BUY SOUTHERN RIGHT SAUV BLANC 2023 SOUTH AFRICA ONLINE | Grapes & Grains

Hamilton Russell was the first wine estate planted in Walker Bay, founded by Tim Hamilton Russell in 1975 and since that time has carved out a reputation for producing wines that straddle the old and new worlds. Only two varieties are grown: there are 22 Ha of Pinot Noir vines, and 30 Ha of Chardonnay. This contrasts with the usual new world model of growing perhaps 10 different varieties, with no attempt to concentrate on the varieties that best suit the terroir available. In addition, recent vineyard improvement (the old Champagne clones of Pinot Noir have gradually been replaced with better vines) is paying off with an increase in quality of the Pinot Noir. They’ve now expanded to include a second label – Southern Right – to produce a varietal Pinotage, and a Chenin-based white.Tim Hamilton Russell was chairman of one of South Africa's leading advertising companies when he purchased a run down property in 1975 that was to become one of the finest wine farms in the country. In an industry not renowned for its progressive politics, he was a passionate advocate of minimum wages for black workers and was a prime mover in the abolition of the Dop system of paying wages in wine.