Tasting with the Vignerons de Franschhoek – Part 3: The Wines of Holden Manz Estate…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Vignerons de Franschhoek is the producer association of South Africa’s historic “French Corner,” founded in 1984 as part of the Franschhoek Wine Route and is credited with helping revive grape growing after many farmers started to move more towards growing orchard fruits. The Valley’s wine heritage dates back to the French Huguenot refugees who arrived in the Cape in the late 1680s, bringing their vine-growing expertise with them.

The Holden Manz Estate

Today the grouping represents the estates behind Franschhoek’s reputation as one of the Cape’s leading wine and food tourist destinations. As I discovered earlier this year, its members work with remarkably varied soils, slopes and microclimates, producing a diverse range of styles that reflect the Valley’s terroir diversity while actively promoting its quality both locally and internationally. For many consumers, the premium wines of the Franschhoek Valley ward remain a bit of an unknown entity. Follow my new 15 part series covering some of the most exciting boutique wineries in the Valley. 

Barrel tasting with longtime Holden Manz winemaker, Frenchman Thierry Haberer.

In part 3 of my Vignerons de Franschhoek series, I revisit the wines of the Holden Manz Estate, a winery that brings a certain ‘Bordeaux-minded’ sensibility to the Franschhoek Valley, where the Hottentots-Holland and Franschhoek mountains shape a cool, sheltered mesoclimate. The estate takes its name from founders Gerard Holden and Migo Manz. Their focus has always championed site-driven reds and refined whites that reward a gastronomic attention at the table rather than simply flattering at first sip.

Joining the Holden Manz new release press tasting at the estate with Thierry (left) and Gerard Holden (right).

The flagship Big G, a Bordeaux-style blend, reflects the valley’s capacity for structured, age-worthy reds. Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve wines sit at the heart of the range, joined by a poised Syrah. Among the whites, Chardonnay, Semillon and Chenin Blanc speak to the Cape’s long-standing strengths in the Franschhoek Valley, balancing ripeness with freshness and mineral tension. For the seasoned drinker, the Holden Manz appeal lies in precision combined with opulence, oak used in service of fruit, tannins shaped for beneficial cellaring, and a clear sense of place within one of South Africa’s most historic wine regions.

Holden Manz Hiro Rose 2025, WO Western Cape, 13.5% Abv. 

A classical blend of Grenache (Stellenbosch) and Cinsault (Polkadraai Hills), the Grenache was directly whole bunch pressed and fermented, 25% in 500 litre oak barrels and likewise, a portion of Cinsault fermented in barrel and stainless steel. Intense, floral perfumed aromatics with pithy red berry fruits, a delicate reductive hint, wild strawberry and dry, dusty mineral notes. Bright, crisp and deliciously tangy, this has impressive depth and fruit concentration, harmony and texture with a dry, fine boned finish. No wonder it sold out so quickly! (Tasted from Magnum. Retails at R270pb)

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Chenin Blanc 2024, WO Coastal Region, 13.5% Abv. 

Chenin Blanc sourced 20% from Wellington and rest from Simonsberg-Paarl, both being dry grown old vine bush vines, the aromatics scream minerality and decomposed granitic dusty spice, delicate flinty reductive notes, dried straw, herbs and peach skins. The palate is glycerol and leesy with a fine tangy texture, an elegant harmonious balance and a very well-integrated, seamless tangy acidity. Impressive concentration and character with classic linear, crystalline focus.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Proprietor’s White Blend 2023, WO Western Cape, 13% Abv. 

A blend of 45% Semillon, 23% Chenin Blanc, 17% Chardonnay and15% Viognier… with the Semillon and Viognier from the Franschhoek Valley. The aromatics are lead by the lime peel, lemon grass and pithy white citrus styling from the Semillon with a delicately reductive, flinty Granitic style. An impressively textural wine with well-integrated acids, a seamless, saline, fleshy texture and quite a mineral, serious expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Avant-Garde Collection Chardonnay 2023, WO Western Cape, 13% Abv. 

100% barrel fermented with natural yeasts, with 12% in new oak, 30% second and the balance 3-4 passage barrels. Whole bunched pressed and settled with no sulphur additions. A confident, savoury, white citrus lead aromatics, with dried herbs, struck flint and Granitic complexity. The palate shows a fine texture with a finely integrated line of acidity and great harmony and balance. Accessible but serious.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Syrah 2022, WO Franschhoek, 14.5% Abv. 

