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2010 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir Walker Bay

2010 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir Walker Bay

Wine Details for 2010 Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir Walker Bay

Type of Wine South Africa Red
Varietal Pinot Noir : As one of the oldest grape varieties in the world, Pinot Noir has a long and storied history which began more than 2,000 years ago. This story spans form the time of ancient Roman influence to modern day trailblazing; Old World and New World grape growing. It also involves the most unlikely of “characters” from Cistercian Monks to the Holy Pope and even Hollywood actors; each playing a part in the development of the Noble Pinot Noir grape variety. For a grape that appears simple on the surface, it may be one of the most complex varietals on earth, playing a major role in the formation of some of the most profound and distinguished winegrowing regions in the world.

Pinot Noir’s exact origin remains relatively unknown as it is far too ancient to have been recorded precisely. It is thought to have been cultivated in the rocky hillsides of Burgundy by Roman hands as early as the 1st Century AD. At that time, Roman agronomist Columella identified and tasted wine that very much seems to be consistent with today’s description of Pinot Noir. There are complex theories on how either the Greeks or Romans took cuttings of Vitis Vinefera (Pinot Noir) from the area of Transcaucasia (modern day Turkey, Iraq and Iran) and brought the wild vines to France. Speculation aside, what we do know is that the wine-loving ancient Romans spread their dominion far and wide, leaving grapevines in their wake. Their innovative devotion to cultivating wine in French soil set in motion, nurtured, and influenced the winegrowing culture that we very much enjoy today.

Around 1000 AD, long after the dismantling of the Roman Empire, the history of Pinot Noir in Burgundy begins to have clarity, greatly due to the extraordinary record keeping of the Cistercian Order of Monks (formed from the Benedictine Order). The Cistercian Monks began gaining authority outside the area of what we know today as Dijon. Devoted to hard labor and prayer, the monks began cultivating the rocky hillsides of early Burgundy, painstakingly documenting detailed records of their vineyards. Centuries of specifying their practices, describing exactly how and exactly where vines thrived or failed and how the resulting wine tasted, the Cistercian Monks unwittingly created the world’s first harvest reports while simultaneously inventing the idea of terroir. These records and the notion that wines reflect their growing locales, permanently shaped the fundamentals of winegrowing and making terroir a critical concept.

This concept really gained attention when Pope Urban V refused to return the Papal court to Rome from Avignon due to unavailability of Burgundy wines south of the Alps. The lack of commerce routes inhibiting the Burgundy wine trade did not affect the Cistercian Order of Monks as they were driven towards higher quality and excellence through religious devotion instead of monetary gain. Both the outward remarks of the Pope and diligent efforts by the monks helped place Burgundy in a class of its own.

Pinot Noir would eventually spread its wings and infiltrate Champagne, Loire and Alsace, Provence, Sancerre and Languedoc, finding hospitable terroir and new purposes along the way. From bubbles to “pink” wine, it adapted to the soil, revealing the terroir through the wine itself. The early developments and manipulation of the Pinot Noir grape within France was a precursor for the inevitable. The varietal spread through Europe and eventually making a trip around the globe landing in the Willamette Valley, Oregon (planted in 1965 by David Lett).

The Pinot Noir grape quickly found a niche in Willamette Valley where it shares the same latitude of 45 degrees north, experiencing similar sunlight as well as a similar cooler climate to that of Burgundy. A few years later it would be introduced to California where it found terroir hotspots in both cool and surprisingly hotter climates, thus spreading to Napa, Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Carneros among others, birthing New World Pinot Noir winemaking. And, of course, there was the Pinot craze that occurred after the release of the movie Sideways which manifested “Pinot snobs” around America. The 2004 American comedy set the market on fire, increasing sales of Pinot Noir in the state of California by 170 percent.

The varietal of Pinot Noir thrives in cool climates with terroir consisting of marl and limestone soils of extremely variable composition that mimics that of its ancestral home of Burgundy. For a grape that is notoriously difficult to grow, Pinot Noir is ubiquitous in winegrowing regions around the world, spanning 115,000 hectares. It may be a fussy grape, but when planted in the right location and climate, it reveals the qualities of its host terroir in many different manners.

The Noble Pinot Noir grape has greatly impacted the world of winegrowing and making while birthing the concept of terroir; from fruit forward Pinots produced in warmer California localities to New World Oregon wines with Burgundian nuances to Rose in Provence, bubbly in Champagne to the infamous Domaine de la Romanee Conti and its eye watering prices and unrivaled quality. Pinot Noir has long lived the quiet, elegant lifestyle giving Old World winemakers and consumers an ethereal pleasure. New World winemaking has granted it the opportunity for worldwide consumption on any budget and creating the Pinot Phenom. The varietal is now enjoying the best of both “worlds.”

Country South Africa : With over 300 years of winemaking history, South Africa is often described as bridging the gap between the Old World and New. Most vintners, today, are using New World winemaking techniques but there are many ways in which the wines are stylistically similar to their Old World counterparts. In recent years, South African Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc have become internationally popular, which has greatly contributed to an already prospering wine industry. From South Africa’s signature grape Pinotage (an indigenous crossing of Pinot Noir and Cinsault and rarely seen outside the country) to the legendary dessert wine Vin de Constance which brought world-wide recognition and fame during the 18th and 19th centuries, South African viticulture has become one of the most prominent wine regions in the world.



With a vast array of climates and terroirs, the South African landscape offers an incredibly diverse portfolio of wine styles. From the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape to the Northern Cape’s barren, arid soils dominated by the Kalahari Desert, South African terroir is well suited to the varietals cultivated there. The Mediterranean climate also plays an important role and is significantly influenced by the meeting of Atlantic and Indian Oceans.



The country has 96,000 hectares under vine, of which 55 percent are cultivated to white grape varieties. Chenin Blanc is the country’s most planted grape with 18.5 percent of all grapes, followed by Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and numerous other white varietals. Though the crisp, dry and refreshing white styles produced have dominated the recent wine market, Pinotage, Shiraz (Syrah), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are also widely planted red grape varietals. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are often found used together in “Bordeaux Blends.”



Vines were first planted in South Africa in the 1650s by Dutch settlers, but it was not until French Huguenots arrived in the 1680,s bringing with them viticultural skills and knowledge, when the country would become a recognized wine producing region. Constantia is the oldest wine region, and also where the world famous Vin de Constance was first produced. Stellenbosch is just as recognizable as a wine producing region and graces many labels on the international wine market. Today, South Africa has garnered global recognition and is one of the most important wine producing countries in the world. Its annual wine output of 10.4 million hectoliters is an incredibly impressive accomplishment for a relatively “young,” New World wine producer, placing it 8th among all wine producing countries.

Region South Africa

Overview

Producer Hamilton Russell

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