Storm Wines | Hemel-en-Aarde

Storm is a recent addition to the South African wine scene, having released their first vintage in 2014. Formerly head winemaker at Hamilton Russell, Hannes Storm produces beautiful Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in a hands-off fashion, and is the only producer to bottle Pinots from each of the three sub-regions in the Hemel-en-Aarde; namely, the Valley, Upper Valley and Ridge. A respected viticulturist, he established a number of the top vineyards in the region himself, and is now proud to work exclusively with his own, estate-grown fruit.

Inspired by Burgundy, the Pinots are fragrant and dashing, with a purity of fruit and restless energy not often encountered in South Africa. The Chardonnays are pure class, offering, in the case of Vrede, sunny fruit and dancing complexity, while Ridge is an altogether cooler, more mineral bottling of great precision. Hannes places an enormous amount of attention on picking times, and ferments small batches naturally in stainless steel, before ageing in Burgundy barriques for a year. An average of 25% new oak is employed across the range. Believing that the wines need time to show at their best, the reds are released after fifteen months in bottle, at the beginning of their drinking window. Small production, attentive viticulture, minimal intervention in the cellar, and continued reverence to the terroir and vintage conditions means fabulous wines of distinct personality and character.

STORM WINES