Deep, broody and expressive, layered with saline black currant fruits, oystershell, salty black liquorice and a delicately creamy vanilla pod spice. Cool, seamless and supple in the mouth, this has 30% whole clusters, tank fermented with a 10% oak portion, then aged for 15 months. Textural, plush and creamy, there is an underlying vibrancy, a savoury chargrilled complexity and an attractive sweet black peppercorn spice on the finish. A very attractive, complete wine with great appeal.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Cabernet Sauvignon 2023, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv. 

A dusty, wet slate and Granitic expression with broody aromatics, black currant, black plum, chai tea and subtle graphite notes. Harmonious, plush and delicately sappy and leafy, the wine shows elegance and balance, a creamy textural depth and subtle liquorice, saline cassis and earthy plummy nuances. An accessible, comforting, harmonious bottle. A real crowd pleaser.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Cabernet Sauvignon 2024, WO Franschhoek, 15.1% Abv. 

Using 25% whole cluster with the rest destemmed, the wine is lifted and perfumed, there is real intensity with blue and purple fruits, crème de cassis, black cherry, with a beautiful hint of freshness. Full and opulent in the mouth, this has the flesh and a depth of note, broad, creamy yet still attractively pithy with pinpoint varietal characters. An incredibly well made, plush wine with a texture of velvet, integrated acids and a generous finish for the ages. Superb.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Holden Manz Cabernet Franc Reserve 2024, WO Franschhoek, 15.1% Abv. 

Bottled in July 2026, it was aged in 70% new oak for 27 months. (3.48pH) The aromatics are dense, dark and savoury, layered with freshly tilled earth, black plum, earthy bramble berries, and a hint of sappy mulberry fruits. Bold, intense and concentrated on the palate, the black fruits creamy but fresh, delicately spicy with a mineral burst from the Granitic spice. Opulent with a hedonistic finish. Quite a profound style.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW

The Holden Manz wines are available retail from South African specialist merchant Museum Wines and to the trade from Vindependents.

From the Fine Wine Safari Cellar – Part 13: Tasting the A.A.Badenhorst White Blend 2010… 

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 3 Comments

Swartland legend Adi Badenhorst established his reputation after leaving Rustenburg, and his Family White Blend has been at the heart of his wine range ever since. Early vintages were mostly Chenin Blanc, blended with Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Verdelho, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc but the balance slowly shifted over time.

The 2010 vintage was a turning point for the wine’s Chenin Blanc focus. Growers faced a cold spring and wet summer, with severely reduced yields, before the weather dried out ahead of harvest. Without late heatwaves, ripening was even. The result was a Chenin Blanc-based white of 14.5% alcohol, matured in large wooden barrels and cement, which the Falstaff wine magazine rated 93/100 points on release. The wine certainly continued to develop and from 2011, it was fermented and matured in 1,200-litre foudres, and it was later renamed the Kalmoesfontein White. Today it comes from old bush vines grown on Granite soils in the Paardeberg, dry-farmed on the Kalmoesfontein and Jakkalsfontein farms. It is a clear example of a classic Swartland white blend – a wine with texture, tension and a strong sense of place. I recently pulled my last bottle of 2010 out the Fine Wine Safari cellar and was suitably impressed! 

AA Badenhorst Family Wines White Blend 2010, WO Coastal Region, 14.5% Abv. 

Wow! That’s the first impression nosing this 33% Chenin Blanc, 14% Grenache Blanc, 14% Verdelho, 11% Roussanne, 7% Viognier, 7% Semillon, 6% Semillon Gris, 5% Clairette Blanche and 3% Colombar blend. A light yellow gold colour, the aromatics are beautifully fresh and delicately honied with layers of lemon oil, quince, white peach and yellow apple puree. Textural, full, but deliciously fresh and tangy, this is simply a beautiful wine that is fantastically harmonious, integrated and balanced. A majestically aged bottle… or just an exceptionally well made wine? I’m voting exceptional wine! What a treat to drink such a vibrant white at 16 years old!

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The AA Badenhorst wines are exclusively imported into the UK by Liberty Wines.

A Resurgent Douro Valley Releases Some Exceptional Ports – Tasting the Burmester 2024 Vintage Port…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Burmester Port house was founded in Porto in 1750 by English and German merchants and is one of the oldest names in Port wine. Its vintage Ports are crafted only in exceptional ‘declared’ years, drawing on grapes from the Douro Valley’s finest quintas, including the historic Quinta do Arnozelo. Known for their elegance, structure, and remarkable ageing potential, these wines balance ripe dark fruit with fine tannins and a floral, spicy complexity. Burmester vintages tend toward a refined, less overtly powerful style than some rivals, rewarding patient cellaring for decades. Prized by collectors and connoisseurs, they represent over two and a half centuries of Port-making tradition and craftsmanship.

