Chardonnay 2023

The Hamilton Russell Estate is one of the southernmost wineries in Africa and one of the closest to the sea . Situated in the cool Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, just behind the old fishing village of Hermanus, the estate specializes in the production of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and produces one of the best Burgundian-style whites of all time. 'southern hemisphere.

In the vineyards, the estate highlights organic and biodynamic practices in order to promote the best quality of grapes. Grown from tiny yields, the grapes brought to the winery are destemmed, pressed and fermented in French oak barrels. Then, the wine will be aged for 9 months in French oak barrels of 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th use. The blend between all these breeding contributes to the perfect balance that the estate strives to find vintage after vintage. This cuvée reveals lively, pure and expressive aromas of acacia flowers , lemon syrup , green apple , citrus marmalade , melon , juicy pear , peach , apricot , grilled hazelnut , cedar , brioche and honey . The palate is well balanced, round and linear, displaying a fine acidity and a persistent and saline finish.

The first vines were planted in South Africa by Dutch settlers in the 1650s, although wine production did not really begin to take off until the arrival of French Protestants, in the 1680s, with their skills and their knowledge of viticulture. Stellenbosch is also a historic wine region, with the first vineyards being planted there in the 1690s. Today South Africa is one of the most important wine producing countries in the southern hemisphere. With over 300 years of winemaking history, it is often described as a bridge between the Old and New Worlds. The majority of wines are produced using New World winemaking techniques, but they often have more in common stylistically with their Old World counterparts. Since the end of apartheid, South African wine has received international attention and acclaim for its wide variety of styles. South Africa's wine industry is spread across the lush and rugged landscape of the Western Cape. Here, the abundance of mountains, valleys and plateaus allows winemakers to produce a wide variety of styles. Vineyards can also be found in the Orange River region of the Northern Cape, where the flat, arid landscape is dominated by the Kalahari Desert. Most of South Africa's wine regions have a Mediterranean climate, strongly influenced by the meeting of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The country's signature grape variety is Pinotage, an indigenous cross of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut that is rarely found in quantity in other wine-producing countries. Shiraz (Syrah) is also widely planted, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (often combined in a Bordeaux blend). South African Chardonnay, Chenin and Sauvignon Blanc have become popular internationally in recent years.