Chardonnay

Weltevrede Estate Rocking Robertson with Some Classy Terroir-driven Chardonnays…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Jonkers have lived on Weltevrede winefarm in the Robertson Valley since 1912 and were the first to plant vines in the area. Third generation Lourens Jonker has played an integral part in the South African wine industry as past chairman of the KWV and several industry bodies, as well as sitting on boards of companies like ABSA and Naspers.

He expanded the original 65 hectare farm to 160 hectares by purchasing neighbouring farms, Muscadel, River’s Edge, and Sonop. Today, Lourens’s son, Philip, has taken up the reins and together, they are working hard to define the wines of the Robertson Valley – chief among them being Chardonnay. 

Living among some of the Chardonnay pioneers of South Africa, with the De Wets of De Wetshof just a stone’s throw away, the Jonkers have pulled the valley together to pioneer a quintessential Robertson Chardonnay style called Calcrete, showcasing the shale and limestone-rich soils of the area. In the process, they have identified several exceptional sites producing “singular expressions” of Chardonnay at eye-catching prices.

Weltevrede Calcrete Chardonnay 2023, WO Robertson, 13% Abv.

This vibrantly fresh Chardonnay expression is named after the Calcrete soils that are only found among the Limestone rich soils of the appellation between Bonnievale and Robertson. The terroir here is typified by arid, broken shale rocks of ancient petrified maritime deposits that bestow the fresh vibrant whites of the area with a pronounced wet stone liquid minerality and a maritime, briney rock salt salinity. Combine this unique terroir with South facing slopes exposed to cooling Southeastern breezes and you have the perfect environment for some of the most classically fashioned old world-styled white wines in the Cape. This embryonic 2023 Chardonnay delivers delicious aromas of crisp stone fruits, white pear, and crunchy green apples with hints of honeydew melon, white flowers and honey drizzled over white citrus. Incredibly vibrant and fresh, the overt minerality is undoubtedly a perennial hallmark of this unoaked wine that is embroidered with an extra three months of lees aging in stainless steel tanks. Delightfully radiant and subtly exotic, this is an incredibly demonstrative wine that celebrates its terroir, purity and minerality while remaining seamless, lively, and impressively vital. Drink on release and over the next 2 to 3 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Weltevrede Place of Rocks Chardonnay 2022, WO Robertson, 12.5% Abv.

Sourced from grapes grown on a slope of ancient broken shale rocks which lends the wine its name, this youthful 2022 is an attractive white that comes from true Chardonnay country and displays a wonderfully translucent pale gold colour in the glass. The sophisticated aromatics reveal an attractively crafted white wine that exhibits complex notes of pithy white citrus spice, wet chalk, lime peel, lemon grass, and subtle hints of dried pear and honeydew melon. Primarily mineral driven with a hint of flinty reduction but also plenty of stony green herbal spice, beneath the middle-weighted palate texture lurk delicious layers of tart yellow fruits, green apple pastille, dried mango and grapefruit confit nuances that are finely juxtapositioned against more creamy, toasted bread, popcorn and salted brioche characteristics that subside to leave a subtle nutty, salted pistachio-tinged mineral finish. An impressively classical rendition of Chardonnay that will appeal to lovers of top quality Maconnais Burgundy whites and pair beautifully with seafood and shellfish. Drink now and over the next 3 to 5 years.

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

The Weltevrede Estate wines are available in the UK from specialist merchant Museum Wines.

http://www.museumwines.co.uk

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Once Again Leading the Premium Wine Charge – Tasting and Reviewing Their Latest Vintage Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Gyles Webb bought an old fruit orchard farm in 1983 after giving up his accounting career in Natal to pursue wine farming in the Cape. The old manor house was restored and the first wines under the Thelema Mountain Vineyards label were released in 1988. By the mid 1990’s Thelema’s wines sold out within a month after release, making it one of the most sought-after wine estates in South Africa.

Forever cemented as one of the Cape Wineland’s iconic wineries, the wider wine press attention in the noughties did somewhat shift away from the classical estates like Thelema towards the swathe of new up and coming exciting young gun producers primarily located in the Swartland.

Thomas Webb, the next generation in charge at Thelema.