The 2024 vintage was widely declared across the Douro confirming it as a year of exceptional quality, intensity and balance. Favourable growing conditions allowed for excellent ripening while preserving freshness, resulting in wines with a classical structure, depth and plenty of ageing potential. Fully declared vintages remain relatively rare, adding to the collectability and long-term appeal of this release. 

Harvested by hand at their optimal point, the grapes are destemmed, crushed, and vinified using a process based on careful maceration to extract colour, tannins, and aromas from the skins, complemented by constant pump-overs during fermentation. This takes place in lagares (traditional stone troughs), at a controlled temperature between 28-30ºC, until the desired Baumé degree is reached. At this stage, grape brandy is added (fortification), resulting in a fortified Port wine. This wine is of exceptional quality, from a single harvest, and must be bottled between the second and third year after harvest.

Burmester Vintage Port 2024, Douro, 20% Abv.

A wonderfully deep coloured sumptuous wine made from a blend of Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca, Tinta Roriz and Alicante Bouschet, the aromatics are fragrant and intense with lush notes of sweet violets, macerated black cherries, black currants and mulberry fruits with hints of potpourri spice and a dusty graphite minerality. The palate is as expressive as the nose, richly textured, fine grained and layered with intense black berry fruits, hints of spicey black plum, crème de cassis and subtle salty black liquorice nuances. The delicate chocolate praline notes add to this wine’s incredible elegance, freshness and polished structure that melts away into a long, pure, harmonious finish. This is a beautiful Vintage Port of great balance and intensity. Enjoy its purity in its youth or age for 30+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Rise and Rise of Joshua Van Blommestein Wines – Tasting His New Red and White Releases… 

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Van Blommestein Wines is the personal label of Joshua van Blommestein, who grew up in Welkom in the Free State and studied oenology and viticulture at Elsenburg College in Stellenbosch before spending two harvests at the Saronsberg winery in Tulbagh. The label began in 2023 on the conviction that the Cape can produce wines of restraint and clarity, given time and attention and sourced from the right terroir. Each release is a single-block expression, hand-picked and naturally fermented, and held back until ready. 

The Old Vine Colombar.

The new release red is the Glansgruis Carignan 2023, from the Coastal Region and was matured for 15 months in old oak barrels. Joshua describes it as a savoury, meaty, dark-fruited expression with fresh mineral notes and a salivating acidity. The name comes from the Schist soils as they look like they have broken mirror pieces in them hence the ‘Glansgruis’ name. For collectors, Van Blommestein Wines represents an emerging, small-production label with a fast growing track record, the Carignan fitting in neatly with the Cape’s growing interest in Old Vine, low-intervention reds made in very limited quantities and his 1984 Old Vine Colombar that’s treading an innovative path previously navigated by iconic producers such as Ian Naudé. These are two new releases definitely worth tracking down. 

Joshua Van Blommestein Klipdans Colombar 2026, WO Breedekloof, 11.62% Abv.

These Colombar grapes were picked early morning and pressed in a basket press. The juice was settled for 24 hours and racked straight to old 400 litre and 500 litre oak barrels. The wine fermented naturally over a period of 3 weeks in the old barrels. The wine was then sulphured up to ensure malolactic conversion was avoided to retain the very fresh acidity. The wine was left on its fine lees for 5 months to build the mid palate texture further. The wine therefore spent a total of 7 months in the older oak barrels before bottling.

These Colombar grapes come from a 43 year old Certified Heritage Old Vine Breedekloof vineyard planted in 1984 grown on rocky mountain soils with sand and clay subsoils, and it’s when you nose this wine that you can see why modern commentators often compare this Colombar wine style to the famous Assyrtiko wines of Santorini. The aromatics are delicately stony and herby, intricately interweaving hints of lemon herbal tea, wet stone minerality with crunchy white peach, ginger spice and green apple fruits. In the mouth, the acidity beams, shining brightly with a tangy candied intensity alongside an impressively pure pear and peach fruit concentration, before a long, mouth coating glycerol finish with a subtle saline maritime kiss. Knowledge in action – this 2026 represents an impressive step up in intensity and quality on the 2025 release. Drink now to 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Joshua Van Blommestein Glansgruis Carignan 2023, WO Coastal Region, 13.73% Abv.

