Southern Right is a small Pinotage and Sauvignon blanc specialist located on a strikingly beautiful 448 ha property in the cool, maritime, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley appellation, just behind the old fishing village of Hermanus. Founded by Anthony Hamilton Russell in 1994, Southern Right's aim was to produce a serious, age-worthy Pinotage combining a distinct South African fruit and flavour expression with classic styling and refinement. It is Anthony's belief that as an early ripening grape, Pinotage is best suited to cooler areas. It was also his conviction that the stony, high clay content, shale-derived soils on the sites he chose for the vineyards, were best suited to creating the more classic style he was aiming for. Rigorous yield management and extreme care to ensure harvesting at full physiological ripeness, combine with the terroir to re-define South Africa's red grape variety. The Sauvignon blanc remains a local and international best seller with its classic, tight minerality complementing the prominent varietal fruit. It has been rated best South African Sauvignon blanc in the Wall Street Journal and was the only Sauvignon blanc to win a Gold Medal at the Classic Wine Trophy awards in 2009. In August 2005, when the 448 ha farm on the western border of Hamilton Russell Vineyards became available, Anthony entered a partnership with top businessmen and wine enthusiasts, Mark Willcox and Mikki Xayiya, to acquire the unique property as a permanent home for Southern Right. The Southern Right Cellar was completed in time for the 2009 harvest. Southern Right is also home to 56 ha of Olive trees and more than 200 hectares of pristine Cape Mountain Fynbos which forms part of their private nature reserve. The wines are named after the rare Southern Right whales, which frequent the cool South Atlantic Walker Bay, 3 kilometres from the vineyards. With each bottle sold, Southern Right makes a contribution to Southern Right whale conservation.