Storm Wines

Storm Wines was founded in 2008 by Hannes Storm and his wife Nathalia. Hannes had spent 12 vintages as head winemaker at Hamilton Russell, working closely with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Convinced that the Hemel-en-Aarde's three sub-wards each had a distinct Pinot Noir personality, Hannes and Nathalia set out to plant a single Pinot Noir vineyard in each of the three wards, an ambition no other producer has matched. The first plantings went into the ground in 2008 and the maiden Storm vintage was 2012, released in 2014 after 18 months in bottle. The Storms also planted Chardonnay alongside the Pinot Noir on the Vrede and Ridge sites.

• Hannes Storm spent 12 vintages as head winemaker at Hamilton Russell before founding Storm Wines
• Storm Wines established in 2008 with Hannes and his wife Nathalia; first plantings went in that year
• Maiden vintage 2012, released in 2014 after 18 months in bottle
• Goal: a single-vineyard Pinot Noir from each of the three Hemel-en-Aarde wards

Storm Wines is the only producer in South Africa with a Pinot Noir from each of the three Hemel-en-Aarde wards, and each wine offers a distinct expression of its terroir. Vrede ('peace' in Afrikaans) is grown on a steep, northeast-facing slope in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on low-vigour, stony, clay-rich Bokkeveld shale soil; the wine shows subtle red fruit and silky texture. Ridge is grown on a cool, eastern slope in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge ward on the same Bokkeveld shale clay soils but at higher elevation; the wine shows darker fruit and a firmer structure. Ignis ('fire' in Latin, referencing the granite's igneous origins) is grown on a northern slope in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley on decomposed granite soils littered with round pebbles, and is farmed organically; the wine is invariably characterised by aromatic elegance.

• Vrede (Hemel-en-Aarde Valley): NE-facing slope on stony clay Bokkeveld shale; subtle red fruit and silky texture
• Ridge (Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge): cool eastern slope on Bokkeveld shale clay; darker fruit and firmer structure
• Ignis (Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley): northern slope on decomposed granite with round pebbles; aromatic elegance; farmed organically
• Tim Atkin MW awarded the 2022 Ignis and Ridge Pinot Noirs 96 points each

Alongside the Pinot Noir programme, Storm Wines also produces single-vineyard Chardonnays from the Vrede and Ridge sites. The Chardonnays are made in the same low-intervention, terroir-transparent style as the Pinot Noirs, with native yeast fermentation, restrained new oak and long lees ageing. The Vrede Chardonnay shows the same low-vigour stony clay character as the Vrede Pinot Noir, with citrus, white peach and a long mineral finish. The Ridge Chardonnay adds the firmer cooler-climate spine of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, producing a tighter and more linear wine. Both Chardonnays have been highly regarded by critics, with Tim Atkin MW consistently scoring them in the mid-90s.

• Vrede Chardonnay: single-vineyard from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley; citrus, white peach and a long mineral finish
• Ridge Chardonnay: single-vineyard from the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge; tighter and more linear
• Native yeast fermentation, restrained new oak, long lees ageing
• Consistently scored in the mid-90s by Tim Atkin MW

Hannes Storm's winemaking philosophy is rooted in transparency to site rather than imposing a uniform house style. The cellar uses native yeast fermentation, restrained new oak percentages and minimal intervention; the goal is to allow each of the three Pinot Noir sites to speak in its own voice. Hannes was significantly influenced by his years at Hamilton Russell under Anthony Hamilton Russell, but the Storm style is distinct: subtler, more aromatically lifted and more focused on aromatic precision than on weight or depth. The wines are aged in 228-litre French oak barriques with low new wood percentages, and sterile filtration is avoided. Hannes has spoken often about his fascination with the differences between the three Hemel-en-Aarde wards, and Storm Wines remains the most direct exploration of that thesis in the South African wine world.

• Transparency to site rather than a uniform house style
• Native yeast fermentation, restrained new oak, minimal intervention
• Aged in 228-litre French oak barriques with low new wood percentages
• Style: subtler, more aromatically lifted than the Hamilton Russell template Hannes learned from

Storm Wines has been one of the most critically lauded boutique producers in South Africa since its first releases. Tim Atkin MW described the 2022 Vrede Pinot Noir as 'one of the greatest ever Cape Pinot Noirs' and awarded the 2022 Ignis and Ridge Pinot Noirs 96 points each. He has been an early and consistent champion of the project, with the Ignis often described as showing 'Chambolle-Musigny-like finesse and sweetness'. Earlier vintages won similar acclaim: the 2019 Vrede scored 95 from Atkin and the 2020 Ignis 94. UK importer Justerini & Brooks and South African specialist Wine Cellar both place Storm among the country's elite Pinot Noir producers, alongside Hamilton Russell, Crystallum and Newton Johnson. Production is small, with each of the three single-vineyard Pinot Noirs limited to a few hundred cases per vintage.

• Tim Atkin MW: 2022 Vrede Pinot Noir is 'one of the greatest ever Cape Pinot Noirs'
• 2022 Ignis and Ridge Pinot Noirs both scored 96 points by Tim Atkin MW
• Ignis often described as showing 'Chambolle-Musigny-like finesse and sweetness'
• Production limited to a few hundred cases per single-vineyard Pinot Noir; placed among the country's elite alongside Hamilton Russell, Crystallum and Newton Johnson