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Hamilton Russell Vineyards Harvest Report 2011
General
A warmer harvest than usual, with extremely low yields and longer than usual hang-times for Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Higher than average rainfall in November and December resulted in the need for careful disease control, but this was successful and 2011 was a logistically easy and high quality harvest for Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc - and Pinotage in particular.
Our 31st harvest started with the younger Pinot noir on February 7th and finished on March 24th with the last of the Chardonnay.
Yields
Pinot noir - Yields were dramatically lower than usual and came in at 0.42 kg/vine. This was less than half of 2010.
Chardonnay– Yields were low at 0.8kg/vine but still 28% higher than in 2010.
Pinotage – Yields are tightly managed through green pruning, to a target of 1 kg per vine. They came in at exactly that.
Sauvignon Blanc– Yields were down on 2010 at 1.05 kg/vine.
Temperatures
2011 was a slightly warmer harvest than most. Since 1995, only 1998 was warmer. Maximum temperatures for the crucial month of February were however equal to our long term average.
Rainfall
We experienced lower than average winter rainfall and higher than average rainfall for the period of budbreak to veraison. Rainfall was also higher than average for January and February. This contributed to healthy canopies and absence of stress, but the February rainfall delayed ripening for Pinot noir and Chardonnay in particular.
Character and Quality
Overall - a plumper, more viscous and textured vintage than 2010, with the exception of the Pinot noir. Despite similar alcohol levels to 2010, 2011 displays a rounder, denser palate structure and less edgy “tension”. Very good quality.
Pinot noir - afine, elegant vintage in the mould of 2003 and 2008. Despite unusually low yields and a longer than usual hang-time, 2011 is (surprisingly) not a dark, structured vintage. Beauty ahead of bigness. Distinctly “European” as usual, but more “Volnay than Gevrey”.
Chardonnay - denser and more viscous than 2010, showing a similarity with 2006. The fruit is a hint more towards the tropical end of the spectrum when compared to 2009 and 2010 despite almost identical alcohol levels. Extremely promising.
Pinotage - probably the stand-out grape for 2011. Coming in before any late February rain the Pinotage had high natural acid and effortless ripeness. More rich and voluptuous than 2010 with a beautiful range of dark spicy fruit characters and a firm spine of bright acid and fine grained tannin.
Sauvignon Blanc - lifted aromatics – more at this stage than 2010 and 2009 – with a range of characters, green to tropical. Denser on the palate than 2009 and 2010 but with our characteristic dry mineral finish and “marine pool” saltiness. A touch lower acid than the previous two vintages.
