Our Wine Choice: Storm Pinot Noir Hemel-en-Aarde Valley Vrede 2021

Storm Wines is a new discovery for us at JamesSuckling.com. Their trio of pinot noirs caught us unaware last week when Tasting Manager Kevin Davy and I were on the ground in South Africa, standing out among the 30-odd pinots that we rated for our annual South Africa report.

Hannes and Nathalia Storm are a husband and wife team focusing on producing pinot noir and chardonnay from Hemel-en-Aarde, which means “Heaven-and-Earth” in Afrikaans. It’s one of South Africa’s coolest wine-producing regions, just a few kilometers away from the Atlantic Ocean on the Cape South Coast. They are the only producer with pinot noirs in each of the Hemel-en-Aarde’s three wards (the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley at slightly higher elevations, and the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge with vineyards up to 400 meters above sea level).

The Storm Pinot Noir Vrede 2021 is produced from stony, clay-rich shale soils on a northeast-facing slope of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley that gives rise to low-yielding vines. It’s seductive and spicy, with savory intensity and power while remaining elegant. Only 343 cases (4116 bottles) were produced but unlike much pinot noir from Burgundy at the same top quality level, it can be found for just under $40. Fantastic.

– Claire Nesbitt, Associate Editor