South Africa · Walker Bay

Storm Wines

Site-labelled Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Hemel-en-Aarde’s Valley, Upper Valley and Ridge.

The producer

Hannes and Nathalia Storm make small-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay across Hemel-en-Aarde’s three subregions. Vrede comes from clay-rich Bokkeveld shale in the Valley, Ignis from decomposed granite in the Upper Valley, and Ridge from shale on the cooler eastern Ridge; the labels name the site behind the wine.

The Pinot Noirs move from Vrede’s dark cherry, earth, spice and firm tannin to Ignis’s wild strawberry, fynbos and powdery grain, with Ridge bringing floral perfume, red-and-black berry fruit and silky tannin. Chardonnay follows the same site pattern, balancing citrus and stone fruit with creamy texture, oak-derived spice and savoury finishes.

Known for

Comparative, site-specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from all three Hemel-en-Aarde subregions.

Notable facts

The story

From 2008 Planting To First Release

After 13 years and 12 vintages as winemaker at Hamilton Russell, Hannes Storm began Storm Wines with Nathalia by planting two Pinot Noir vineyards in 2008: one in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and one in Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Those young sites produced the maiden 2012 vintage, but the bottles were held back rather than released straight after harvest. They spent 18 months maturing in bottle before reaching the market in August 2014. A later vineyard in Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge completed the set, allowing Storm to bottle Pinot Noir from each of the region’s three subregions.

From 2008 Planting To First Release

After 13 years and 12 vintages as winemaker at Hamilton Russell, Hannes Storm began Storm Wines with Nathalia by planting two Pinot Noir vineyards in 2008: one in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and one in Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Those young sites produced the maiden 2012 vintage, but the bottles were held back rather than released straight after harvest. They spent 18 months maturing in bottle before reaching the market in August 2014. A later vineyard in Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge completed the set, allowing Storm to bottle Pinot Noir from each of the region’s three subregions.

From the atlas

Storm Wines

At A Glance

Storm Wines is Hannes and Nathalia Storm’s small-production Hemel-en-Aarde project, built around Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the region’s three subregions. Vrede, Ignis and Ridge are site names on the labels, so each bottle points back to a particular slope and soil rather than a blended regional style.

The Producer

Hannes Storm spent 13 years as winemaker at Hamilton Russell, completing 12 vintages before he and Nathalia began Storm Wines. Their own range began with Pinot Noir and now includes Chardonnay, using Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge to show how the same grapes change between shale and granite sites.

Place

Hemel-en-Aarde lies behind Hermanus, about 120 kilometres from Cape Town, where Atlantic influence, the Southeaster and the cool Benguela Current temper the growing season. Pinot Noir can therefore hold acidity while ripening its red and dark fruit, and Chardonnay can keep citrus and herbal lift beneath creamier, oak-shaped texture.

Soil And Site

Vrede grows on low-vigour, stony, clay-rich Bokkeveld shale in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, on a steep northeast-facing slope planted in 2008. Ridge occupies similarly clay-rich Bokkeveld shale higher on the cool eastern side of Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. Ignis, also planted in 2008, sits on a northern Upper Valley slope where round pebbles cover decomposed granite; its name refers to granite’s fire-formed origin. These are not interchangeable parcels: the shale sites supply firmer shape and darker savoury notes, while Ignis is associated with lighter-bodied Pinot and powdery tannin.

Story

Storm Wines started with two Pinot Noir plantings in 2008, one in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and one in Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Those vineyards became Vrede and Ignis, and a later Ridge site completed a Pinot Noir set across all three Hemel-en-Aarde appellations. Chardonnay followed the same Vrede-and-Ridge pattern, turning the range into a focused comparison of place: Valley shale, Upper Valley granite, and the cooler Ridge shale site.

Vineyards And Cellar

The work is deliberately site-led: low-vigour soils and carefully managed vineyards provide concentrated fruit without relying on a broad, ripe house style. In the cellar, minimal intervention, native fermentation where documented and older French oak keep Pinot Noir’s fruit, earth and tannin in view. Ridge Chardonnay also spends part of its élevage in clay amphora, adding a creamy, savoury texture while the Ridge site’s acidity carries the finish.

Wines

Vrede Pinot Noir and Vrede Chardonnay come from the Valley’s shale slope; Ignis Pinot Noir is the granite-grown Upper Valley wine; Ridge Pinot Noir and Ridge Chardonnay come from the higher Ridge shale. Ignis Pinot Noir 2022 brings red cherry, wild strawberry, fynbos and spice with zesty acidity and a lighter body. The Chardonnay pair broadens the range: Vrede 2023 combines peach, lemon, orange, vanilla and spice, while Ridge 2023 moves toward blossom, citrus, pineapple, herbs and nuts, with a creamy palate and savoury close.

In The Glass

The Pinot Noirs move from perfume to structure rather than from weight to weight. Ignis starts with strawberry, red cherry and fynbos, then runs lightly across the palate on bright acidity and fine, powdery tannin. Ridge Pinot Noir 2022 is darker and more layered, with red and black berries, floral notes, musk, mushroom, plum and graphite; its acidity stays energetic through silky but firm tannin. Vrede Pinot Noir 2022 is more earth-and-spice driven, with dark cherry, bright acidity and closely packed tannin finishing dry. Across the Chardonnays, citrus and stone fruit meet oak-derived vanilla or nuttiness, while acidity prevents the creamy texture from becoming heavy.

A Bottle To Understand It

Begin with Vrede Pinot Noir 2022. It comes from Storm’s first Valley planting, a steep northeast-facing shale slope planted in 2008, and it puts the project’s central contrast into one glass: dark cherry fruit and earth, spice rather than obvious oak, bright acidity and firm tannin. At 13.5% alcohol, it has enough body for the tannin to feel built into the wine rather than drying at the edges. The long, dry finish makes it a useful first look at what the Vrede site contributes to Storm’s Pinot Noir.

Anecdote

After 13 years and 12 vintages as winemaker at Hamilton Russell, Hannes Storm began a project with Nathalia that started in the ground rather than with a purchased debut wine. In 2008 they planted two Pinot Noir vineyards, one in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and another in Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. The vines produced Storm’s maiden 2012 vintage, but those bottles did not go straight to market. They remained in bottle for 18 months, and the first release arrived in August 2014. The project later added vineyards in Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, bringing its Pinot Noir holdings across the region’s three appellations.

Final Word

Storm Wines is most useful as a set of comparisons. Pour Vrede beside Ignis or Ridge and the labels become practical: shale or granite, Valley or Ridge, dark cherry and earth or strawberry and fynbos, firm tannin or a lighter, powdery grain.

Sources

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