Art of Chardonnay

It has become practically a tradition for Caroline Martin from Creation Wines to travel to London to present the new vintages of their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir to the who’s who of the UK wine media circle with husband JC Martin normally on a Zoom video link from the cellar in Cape Town. However, this year we were in for a treat with both JC and Caroline in attendance to present the new releases along side a spectacular vertical of back vintages.

Originally hailing from Switzerland, JC Martin together with his South African wife Carolyn (nee Finlayson), bought their original 22 hectares of virgin land in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and completed their impressive cellar in time for their 2007 harvest. Their Walker Bay estate now encompasses 50-plus hectares of vines planted with over 11 cultivars, but focusing primarily on premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

JC Martin and Caroline Martin in London.

I have spoken for many years about the quality glass ceilings in the South African wine industry. For a long time, Chardonnay tried but just couldn’t quite break through until possibly five years ago, when the industry saw some incredible new releases find a new lease of energy to raise the quality stakes and break the glass ceiling that had been in place for so long. Among these producers were Richard Kershaw, Leeu Passant, Paul Cluver, Uva Mira, Hamilton Russell, Newton Johnson and of course Creation Wines. While Pinot Noir still has a little more work to do to make examples comparable to the very best of Burgundy, I feel confidant, based on my tasting of Creation’s new releases that big fireworks are just around the corner and over the horizon.

Creation Chardonnay Vertical:

The Creation Chardonnay grapes are whole bunch pressed, inoculated with neutral Champagne yeasts to emphasise purity and encourage a quick and efficient fermentation process. The Glenn’s Chardonnay grapes come from the same vineyard as the Art of Chardonnay but use only wild yeasts for the fermentation process which also helps with a little more natural struck flint reduction character in the finished wine. The Art of Chardonnay cuvee is normally a combination of wild and inoculated yeast portions that are ultimately blended together before bottling.

Creation Reserve Chardonnay 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

Bronzed golden colour, the aromatics speaks with an exotic accent, full of plush ripe yellow fruits, passionfruit, pineapple, and hints of dried guava roll. The entry is crystalline and juicy and vibrant with an expressive natural acidity, tangy orange peel, passionfruit and naartjie fruit concentration. An impressive vintage with heart stopping fruit intensity, a delicate minerality and fabulous length. Drink now to 2034.

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

Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

Pale gold in the glass, the Glenn’s Chardonnay reveals flinty, slightly reductive aromatics with hints of limestone, lemon and lime peel, dried herbs, wet straw, tinned pineapple and savoury leesy biscuit nuances. Strikingly taut and linear on the palate, the acids are tangy and mouthwatering showing a finely balanced texture and concentration but certainly not lacking any generosity. A steely fresh finish leaves you ready for another sip. A really beautiful expression of premium cool climate Chardonnay.

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

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

A beautifully precise expression with aromatics brimming with sweet passionfruit, pineapple, dried herbs, thyme, and tangerine peel. The focus and precision is impressive with a tangy bright acidity, a piercing mouthwatering yellow citrus fruit concentration with a delightful spicy, vanilla pod and granadilla finish. A wine with such presence and pedigree.

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

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2022, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

The aromatics show a pronounced flinty reductive note over wet stone minerality, crushed limestone, white citrus pith and green pear. There is a real energy and vivacity magnified by a piercing salinity that raises the perception of the tart acidity and linearity. There is a fine mid palate concentration and polished phenolics, making for a taut, focused tightly wound wine.

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

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2018, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

Hints of reduction with subtle tertiary notes revealing fennel root, lanolin, curry leaf, vanilla pod and wet straw bales. There are layers of waxy citrus, pineapple, waxy green apples, and pear with savoury notes, a crystalline freshness, acid linearity, and a very fine tension that’s holding the palate together very nicely.

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

Creation Art of Pinot Noir Vertical:

A very natural expression with only the whole bunch portion manipulated during extraction. 100% Whole bunch used in 2021, 60% in 2022 and 50% in 2023. The higher the portion, the lower the floral aromatics on the wines tend to be according to JC.

Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

A young embryonic Pinot Noir packed full of cinnamon and clove aromatics over bramble berry, wild strawberry and smoky graphite spice. The palate shows pithy rasping tension, salinity and limestone minerality, phenolic spice, dried herbs, over red cranberry, red currant and red apple spice. A wine looking forward to 10+ years of age ability.

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

Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2022, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

The find expression showing delicious spicy bramble berry aromatics with wild strawberry, damson plum over savoury cured meat nuances. The whole bunch portion is evident, flaunting its spicy sapidity but well balanced by a red and black berry fruit length. Ready to go now… or drink over the next 5 to 8 years.