But the classics always remain special and in the past decade, the wider global wine market has seen a massive refocus back on to the classical names that once helped re-establish the modern post-apartheid Cape wine industry. Thelema is just one of these wineries and their new releases under the stewardship of Thomas Webb are certainly worth a lot of attention! I caught up with Thomas in London recently and tasted through a superb selection of new vintages.

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Vibrant, crystalline and fresh with bright acids, notes of lime peel and green passion fruit and a hint of green apple on the mouth watering finish. Beautifully lifted, pure fruited with a chalky density and impressive fruity, fleshy concentration despite being below <2g/l RS. A premium Sauvignon Blanc for drinkers who perhaps don’t like the more pungent grassy styles.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2020, 13% Abv.

Made 100% from mountainside vineyards offering a fulsome expression, rich and plush with a certain comforting opulence, boasting sweet lemon cordial, salted toffee, nutty pistachio and savoury biscuit notes. The palate shows impressive intensity with salty maritime notes, bright tangy acids with lemon grass, lime cordial nuances and a cool, mineral, drying finish. Really very smart.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Chardonnay 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

The new release 2021 Thelema Chardonnay possesses a beautifully pale lemon lime canary yellow with a fabulous shimmering brightness to it and is a very enticing Chardonnay offering indeed. The initial aromatics are full of dried green herbs, sweet lemon and lime citrus, tart pineapple and a most seductive vanilla pod hint that is seamlessly integrated into the wine. The classy oaking is equally evident on the palate but kept well in check by authoritative 2021 vintage acids, a stony granitic mineral frame, all tempered by tart crystalline white citrus fruits, white peach, green apple and a tangy fresh concentrated finish where another hint of tart pineapple makes an appearance. A truly classy wine from this phenomenal 2021 red and white vintage in South Africa, it shows its regal class and precision with such purity and clarity combined with intensity. One of the best Chardonnays from Thelema in more than a decade. Drink on release and over the next 8 to 10 years.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot 2020, 14% Abv.

Beautifully sweet fruited with aromatics of sappy cedar spice infused with black plum, black berry compote, dried baking herbs and a dusty granitic minerality. The palate is soft, sweet fruited and piquant with a supple fleshy texture, silky accessible tannins over subtle tobacco leaf, hoisin plum sauce, cigar wrapper and a cedar wood spice finish. A classy pure varietal expression of Merlot.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Merlot Reserve 2021, WO Stellenbosch

The Reserve Merlot displays a delicate aromatic array of potpourri, dried violets, bouquet garni and incense together with hints of red currant, dried cranberries and red plum nuances. The palate shows a tender, seductive elegance, linear acids, and a taut freshness, that belies a sleek, incredibly subtle, cool fruited elegance. There are hints of sweet cedar, baking herbs and very fine grained stony mineral tannins that really steer this wine in a wonderfully old world Bordeaux – St Emilion direction from a cooler vintage of minerality, restraint and structure. This is a simply spellbinding wine with a tight knit texture, a phenomenal purity and an elegance of note. If you can’t afford £100+ Bordeaux right bank reds, this beauty will go a long way to fill this gap. Drink from 2024 to 2036+.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

This classy Cabernet shows a spicy, piquant inky aromatics laced with layers of iodine, cedar spice, tobacco leaf and sweet black tea. The balance and texture on the palate is super classy with silky sweet tannins, plump opulent red and black berry fruits, sweet tobacco, graphite and a supple, long, intense finish enlivened by tangy acids. Very classy and classical Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon but approachable now.

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards The Mint Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

A lush, plush opulent aromatics kissed with its signature minty leafy nuances over resinous menthol blackcurrant boiled candied sweets. Very sleek and fine boned on the palate, this is a beautifully supple, soft wine showing a silky elegance with finely balanced sweet tannins, tangy bright acids, and salty cassis intensity capped with a kiss of mint choc peppermint crisp complexity on the finish. A great returning vintage for the fabled Thelema Mint Cabernet!

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Rabelais 2020, 14% Abv.

2007 was the first vintage released commercially to the market after Giles Webb resigned from the CIWG where the wine was normally  destined. The 2020 expression is majestically complex and soft spoken, orchestral and refined with real precision, focus and textural poise. Beautifully earthy and perfumed with sweet violets, tilled earth, liquorice and salty black currant before a soft, silky, tangy palate loaded with black cherry kirsch liquor, saline cassis and a pure, long, intense classical finish. True class!

