon. That was a surprise.