2007 Hamilton Russell Chardonnay Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

I'm taking a serious risk with this wine. The last Hamilton Russell I tasted, the 2008 Pinot Noir, was categorically the most disgusting wine I have ever enountered. The best description I can come up with is that it tasted like the Michelin Man rolled around in a big pile of trash, then set himself on fire. Nasty! But in general, this firm has a good reputation, so I decided to give them a second chance.

As it has some bottle age on it, I'm not surprised to see that the wine has a fairly deep yellow-gold hue, tending almost to brown. The aromas are also indicative of age, with honey and butter outweighing the white flowers and green apple. There is definitely some oak in the wine; however, there is no sign of a self-immolating Michelin Man, so I am encouraged.

On the palate...it's beautiful. Hamilton Russell has certainly redeemed itself in my mind. The flavors are fresh - not at all oxidized as they could be in a 4 year old Chardonnay - with loads of lemon and green apple and a perfectly balanced touch of oak for creaminess and a hint of bitterness at the back of the mouth. I'm astonished at how youthful this wine tastes. There is no one flavor or element out of place. It's simply delicious.

So the lesson here is simple: if you ever come into contact with a Hamilton Russell wine, avoid the Pinot Noir like the plague it is, and embrace the lovely chardonnay.

Vintage: 2007
Region: Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa
Grape: Chardonnay
Price: $26

2005 Spier Shiraz-Mourvdre-Viognier Western Cape Vintage Selection

The blend of grapes is French (Rhone, to be precise), but the wine is actually from South Africa. Shiraz (only called this in South Africa and Australia - everywhere else it's known as Syrah), Mourvedre, and Viognier (a white grape often blended in with other grapes for its highly aromatic nature) aren't necessarily blended together in the Rhone, but they're all grown there, and I can see where Spier came up with idea of combining them.

Shiraz and Mourvedre share a gaminess, with complimentary red fruits. Shiraz/Syrah is frequently blended with Viognier in the Northern Rhone. They all "like" warmer growing conditions. And they've certainly made a nice wine here.

As a good Shiraz should, this wine has a deep, inky garnet color, with plenty of black pepper, earth, vanilla, and cassis on the nose. There's also an undercurrent of slate and some pronounced cocoa. The cocoa, cassis, and some mellow smoke carry over onto the palate, along with well-balanced acidity and fairly refined tannins. The texture is a little coarse, likely due to the high alcohol (15% ABV! Ouch! though totally characteristic of the grape varietals involved and the Mediterranean climate of the Western Cape). But the wine has quite a long finish and the flavors on the palate continue to evolve in the mouth after the wine has been swallowed (no spitting here!).

Overall, a recommended wine. It's not super cheap ($15-$20), but it's certainly worth the money, I give it an 87.