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

Thelema Mountain Vineyards Vin de Hel Dessert Muscat 2021

Made from 1 hectare of 37 year old vine Muscat (de Frontignan), picked at 35 balling to hit 149-150g/l RS with a TA of circa 5.7g/l. Grapey, fresh and vibrant on the nose with layers of lychee, rose petals, peach puree and quince jelly. Beautifully fresh, pure and utterly delicious. This is a very attractive but not overly sweet dessert style wine.

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

The Thelema crest.

The Thelema wines are imported into the UK by Enotria Wines.

Domaine Jean-Yves Bizot Prepares to Release Its Maiden Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022 from Le Charlemagne…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The spectacular wines of Jean-Yves Bizot represent the pinnacle of wine quality in a region graced with some of the most sought-after labels in the world of fine wine. Jean-Yves’s strict and uncompromising standards in the vineyards and his enviable old vine parcels in Vosne-Romanée combine to offer a stellar line-up of miniscule production red Burgundies built for ageing. Jean-Yves is a respected professor of viticulture and oenology in Beaune and lives in Vosne across the road from Henri Jayer’s old residence.

Sunrise in January 2024 over Gevrey-Chambertin.

Indeed, the two vignerons had neighbouring parcels in Vosne-Romanée and often discussed vinification techniques while working their vines. As a result, Jean-Yves decided to adapt some of Jayer’s techniques in his own cellar (in particular, whole cluster fermentation at cool temperatures in conical wooden vats) and is now making exceptional Vosne-Romanée wines that defy quality comparisons. Jean-Yves has undoubtedly forged his own unique winemaking path and today is recognized as producing some of the most iconic wines in Burgundy, following his own distinct and rigorous philosophy in the vineyards and in the cellar. Unsurprisingly, the wines of Domaine Bizot are now regarded as the pinnacle of Pinot Noir perfection and are coveted by the greatest Burgundy collectors and connoisseurs around the world, joining the ranks of other iconic names such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.

Tasting the Corton-Charlemagne 2022 from barrel with Jean-Yves in January 2024.

Jean-Yves Bizot recently made some exciting new purchases in Burgundy, including 0.14 hectares of prime Le Charlemagne Chardonnay vines as well as further north in the Côtes-de-Nuits, terroirs that he believes are still under-appreciated by the current generation but which were very well known and highly regarded centuries ago – both of his Côtes-de-Nuits vineyards are just south of Dijon: Bourgogne “Le Chapitre” and Marsannay “Clos du Roy”, both of which are old vine parcels.  His range is completed by his magnificent Bourgogne Blanc that comes from an old parcel of sélection massale Chardonnay right next to Grand Cru Clos de Vougeot. Bizot’s wines are bottled by hand, barrel by barrel, without filtration, and are serious Burgundies for the patient connoisseur, emphasizing purity, subtlety, power and elegance.

Some Bizot vineyards next to his Vosne-Romanee winery.

Domaine Jean Yves Bizot Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2022

The two specific single vineyards of En Charlemagne and Le Charlemagne make up half of this famous appellation, while white grapes grown in seven other vineyards may also be sold as Corton-Charlemagne. As a result there can be a wide divergence in styles between earlier picked south-facing locations and cooler, later picked western slopes around Pernand-Vergelesses. Jean-Yves’s 0.14 hectares of vines are located in the prestigious Le Charlemagne vineyard and produce a meagre two new French oak barrels, or 600 bottles, of this golden Grand Cru nectar. A wonderfully sophisticated first showing of this wine reveals a rich vinous tapestry tightly packed with savoury aromatics of leesy yellow citrus, fresh rain on limestone, wet straw, baking herbs and glacé lemon rind. The concentration on the palate is astonishing – glycerol, piercing, fresh and beautifully crystalline and saline with intense layers of lemon and lime cordial, green apple pastille over an electric laser-like acidity with just a subtle kiss of lemon butter and vanilla pod spice on the finish. An astounding wine of incredible power, focus and precision, the likes of which you rarely see from Corton-Charlemagne. A wine that is sure to be legendary even before its official release.

(Wine Safari Score: 99-100/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The wines of Domaine Jean-Yves Bizot are imported and distributed exclusively in the UK by Wimbledon Wine Cellar. Contact: andrew@wimbledonwinecellar.com to enquire about available allocations and up coming new releases like the Corton-Charlemagne.