The grapes for the Carignan were picked at 04:00 am to ensure cold grapes being received at the cellar. The grapes were de-stemmed into a small stainless steel open top fermenter. 10% of the grapes were left whole bunch for some stem inclusion. This was very small batch as Joshua only had 700kg of Carignan. The fermentation lasted 3 weeks and was mainly focussed on punch downs and a slightly cooler fermentation. After fermentation, the grapes were pressed in a basket press and moved directly to barrel for malolactic fermentation. The wine spent 15 months in an old oak barrel.

This impressive Carignan originates from a vineyard on the boundary of Tulbagh, the vines grown on Schist soils with a sandy loam subsoil. Carignan always offers up fairly dense, robust wines and this impressive 2023 reveals rich, broody, earthy black fruited aromatics with hints of sun raisined black cherries, dried flowers, tree bark, and subtle savoury baking spices. Deliciously full and compact in structure, the wine is medium to full bodied, vibrantly fresh and tangy with a tart line of acidity, lashings of purple and black berry fruits alongside a gently grippy, macerated rooibos tea tannin undertone, with notions of earthy bramble berries before a slightly sulky, fine grained, velvety finish laced with clove and Christmas spices. Joshua has conjured up an impressively harmonious expression with plenty of meaty depth. Drink now until 2034+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Wine Society Scores a Fine Wine Coup Adding the Carinus Family Vineyards Syrah 2025 to their Exhibition Range…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

Carinus Family Vineyards is a Stellenbosch label founded by relatives Danie and Hugo Carinus, sixth-generation grape growers with vineyards in Polkadraai Hills in Stellenbosch and in the Swartland. They long supplied fruit to some of the Cape’s best-known producers before bottling wines under their own label, with a hands-off approach designed to let each site speak.

Their Syrah is their flagship red and it comes from Danie’s Bluegum Grove vineyard in the Polkadraai Hills, which many critics, including Bruwer Raats, consider one of the Cape’s great terroirs. Grown on decomposed Granite soils, the fruit is vinified by acclaimed winemaker Lukas van Loggerenberg, with a portion of stems returned to the ferment for extra structure and herbal lift.

The style is fresh and delicately peppery rather than heavy or oak-driven. Expect violets, red and black cherry, white pepper and savoury, cured-meat notes, with a medium body and gently grippy tannins. Critics have rewarded this restraint in previous vintages, including the 2020 which earned 93/100 from Winemag.co.za, and the 2023 which also scored 93/100 points from a famous US retailer. Wine Society members named the 2022 and 2024 vintages “Wine Champions”, praising their remarkable value. The 2025 is a superbly polished, food-friendly Syrah that shows why South African Syrah is gaining massive international attention at the moment.

The Wine Society’s Exhibition Polkadraai Hills Syrah 2025, WO Polkadraai Hills, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

The Polkadraai Hills ward in Stellenbosch has developed into one of the most desirable terroirs in the Cape winelands, facing False Bay with its cooling breezes and vines grown on deep decomposed Granite soils. Within the Polkadraai Hills, Danie Carinus from Carinus Family Vineyards has emerged as one of the most famous grower – producers, and this delicious Exhibition Syrah made by hot talent Lukas van Loggerenberg is an absolute delight from one of the best vintages in the Cape in a decade. This wine is exotic and perfumed, bursting out of its starting blocks with incredible purity and precision. The aromatics are loaded with violets and lavender, red pepper corns, crème de cassis and saline-kissed blue berry fruits that follow to a beautifully elegant, medium bodied palate that displays a weightless fleshy concentration, accessible maritime black berry fruits, delicate hints of cured meats before a subtle kiss of vanilla pod spice on the generous finish. The Wine Society has scored a mini coup in adding this delicious Syrah grower to their trusted Exhibition range. As for the £14.95 price tag… at this quality… simply bonkers good value! Drink now and over the next 3 to 5 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Carinus Family Wines are represented in the UK by fine wine merchant WoodWinters.

The Quality is Worth the Wait – Tasting Ian Naude’s New Release Werfdans Cinsault 2018…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Ian Naudé doesn’t make Cinsault… he listens to it. In a country that once poured this grape into anonymous blends and bulk wine, he has made the case for old bush vines as something worth treasuring, wines of transparency and grace rather than muscle and extraction. Ian Naudé has always been a Cape winemaker with a reputation for precision.