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

Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2021, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

With a 100% wholebunch used, the spicy sapidity is surprisingly well integrated already with red and black berry fruits, earthy red currant and spicy fig and quince nuances. The palate shows spice and tension, a mineral texture and fine grained mineral stony tannins delicately balanced by savoury red and black fruits and a real whole bunch complexity.

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

Flight 1:

Creation Ridge Chardonnay 2024, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

The Ridge used to be called the Reserve range. Fermented with DV10 Champagne yeasts, using 100% malolactic fermentation in barrel adding elegance and texture with no batonnage. The aromatics are beautifully floral and perfumed with white blossom, honeysuckle and lemon verbena. Texturally very fine and creamy but with zippy nervy underlying acids with bright lemon and lime peel notes and a very gentle fleshy finish with a distinct vein of stony minerality raising its head. Drink now to 2035+.

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

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2024, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

Oldest block that is over 22 years old now. Aiming for a very steady, consistent stylistic steer, the 2024 Art show slightly more restraint and classism, white blossom, crushed granite, sweet green baking herbs and lemon herbal tea nuances. The palate is gently smoky and mineral with subtle savoury leesy hints over green apple, lemon and yellow grapefruit concentration before a real kick of wet stone minerality on the dry, rasping fresh finish. Beautiful tension and restraint that will slowly unfurl over the coming years. Drink 2026 to 2036+.

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

Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2024, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge

Sourced from the same block of grapes as the Art of Chardonnay, this wild ferment expression really shines in a cool, taut mineral driven vintage like 2024. The aromatics show a little more honied richness with honeysuckle, lemon blossom, oatmeal and lemon biscuit notes that combined with green herbs and a subtle bay leaf spice. The wine shows a beautiful texture, full and fleshy mouthfeel with crisp sour mouthwatering acids and a creamy, honied savoury finish. A wine with superb complexity. Drink now to 2034+.

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

Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2023, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

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

Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2021, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

Shows a very complex nose with earthy, savoury slightly wild aromatics with hints of root veg, dried herbs, fennel root, waxy lemon, grapefruit marmalade. The palate shows impressive depth and breadth, an incredibly creamy gently oaky salted caramel length that never overwhelms but simply lingers on the palate. Still an inner tension in the wine but drinking beautifully now.

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

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2022, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

The aromatics show complex savoury leesy notes that melt away into white blossom, waxy lemon peel, sweet herbs green apples and subtle stony mineral nuances. The palate is sleek, dense and fleshy, the acids fresh but incredibly well integrated, balanced with the citrus fruit flesh and concentration. Powerful, harmonious but intense and tangy. Drink now to 2034+.

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

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2020, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

A beautifully elegant wine that is showing incredibly well, as it should as the Platter White Wine of the Year. Gently smoky and savoury and complex with crushed gravel and smoky reductive flinty notes. The palate is raspingly mineral and stony, underpinned by pithy lemon and grapefruit nuances with a restrained, herby, dry finish. Super taut, compact and seriously youthful. Astonishing wine. Drink now to 2035.

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

Flight 2: Pinot Noirs

Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2024, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv.

From a Southeast facing block, 50-60% whole bunches are used on the Art with a gentle wetting of the cap once or twice a day. Malolactic in barrel, 30% new, released after approximately 2 years. The aromatics shows incredible intensity with piercing aromatics of black cherry, black berry and wild strawberry. The fruit berry purity follows to the palate but is tempered by a fresh, pure mineral palate with real precision and stony length. Superb fine grained texture, harmonious texture with a weightless concentration on the finish. Drink now to 2035+.

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

Creation Emma’s Pinot Noir 2024, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13% Abv.

A selection from a different block more West facing than the Art of Pinot Noir, that’s also more tannic so only 30% whole bunch is used. The aromatics are luxurious and deep, slightly less exotic and perfumed than the Art, which JC puts down to the lower whole bunch portion. The palate shows creamy chalky depth, black cherry, black raspberry, salty kelp notes and a deep, tense, broody power packed depth laced with incredibly stony minerality on the finish. Simply stunning and super serious expression. Drink 2026 to 2034+.

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

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

Having just celebrated international Pinot Noir day recently, it seems an appropriate time to recognise the truly excellent quality of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir coming out of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in the Walker Bay region. One of the most respected quality focused producers in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge ward is of course the Creation winery.

