At Constance Belle Mare Plage and Constance Le Prince Maurice tonight and tomorrow, 16 and 17 May, we are promoting the highly sought after wines from Hamilton Russell Vineyards, one of the most southerly wine estates in Africa and one of the closest to the sea.
L'Archipel restaurant, Constance Le Prince Maurice, Mauritius
The Hamilton Russell Estate specialises in producing individual, terroir driven Pinot noir and Chardonnay – widely regarded as the best in South Africa and among the best in theNew World.
The history of Hamilton Russell Vineyards
In 1975 founder, Tim Hamilton Russell purchased the undeveloped 170 hectare property located in the beautiful, cool, maritime Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation, just behind the old fishing village of Hermanus. He found the property after an exhaustive search for the most southerly site on which to make South Africa’s top cool climate wines from a selection of noble varieties.
His son Anthony Hamilton Russell, who took over in 1991 (finally buying the property in 1994), narrowed the range to Pinot noir and Chardonnay only, and registered Hamilton Russell Vineyards as an Estate, committing to work only with grapes from their terroir.
Extensive soil research initiated in 1994 identified 52 hectares of stony, clay-rich, shale-derived soil as optimal for the individual, origin expressive style they aim for and all plantings have now been limited to this soil type.
La Spiaggia, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius
Anthony, winemaker Hannes Storm and viticulturist Johan Montgomery are completely dedicated to expressing the personality of the Hamilton Russell Vineyards terroir in their wines.
Tiny yields and intense worldwide demand keep the elegant, highly individual, Estate grown Pinot noir and Chardonnay in very short supply.
Special promotional dinner at L’Archipel
Wednesday 16 May – L’Archipel, Le Prince Maurice
Urchin with Granny Smith apple
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Unilateral jobfish filet cooked on the skin, clams chowder with shells from our lagoon
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Beef flank, caramelised onion compote with Jamaican pepper, sweet potato dauphine, mirror sauce
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Cinnamon ango with manjari choclate,coconut sherbet with lime
The Wines
- Asbourne Sandstone (white) 2007
- HamiltonRussell Vineyards Chardonnay 2011
- Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot noir 2010
- Asbourne (red) 2007
Special promotional dinner at La Spiaggia
Thursday 17 May, La Spiaggia, Constance Belle Mare Plage
Tuna tartar, wasabi-salmon gravlax-vegetables ‘Croqque sel’ tartlet
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Ballotine of duck foie gras and smoked eel, ‘Surf’ beetroot and dandelion salad, ‘Turf’ green asparagus with Harenka caviar
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Roasted cod fish with salted butter crusted with fruits nuts and lemon pulp, glazed carrot with vanilla, passion fruit sabayon
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Pigeon breast, grilled potato, roasted abatis with Colonnata lard, raspberries and raw cherries, “£Lapsang Souchong” tea juice
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‘Kumabo’ chocolate tartlet, blackcurrant and violet juice
The Wines
- Southern Right Sauvignon blanc 2011
- HamiltonRussell Vineyards Chardonnay 2011
- HamiltonRussell Vineyards Chardonnay 2009
- HamiltonRussell Vineyards Pinot Noir 2010 & Ashbourne 2007
- Southern Right Pinotage 2009