Tasting with South African journalist Fiona McDonald and Ian Naudé in August 2026.

His Cinsault comes from venerable, low-yielding old vine vineyards in the Darling ward (Swartland), where age and restraint do the heavy lifting. The result is a red wine that is perfumed, supple, and quietly profound, full of bright red fruit, a savoury thread of earth and spice, and a freshness that makes you reach for a second glass. This is Cinsault at its most expressive, and the new release is a fine place to begin.

Naude Family Wines Werfdans Cinsault 2018, WO Darling, 12% Abv. 

There has been a fairly long wait for the release of Ian Naude’s new Werfdans Cinsault, but it has been worth the wait. His 2017 was highly rated (97/100 GSMW) and benchmark quality in every respects and this 2018 seems a more than worthy successor. The wine sees the use of 100% whole bunches in the traditional manner with layers of stems, before being matured for 15 months in used French oak barrels. The aromatics are fragrant and deliciously succulent and lifted showing sweet scents of rose petals, Turkish delight, sun dried cranberries, rooibos tea and subtle earthy raspberry ripple nuances. In the mouth, the wine is deceptively fleshy and fulsome, loaded with sweet and sour notes of red currants, Victoria plums and spicy bramble berry confit notes on the pinpoint pure finish. There is such an attractive generosity to this wine that seems to show a more ambitious mid-palate weight and texture than normal, yet remains incredibly fine grained, polished and elegant. With eight years of age from vintage already, this sumptuous Cinsault is ready to enjoy now but should evolve beneficially for another decade or more. 

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tasting with the Vignerons de Franschhoek – Part 2: The Wines of Chamonix…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Vignerons de Franschhoek is the producer association of South Africa’s historic “French Corner,” founded in 1984 as part of the Franschhoek Wine Route and is credited with helping revive grape growing after many farmers started to move more towards growing orchard fruits. The Valley’s wine heritage dates back to the French Huguenot refugees who arrived in the Cape in the late 1680s, bringing their vine-growing expertise with them.

Today the grouping represents the estates behind Franschhoek’s reputation as one of the Cape’s leading wine and food tourist destinations. As I discovered earlier this year, its members work with remarkably varied soils, slopes and microclimates, producing a diverse range of styles that reflect the Valley’s terroir diversity while actively promoting its quality both locally and internationally. For many consumers, the premium wines of the Franschhoek Valley ward remain a bit of an unknown entity. Follow my new 15 part series covering some of the most exciting boutique wineries in the Valley. 

Tasting with Chamonix winemaker Neil Bruwer in London with wine journalist Dr Jamie Goode.
Tasting a selection of Chamonix wines at London’s ‘shrine to the vine’, Noble Rot Mayfair.

In part two of my Vignerons de Franschhoek series, I look at a selection of exciting wines from the historic Chamonix Wine Farm, an estate now under new Norwegian ownership after taking over the property at the end of 2021, being purchased from the Hellinger Trust, starting a massive vineyard replanting and regeneration program. Under the steady guidance of talented young winemaker Neil Bruwer, the consolidation and rejuvenation of this iconic property is firmly on course. 

Chamonix Blanc de Blancs Cap Classique 2022, WO Franschhoek, 11,5% Abv.

Pure 100% Chardonnay from the estate’s own grapes before replanting aged 24 months on its lees. Rich intense aromatics of honeycomb, sweet lemon, brioche, and delicate apple strudel notes. The palate is dense and compact, muscular with a saline citrus briney intensity, an energetic mousse and a lovely long, savoury, leesy finish.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chamonix Old Vine Steen 2025, WO Franschhoek, 13,5% Abv.

Displays an impressively perfumed and lifted aromatics of white blossoms, peaches and wet straw with delicate waxy green apple notes. Super youthful, the palate shows a full fleshy texture, plenty of pithy minerality, wet river stones, white peach, green apple pastille and delicate lemon cordial notes on the finish. Massive concentration, focused intensity, and a great future ahead of this wine.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chamonix Premier White 2022 Reserve, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv.

A blend of 64% Sauvignon Blanc and 36% Semillon, made from the older vineyards before they were replanted. Intense and savoury on the nose, there are earthy notes of grassy gooseberry, honey, green fruits and herbal spice. Plush and crystalline in the mouth, showing a fine purity, delicate dusty grassy notes, hints of green apple cordial and lemon grass spice with a pronounced peachy finish. Beautifully mellow, elegant and drinking fabulously well but no rush.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chamonix Cabernet Franc 2023 Reserve, WO Cape South Coast, 14% Abv.