The Great Chardonnay Blind Challenge 2023 – Putting Some of the World’s Finest Chardonnays Through Their Paces in The Judgement of Surbiton…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

The annual Tim Atkin South Africa Special Report is always an interesting barometer for what’s hot and what’s not in the wider Cape winemaking landscape. It remains an impressive body of work albeit written from the point of view of one individual. Interestingly, but not surprisingly, his 95+ point tasting hosted in Cape Town and Johannesburg in 2023 included 29 Chenin Blancs from around the Cape, confirming this cultivar’s quality and standing in the general South African fine wine landscape. But equally of interest, the tasting featured a whopping 20 Chardonnay whites, making it the second biggest awarded white category after the Chenin Blancs. As Tim and other commentators now point out, South Africa has undoubtedly overtaken France and the Loire region as the most lauded, successful, and sought-after dry Chenin Blanc producer in the world.

Chardonnay from the Cape, on the other hand, has the considerable might and prestige of Burgundy to compete with, and then, just when you think you are gaining ground on this undisputed world market leader, collectors and afficionados are quick to rattle off another incredibly impressive list of producers from California, Australia and New Zealand that are making some very highly rated, eminently respected Chardonnay’s that South Africa’s top producers still need to contend with in international markets in order to catch the attention of importers and top collectors.

For those of you familiar with my own website, A Fine Wine Safari, you might remember an incredibly insightful and challenging tasting that a bunch of fine wine afficionados in London pulled off in June 2018. It was born out of the lunch-time banter between some good fine wine friends who quickly aligned themselves as either New World Chardonnay afficionados or consummate Burghounds. The competitive nature of fine wine does this to grown adults… and so was born, the concept of a New World versus Burgundy Chardonnay shoot-out. Each team of tasters would run several rounds, and through a series of blind, scored tastings, they would select their top 10 wines, without budgetary restrictions, to compete against each other in a grand blind taste off.

The results of this tasting were indeed fascinating…

Read the tasting results here:

https://gregsherwoodmw.com/2018/06/18/the-great-blind-chardonnay-challenge-2018-new-world-chardonnay-giving-burgundy-a-run-for-its-money/

… but also served to confirm that yes, white Burgundy even five years ago was still prohibitively expensive from the top producers and even more so today, and yes, the New World could undoubtedly produce wines that rivalled the very best of France. I was of course lucky enough to serve as one of the New World team members on the June 2018 tasting alongside global heavy-weight journalist Neal Martin, who was there to help oversee the proceedings and to help make it a bit of a legendary tasting event… never to be repeated. Well, they do say, never say never!

In early 2023, one of the fine wine judges on our now famous “Judgement of Wimbledon” Grenache blind tasting panel raised the feasibility of presenting another blind Chardonnay Challenge, but this time not pitched against Burgundy directly, but merely featuring some of the best and most highly rated Chardonnays in the world in another blind, judgement-style tasting… this time not in Wimbledon, but in neighbouring Surbiton. Now, I will be the first to admit that “The Judgement of Surbiton” does not quite carry the same gravitas as “The Judgement of Paris”… however, the fine wine aficionado and obsessive South African wine collector behind the idea, Riaan Potgieter, single handedly organised one of the most impressively slick blind tastings I have attended in many years, featuring a line-up of wines from around the world that any Chardonnay fanatic would give their eye teeth to taste individually, let alone altogether.

The wines were as follows:

Rest assured, tasting so many incredible wines was positively gruelling, not in a bad way but in a mentally sapping way. When confronted with so many individually brilliant wines, it is always going to be hard work separating the merely good from the truly great. Among the 19 wines tasted by seven expert tasters, there were four wines from Australia, three from France, one from Germany, one from Italy, two from New Zealand, four from the USA and of course four from South Africa. Wines were generally all rated 97+ from critically acclaimed international reviewers but the range also included two blind hundred pointers from recent releases, namely Giaconda 2021 from Australia and Kistler Laguna Ridge from Sonoma County, USA.