Originally from Switzerland, JC Martin together with his South African wife Carolyn (nee Finlayson), bought their original 22 hectares of virgin land in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and completed their cellar in time for their 2007 harvest. Their Walker Bay estate now encompasses 50-plus hectares planted with over 11 varieties, but focusing mainly on premium Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Carolyn Martin was recently in London with Cape Wine Master Winnie Bowman to present a wonderful multi-flight tasting of Creation’s top cuvees of Art of Chardonnay, Art of Pinot Noir, Glenn’s Chardonnay and Emma’s Pinot Noir, the latter two wines made by their respective son and daughter. The tasting was presented at wine mecca 67 Pall Mall in London with JC joining by Zoom from South Africa.

Flight 1

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2020

Bright and crystalline, there is fabulous lift here with expressive aromatics of white citrus, limestone minerality, lemon and lime peel, with subtle leesy biscuit notes and a well integrated vanilla pod spice over delicately reductive struck flint nuances. The palate is crisp and taut with a brilliance of citrus fruit purity draped over a structured mineral frame. Subtle, incredibly Old World and Burgundian in style but ultimately defined by its freshness and restraint.

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

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2021

A rich, opulent, expressive vintage that shows extra layers of fruit intensity, leesy complexity and oak spice notes. There are wonderful hints of biscuit and grapefruit preserve, oak spice and sweet lemon peel. This is a textural masterpiece with supreme balance and finesse, with creamy sleek pithy citrus and green apple layers. Very classy but certainly more extroverted and showier than the 2020 vintage.

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

Tasting with Carolyn Martin at 67 Pall Mall in London.

Creation Art of Chardonnay 2022

Deliciously youthful and exotic nose of green apple purée, honeydew melon, yeasty beer and hop nuances over tangy Granny Smit apple and a crystallised lime peel complexity. Embryonic brilliance but shows all the class you’d hope for from a new Creation release.

(Wine Safari Score: 95-96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Flight 2

Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2020

Very similar to the Art of Creation 2020 but with a subtle, undefinable extra exoticism undoubtedly from the 100% wild yeast fermentation. The aromatics are wild and leesy with nutty savoury notes of salted pistachios and grilled almonds. The palate is impressively full and mouthfilling with a soft creamy and an notably fleshy core of lemon citrus and lemon biscuit, finishing with a long, stony, gravelly liquid mineral finish. Really quite a thrilling wine indeed.

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

Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2021

The 2021 shows an aromatic breadth and flamboyance underpinned by sweet white and yellow citrus fruits, lemon pastille, lime cordial and subtle leesy, nutty undertones. The texture is full and fleshy, streamlined, silky and incredibly polished with tangy acids adding zip and energy to the long, concentrated, well defined finish.

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

Creation Glenn’s Chardonnay 2022

A very animated, classy expression that layers pithy stone fruits over lemon cordial, wet slate, green apple and fragrant yellow pear. Texturally very fine, focused and sleek with a silky, creamy palate and a long, savoury, tangy fresh finish. A really beautiful wine that will surely improve with further time in bottle.

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

Flight 3

Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2021, 13.1% Abv.

80% whole bunches used. Delicately spicy chalky nose with a lifted perfume of violets, rose petals and a definite sapidity. The intensity is impressive, the mouth-watering complexity really quite profound. Built around a fine acid frame, this is really something special, drinking well now but showing all the classicism, precision and elegance for potential further development. Mineral, sappy, and very seductive.

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

Creation Art of Pinot Noir 2022, 13.6% Abv.

A little sweeter and fleshier, the aromatics are opulent and forthright, showing red plum, sour red cherry, tart strawberry and a subtle chalky sapidity. Texturally very fine, silky, soft and harmonious with a generosity that never over steps the boundaries of ripeness of restraint. This is a fabulous new Pinot Noir coming down the tracks. A release not to be missed.

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

Flight 4

Creation Emma’s Pinot Noir 2022

Opulent and fresh fruited on the nose showing red currant, raspberry, pomegranate and subtle notes of blood orange. There is a real purpose, drive and intensity, but also a classicism and an inner beauty to the Emma cuvées, and this 2022 promises a fine medium term age worthiness.

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

Creation Emma’s Pinot Noir 2019, 13.5% Abv.

Quite dark and broody on the nose, there is an earthy, brambly, stewed strawberry depth before notes of cranberry, pomegranate, sour red plum and intense chalky mineral nuances reveal themself. Possesses a really beautiful texture, being classical and poised, making for a serious expression of Pinot Noir.

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

Creation Emma’s Pinot Noir 2017

A dark fruited expression with incredibly Burgundian styled aromatics of bramble berries, wild strawberry and hints of forest floor. Sleek, vibrant and still incredibly youthful, the vibrancy, minerality, and chalky black fruits really impress. Ready to go now but certainly no rush.

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

The Creation wines are imported into the UK by Bibendum Wines.