Located in South Africa’s maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Hamilton Russell Vineyards stands as a South African benchmark for cool-climate viticulture. Planted just 1.5 kilometres from the cold Atlantic Ocean on 52 hectares of ancient, clay-rich shale soil, the estate produces only two wines – a single Pinot Noir and a single Chardonnay. Both wines are designed and assembled not merely to showcase these two Burgundian cultivars, but also to capture the precise personality of their unique Valley terroir.
The 2025 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay is defined by its striking natural acidity, dry minerality, and structural poise. Whole-bunch pressed and grown on low-yielding vines, the style prioritizes tension, length, and elegance over heavy oak or overt fruit nuances. The Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir leans into a classically savoury, Old World profile, characterized by dark spice, subtle primal tones, and firm structural depth, it trades higher alcohols and simple fruit sweetness for more refined, age-worthy classical complexity.
Blessed with near-ideal growing conditions in 2025 – a cold winter, clean bud break, and flawless harvesting conditions, owner Anthony Hamilton Russell considers 2025 to be one of the finest vintages in the estate’s history. Together, these two new releases represent an ultra-sophisticated, Burgundy-inspired craft from one of South Africa’s flagship Pinot Noir producer.
Hamilton Russell Chardonnay 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13.5% Abv.
The 2025 Hamilton Russell production sees a slight volume recovery on the 2024 vintage but remains still well below normal. Fortunately, the 2025 Chardonnay quality, like the 2024, is truly superb, the wine boasting gorgeous notes of fragrant white blossoms and waxy bergamot lemons with delicate salted green pistachio hints. Delicately nutty on the nose and palate, the limestone mineral vein is never far away, combining with intense crystalline notes of lemon and lime cordial, salted caramel, and crunchy green apple fruits, finishing with superb concentration and a vibrantly tangy acidity. This is top notch Chardonnay from an excellent vintage in the Valley. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 13.5% Abv.
Like in Burgundy, every vintage in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is slightly different, and thankfully after several consecutive small vintages, the Pinot Noir volumes started to recover in 2025 and 2026. Luckily, Anthony Hamilton Russell and Emul Ross have produced one of their finest Pinot Noirs in possibly a decade, the aromatics restrained, delicately perfumed and slightly stony before hints of pink musk, red apple, red and black cherry and notes of small wild strawberries. On the palate, the oak is fully integrated and absorbed by the pure fruit concentration, the terroir minerality showing a steely vein of nervy freshness and the linear acids giving way to tart red berries, cranberries, and bright red bramble berry fruits. A very pretty, triumphant Pinot Noir with stony mineral tannins lining the wine’s textural pathway, finishing with intensity and clarity. Drink now to 2036+.
(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Hamilton Russell Vineyard wines are imported into the UK exclusively by Mentzendorff Wines.