The Cape of good wines

As part of a six-month tour of the main wine-producing countries of the world, the author stopped long enough in South Africa to discover the hidden treasures of Hamilton Russell

Standing on Cap Agulhas gazing at the ocean, aware of the fact that we were on the very tip of Africa, it seemed unlikely that we would find anywhere quite as beautiful again. We had driven to this remote spot and walked through budding fynbos, the gorgeous display of nature’s wild flowers unique to the Cape. And yet the drive from that windswept corner of South Africa towards Hermanus on minor roads proved to be equally spectacular.

Hermanus is synonymous with whale-watching and a high standard of living. Well-to-do South Africans, many from Cape Town, escape to second homes in this seaside resort or eventually retire here. Less apparent to the outsider is what lies only a few miles beyond the built-up area, the valley of Hemel-en-Aarde – literally Heaven and Earth – with its lush vegetation, rolling hills, and a cluster of vineyards alongside the R320 to Caledon. Hamilton Russell is one of these half dozen properties, and on first approach does not seem to offer anything out of the ordinary. No fancy restaurant to lure the hungry explorer, no extravagant entrance. On the contrary, it is rather sober and understated. But within lies a pleasant surprise.

The present owner, Anthony Hamilton Russell, took over the running of the business from his father back in 1991, cutting short a successful career in Europe in the world of finance to devote all his energy to the production of quality wines, with the intention that they should compete with the best in Europe and the New World. I met him while travelling round the Cape, and was overwhelmed by his hospitality and extraordinary attention to detail everywhere on the estate.