Hamilton Russell, Pinot Noir, Walker Bay

Past its best, fruit receding but still definitely New World: sweet ripe fruits of the forest. Quite a lot of tertiary farmyard, leather and cedar. Medium body, tannin and acidity. Long finish, some complexity. Drink now and over the next 5 years.

2011 vintage

From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted and enjoyed over two hours. Fascinating scent of smoked bacon, rich porchetta, a hint of rose perfume and an exotic undertow of Eastern spice bazaar. Beautiful entry: knife-edge balance between bright but never sharp acidity and lush, soft red fruits; resonant mid-palate with a supple rainwater texture and perfectly resolved tannins; long, structured, tingling, resonant finish. One of those wines which works its way into the crevices of your mouth and stays there for minutes. …

2011 vintage

From 75cl, perfect cork. Decanted 1 hour, probably a mistake as this bottle was much purer and more primary fruit-led than the one recorded on 15.12.2018. A bit simple, but very good, gently sweet, somewhere between an outstanding Bourgougne from a top producer and an unusually clean, ripe Volnay from a warm year. 5 years in hand. 88-89P

2011 vintage

From 75cl, perfect cork. Still quite closed, this has definitely settled down since last tasted 14 months ago. Evident orange/brown maturity becoming visable; intense barnyard sh** and asian spice aromatics (black bean sauce, soy sauce); still bright acidity, gentale sweetness and medium-bodied red-fruited action. Blind I would have tipped a mature Beaune 1. Cru, but wondered about the funky and slight hint of burnt rubber. A very pleasant drink with beautiful, penetrating "pinosity" now given 2 hours aeration, should hold …

2011 vintage

From 75cl, perfect cork. Strong iodine/sticking-plaster on nose and mid-palate gives the origin away, but otherwise this could easily pass for a cheerful, Beaune/light Volnay. Gentle 13,5% alc, fully-integrated tannins, high acidity, bright morello-like fruit, a hint of tyre rubber, shortish finish. Acceptable value for 22,75 GBP retail back in pre-Brexit 2014. A lovely drink now-2022. 89P

2011 vintage

“Pinot Noir around the world”-tasting (blind), flight 2, wine 3: The wine was light ruby in colour and offered a broad nose of ripe red fruit, mild earthy notes and withered leaves. On the palate the balanced, medium-bodied wine showed red fruit, vegetal notes and smoky bacon, with medium-plus acidity, ripe, medium-level tannin and very good length. Still needs time. 89+ for now.

2011 vintage

Pinot Around the World with Gillian Ballance MS (SF Wine Center) : Pale ruby to a crimson rim. Sandalwood, bright cherry, ripe orange, anise, mushroom, rusty metal, burnt toast, slight brett. It's complex but nothing is that good. Dirty, with reasonably vibrant cherry. Initially I liked this - it has vibrant acid and lots of flavors - but it got really metallic and unintegrated. Score: Around 8-8.5

2011 vintage

Pinot Around the World with Gillian Ballance MS (SF Wine Center) : Corked

2011 vintage

Medium garnet. Reductive nose of earth, spices with some oak and Maggi, on the earthy side. Medium palate with a bit simplistic aromas around oak, fruit and a bit of earth. Not bad but far from special.

2011 vintage

very good acidity/fruit balance. good with salmon

2011 vintage

Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75) : Very pale red with lighter rim; lots of charry oak, vanilla, cherry, whipped cream, coffee, modern (especially after aged Burgs); sour cherry, very sweet and new; tasty but tough placement in the lineup after the real Burgs.

2011 vintage

does a nice job of straddling new and old world styles. Lean cherry and spice flavors with a hint of mushroom and forest floor.

2011 vintage

Better on the second day. Some notes of cranberry, pomegranate. Long finish. Was expecting a little bit more based on the professional reviews. Certainly a nice wine, but not as much complexity as expected. Still a lovely wine and can recommend, but not extraordinary.

2011 vintage

Not as I hoped. Will hold the remainder of the bottle for a day and see what emerges. Certainly a nice wine overall but just didn't offer the excitement I was hoping for.

2011 vintage

The Chardonnay kind of tow's the line between new world and old world but this Pinot definitely is old world all the way. Could be a dead ringer for a Burgundy. Nose of cherry, forest floor, matchstick and flowers. On the palate got some sour cherry, rhubarb, earth and baking spice. Improved over the course of an hour. Ends with an impressive finish that echoes the earth and baking spice theme.

2011 vintage

Tuesday Night Double Blind <$30 (Bin 75) : Pale lake with pinkish rim; strong earth component, iron and clay is powerful, cherry, obvious pinot but Burg?- very reminiscent; a bit of sweetness but subdued, musky, very Burgundian, tobacco which is reminiscent of Bordeaux, good richness and substance yet still an Old World airiness; fooled me and many others; I think this is their best Pinot to date.

2011 vintage

Bought as part of a mixed selection of SA "mature" wines all 10+ years. Cork had leaked somewhat so apprehensive as not sure about cellaring. Beautiful nose from start and the taste was divine. Could be cote d'or if you did not know. Berry fruits and silky smooth tannins and lasting taste. So pleased having tried more recent vintages

1997 vintage

last bottle with perfect cellaring. agree with Terkels review. Farmyard nose fades after a while under oxygen. indeed fully mature now. there are additionally bouillon notes (meat and vegetables) in the nose that are found again on the palate. long finish (15 caudalie, getting increasingly watery after 10 sec). i would disagree that this is New World style after having tasted PN from CA and Chile; this is as close to a (global warming) Cote d'Or vintage as it gets. …

1997 vintage

Fully mature pinot. Quite delicate nose with floral notes. Some bricking. Palate: red fruits and soft tannin. Very nice but i doubt will last much longer and is probably in its twilight already.

1997 vintage

Bacchus blindtasting (Finn's appartment) : Clear brick red color with a orange hue. Farmyard nose, with strawberry, roses, anise and earth. Fairly sweet fruit on the palate with a distinct clean note of anise spice on the midpalate and licorise on the finish. A nice and well balanced New World styled Pinot Noir.

1997 vintage

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Hamilton Russell, Pinot Noir, Walker Bay

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