Approximately 90% Franschhoek origin grapes with a small portion of Elgin fruit. The nose is classical Cabernet Franc aged for 24 months in barrel, yielding notes of sweet earthy red berries, bramble berries, cherry pipe tobacco with an underlying sappy, spicy mineral undertone. Incredibly bright and sweet fruited, the palate is explosive with a medley of fruits, bright tangy acids and a fine-grained tannin elegance. Lovely purity, vivacity and energy. 

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Chamonix Troika 2023 Reserve, WO Franschhoek, 14% Abv.

A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 12% Petit Verdot, this well-known Cape Bordeaux Blend boasts top notes of mint leaf, eucalyptus, sappy tobacco leaf and chocolate peppermint crisp nuances. The texture is soft and supple, impressively elegant and pure with a fine boned structure, powdery tannins and a sweet sappy berry fruited intensity on the finish. An accessible vintage with great generosity ready to enjoy now.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

For further information, contact Neil Bruwer:

Email: winemaker@chamonix.co.za
Uitkyk Street, Franschhoek, 7690, South Africa.

The Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge – Creation Wines’ Impressive New 2025 Releases Tasted and Reviewed…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

After spending three dedicated days in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in August 2026 my opinion remains reinforced that the Creation Winery remains one of the Hemel-en-Aarde’s most impressive and dependable producers for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and the 2025 releases show exactly why. JC Martin and his team have a vintage here that plays directly to their region’s strengths – cool, restrained and firmly driven by acidity.

The growing season in the Walker Bay delivered modest yields, slow ripening and lovely natural freshness. The whites benefited most with the Chardonnays tight, linear and mineral, showing citrus and subtle oak notes, the Sauvignon Blancs crisp and unapologetically steely and cool-climate.

But Pinot Noir could be the star. It is brighter and more transparent than recent warmer years, with layers of overt red cherry, wild herbs and fine-grained tannins. Buy it and then be patient. This isn’t a showy vintage, but it’s a classy one. If you want finesse over fruit weight, these wines deliver. For the money, Creation remains among the most compelling premium producers in South Africa, especially for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. 

Owner JC Martin in the vineyards.

Creation New Releases 2025:

More normal yields and normal harvest time, but maybe 20% down on average as the vineyards recovered from the small yields of 2024, where Chardonnay was down around 50%. 

Creation Ridge Chardonnay 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

Two 15-year-old blocks, using 100% malolactic, the aromatics show delicately reductive aromatics of struck flint, lemon peel, lemon grass, with a hint of green pear. Bright and intense, the clarity is notable, the limey citrus mouth wateringly tangy, crystalline and so pure. A benchmark for Walker Bay.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Creation Glenns Chardonnay 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.4% Abv. 

All barrel fermented, 33% new oak, there is a similar smoky, dusty reductive flint hint but with an extra richness and honeycomb notes, lemon cordial and delicate green apple notes. The slightly exotic wild yeast hints are there, combining with incredibly concentrated green citrus and lime peel, orange peel and tangerine. Finesse married with concentration and power. Wow.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv. 

The Art plot planted in 2002 next to the entrance of Creation, uses clone CY95 and CY96, barrel fermented and aged for 11 months on its fine lees, in 30% new oak 228 litre barrels. Fabulous aromatic width and breadth, chalky, dusty, and mineral before yellow and green citrus, lemon and lime peel, with an intriguing depth and complexity. The acids are sweet and sour, incredibly tangy and intense, combining to produce such an amazingly piercing pure persistence.  Benchmark in every sense of the word!

(Wine Safari Score: 97/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Creation Ridge Pinot Noir 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv. 

Two vineyard blocks from the Creation farm, one 12 years old and one 15 years old, employing a 30% whole bunch portion. Full of chalky, musky red fruits, cranberry and pomegranate fruits. Crunchy and crisp in the mouth, the acids are saline and linear, super bright, showing plenty of tension in the mid palate, polished powdery tannins, with a hint of blood orange, pomegranate and stony, pithy spice.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Creation Emma’s Pinot Noir 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv. 

A slightly more west facing block, the fruit has a high build up in tannins and whole bunch has been reduced from 50% to 30%, nevertheless, the bright cherry, cranberry and violet aromatics shine, complementing wild strawberries with ground black pepper and a delicate blood orange nuance. The palate is fine grained, elegant and mineral, showing a more bramble berry spice profile, with a piercing precision and power aplenty. Always one of my absolute favourites. Do try this wine if you can find it.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Creation winemaker Gerhard Smith with owner JC Martin in the Creation barrel cellar.

Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv. 

Also featuring a slightly reduced whole bunch portion, coming down from 60-70% to 50%, the wine is a more broody, black fruited expression, with a real harmony, balance and stability, marked with black fruits, bramble berry spice, the palate finishing with a slightly meatier, more savoury intensity and tannin density. This is simply class and would match or surpass many 1er Cru Gevrey-Chambertin Burgundies.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Creation Wines are imported into the UK by Hallgarten Wines.

Tasting with the Vignerons de Franschhoek – Part 1: The Sparkling Cap Classique Wines of Le Lude… 

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Vignerons de Franschhoek is the producer association of South Africa’s historic “French Corner,” founded in 1984 as part of the Franschhoek Wine Route and is credited with helping revive grape growing after many farmers started to move more towards growing orchards fruits. The Valley’s wine heritage dates back to the French Huguenot refugees who arrived in the Cape in the late 1680s, bringing their vine-growing expertise with them. Today the grouping represents the estates behind Franschhoek’s reputation as one of the Cape’s leading wine and food tourist destinations. As I discovered earlier this year, its members work with remarkably varied soils, slopes and microclimates, producing a diverse range of styles that reflect the Valley’s terroir diversity while actively promoting its quality both locally and internationally. For many consumers, the premium wines of the Franschhoek Valley ward remain a bit of an unknown entity. Follow my new 15 part series covering  some of the most exciting wineries in the Valley. 

Where better to kick things off than with bubbles!? Le Lude is now one of the most famous Cap Classique sparkling wine focused producers in South Africa, helping to make the Franschhoek Valley a real mecca for top quality Method Cap Classique bottle fermented fizz. They use their own Franschhoek grapes with a small amount of bought in fruit from Franschhoek itself as well as Stellenbosch, Elgin and Robertson. They only use their own Pinot Meunier grapes from a block planted in 2009. 

Normally moderately low sulphur Cap Classique with 50 to 70 ppm totals in the finished wines, the full range currently sits at 12 wines with around 90,000 bottles released per year. (Current retail prices for the Reserve is circa R420 per bottle or about €34 / £29, R650 for the Brut Vintage Rose 2019, R895 per bottle for the 2016 Vintage Brut and circa R1,195 for the Vintage Cuvee 2016.)

Le Lude Cap Classique Brut Reserve NV, 12% Abv.

(Based on the 2020 vintage) this is a blend of 69% Chardonnay and 31% Pinot Noir aged for at least 3 years on its lees. Disgorged with a low 1 to 2 g/l dosage, the final RS stands at 5.7g/l RS. Made in a consistent style using no oak and no malo, the aromatics show lifted fresh citrus fruits, glazed lemons and salted pistachios. The palate is fine grained, incredibly creamy with focus, freshness, tangy acids and a driving purity. A very impressive Cap Classique. (Circa 60,000 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Le Lude Cap Classique Brut Reserve Rose NV, 12% Abv.

(Based on the 2023 vintage) A blend of 31% Chardonnay, 63% Pinot Noir and 6% Pinot Meunier with a 6.6g/l RS. Normally use a 1-to-2-day cold maceration on the Pinot Noir skins but in future will blend red base wines for the Rosé colour. A delightfully floral, lifted nose with attractive wild strawberries, earthy red cherries and macerated cranberries. The palate shows real intensity and concentration, bright tart acids buffered by fine grained creamy tannins and a tangy acidity. The mousse if fine and creamy, very refined and classy with impressive underlying precision, finishing with a pronounced salty tang. Top notch Cap Classique. (Circa 40,000 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Le Lude Cap Classique Brut Vintage 2016 Limited Release, 12% Abv.

A blend of 72% Chardonnay, 24% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinot Meunier aged for just under 9 years and disgorged in June 2026 with zero dosage with a final 3.4g/l RS. Aromatics show an intense salted brioche character with glaces Lemons, dried herbs, lemon peel and honeycomb. I the mouth the wine is expansive, plush and concentrated with linear acids, a very fine-grained creamy mousse and a long, bright, citrus laden finish but with the extra vintage character and power evident. (1,550 bottles produced with only 330 disgorged and released so far.)

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The La Vierge Winery Reemerging As One of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge’s Top Fine Wine Terroirs…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

La Vierge sits in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge ward, a high, wind-swept corner of South Africa’s Walker Bay, just a few kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. Here the vineyards climb through weathered Bokkeveld Shale and Clay soils, the kind of ancient, mineral-rich ground that gives wines both structure and a distinctive sense of place. Altitude and proximity to the cooling ocean mean that morning mists and steady maritime breezes temper even the warmest of summer days.

This is genuine cool-climate terroir. Long, slow ripening helps preserve a vibrant natural acidity while allowing flavours to develop with real depth, which is precisely what Chardonnay and Pinot Noir demand. The Chardonnays show plenty of citrus and orchard fruit characters, taut minerality, and a gentle creaminess from careful barrel work, finishing with the tell tale coastal linearity and saline freshness. The Pinot Noirs are elegant and ethereal rather than heavy, offering red cherry, wild strawberry, and forest-floor complexity, supported by fine tannins and bright, vibrant acidities.

Together, the wines reflect a philosophy of restraint and precision, letting the vineyard speak rather than the cellar. Comparisons to Burgundy are common, yet these bottles carry an identity entirely their own: purity of fruit, tension, and an unmistakable saline coastal character. For anyone exploring the Cape’s finest expressions of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, La Vierge is an essential destination.

Peter Clarke started La Vierge over 26 years ago planting virgin soils in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge.

I met up with co-owner Murray Clarke in London back in May when La Vierge was appointing a new UK importer. Murray returned to London in September to meet the wine trade and press and I got another opportunity to assess a number of the current release wines available from La Vierge.

La Vierge The Crab & the Heron Sauvignon Blanc 2025, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

95% Sauvignon Blanc and 5% Semillon blend, all Ridge fruit. Delicately tropical and fresh with aromatics of white flowers, green fruits, gooseberry, lime peel, green apple and a delicate lemon grass hint. Deliciously zippy and vibrant, the acids invigorating the palate with a steely, electric intensity, showing green mango, black currant, crystalline orchard fruits, finishing with a delightfully umami, saline, linear finish. A superb Sauvignon Blanc with great appeal. 

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Story Teller Range

La Vierge The Turtle & the Shark Chardonnay 2024, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv.

This Chardonnay displays a limestone minerality with Granitic dust, lemon grass, lime peel, and a delicately exotic white blossom perfume. Cool and steely, the palate bristles with maritime salinity, tart green apples and crunchy pear notes with a delicious leesy, lemon biscuit and salted pistachio nuttiness on the long finish. A very classy cool climate Chardonnay.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

La Vierge Estate Chardonnay 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv.

This Chardonnay is a stonier, mineral laden aromatic expression, layered with overt limestone minerality, green apple and pear fruit nuances. Full and fleshy in the mouth, the salty tart acids adding an enticing frame and structure, balancing the crystalline green citrus fruits with a delicately aromatic, classically dry, tangy finish. A benchmark expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

La Vierge The Fairy & the Crocodile Pinot Noir 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv. 

The aromatics are deep, broody and maritime with pronounced notes of kelp and nori, the umami hints melting away into perfumed cherry blossom, cranberry and subtle tart cherry nuances. Supple, soft and fleshy on the palate, the acids are delightfully saline and tart, crystalline, pinpoint and beautifully focused. Steely and classical, this is a very classy and pure expression.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

La Vierge Estate Pinot Noir 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv. 

Sourced from a single block of fruit, the aromatics show nervy, spicy, peppery black fruit aromatics, layered with oyster shell, hints of kelp and sappy black currants. Super cool, harmonious and sleek, the wine is incredibly accessible and elegant, the finish pure, long and savoury with a phenolic chalky grip. Abeautiful classically structured Pinot Noir from the Ridge.

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

La Vierge The Giant Tortoise & the Clever Monkey Syrah 2022, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

A dark broody cool climate expression of Syrah with complex aromatics of black currant, pepper corns, graphite and minty cassis. Sleek and delightfully elegant, the tannins are supple, sleek and accessible supported by a bright, juicy, weightless red and black berry medley of fruits. Deliciously tangy and generous yet impressively precise.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

La Vierge The Upside Down Tree of Life Red Blend 2022, 13.5% Abv.

An exotic blend of Syrah, Sangiovese, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this shows classical aromatics of cedar spice, pressed violets, tilled earth and a mix of red and black berry fruits. The acids are tart and fresh, the texture sleek, tight knit and vibrant, showing a pithy, stony black currant and black cherry finish. A well-constructed wine with a harmonious symmetry.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The La Vierge wines are imported into the UK exclusively by Museum Wines.