Where the June 2018 Chardonnay Challenge selection failed to include any South African wines, (not for a lack of trying), this tasting featured four stunning wines that performed incredibly well considering the competition. These included a fabulous Kershaw Wines Deconstructed Lake District Bokkeveld Shale CY95 Chardonnay 2018, a Leeu Passant Chardonnay 2020, a Lismore Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2021,  and a Draaiboek Wines Onskuld Chardonnay 2021 from the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley made by Stephanie Wiid. On the day, six of the seven tasters certainly did not know what the final line up of wines would be, let alone that it would include four South African wines!

But boy did they perform, with the astonishing final Top 5 line-up including:

1. Littoria BA Theriot 2020, USA

2. Kistler Laguna Ridge 2019 (Magnum), USA

3. Giaconda Beechworth 2021, Aus

4. Leeu Passant 2020, SA

5. Draaiboek Wines Onskuld 2021, SA

Followed by in order of averaged score assessment total:

6. Furst Franconia R 2020, Germany

7. Tolpuddle 2021, Aus

8. Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard 2020, Aus

9. Cullen Kevin John 2021, Aus

10. Ramey Hyde Vineyard 2019, USA

11. Domaine de Montille Puligny Montrachet Les Cailleret 2019, Burgundy

12. Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 2013, Burgundy

13. Kershaw Decontructed Lake District Bokkeveld Shale CY95 2018, SA

14. Lismore Estate Reserve 2021, SA

15. Kumeu River Mates Vineyard 2020, NZ

16. Gaja Gaia & Rey 2020, Italy

17. Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough 2021, NZ

18. Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 2019, USA

19. Coche Dury Bourgogne 2013, Burgundy

With the current state of ascendancy of South African wines, it seems obvious that this type of blind judgement tasting is going to be repeated regularly in the years to come. Whether they will all feature this calibre of competition from around the world, is another question altogether. I have it on good authority that assembling this selection alone was a fairly laborious, arduous and long-winded affair. For starters, the Giaconda 100-pointer was flown out from Australia as European stock is only going to be released through the Bordeaux Place and the Kistler Laguna Ridge cuvee was only available in magnum format at great expense. Needless to say, an absolutely phenomenal result for South African Chardonnay!

My personal blind tasting notes and individual Chardonnay Challenge 2023 scores were as follows:

Kistler Laguna Ridge 2019 (Magnum), USA

1. Aromatics of oyster shell, lemon peel and sea breeze, with mineral notes of wet stones. Incredible texture and depth, this coats the mouth with an insistent intensity showing an unctuous length of citrus pastille, vanilla wood spice and lemon oil.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Leeu Passant 2020, SA

2. Taut and fresh, the nose is tight and nervy with crushed rocks, wet stones, lemon peel and dried herbs. Palate is sleek and fresh, energetic, with fresh acids and a tangy, lemon and lime cordial finish.

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

Lismore Estate Reserve 2021, SA

3. A more smokey, spicy, herby nose with an underlay of burnt wood embers. Palate is broad and plush, fleshy and glycerol with soft acids, tangy mango and green papaya fruits and a lemon confit finish. Quite an oily style.

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

Kumeu River Mates Vineyard 2020, NZ

4. Quite a stony, mineral flinty nose with a melange of smoky reduction and sweet lemon and herb nuances. Acids are fresh and vibrant, notably tangy with pronounced savoury wood spice length.

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

Littoria BA Theriot 2020, USA

5. Nose is elegant and cool, even restrained, showing mojito and mint leaf, dried herbs and lime blossom. The acids are laser fresh and tart, adding a fine frame to the cool, lemon and lime peel fruits. Wonderfully integrated oak massages the fruit beautifully. True class.

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 2019, USA

6. A very exotic nose with fig and tropical nuances, waxy apple peel and lanolin hints. The palate is broad and rich, perhaps a touch ponderous and creamy, quite spicy and mineral with petrichor hints, but lacks a bit of verve and vigour on the finish.

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

Coche Dury Bourgogne 2013, Burgundy

7. Exotic nose with rhubarb and fennel, wet slate and dried herbs. Palate is taut and tart with a sour acidity, lime zest, savoury lemon, and a massive length and intensity.

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

Cullen Kevin John 2021, Aus

8. A wonderfully fresh, vibrant, lime peel and cordial aromatics, so pure and classical with subtle hints of incense. Palate is fresh, taut and tangy with sweet – sour acids, and a massive lemon & herb fruit length. Beautifully pithy and zesty on the finish.

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

Furst Franconia R 2020, Germany

9. A more savoury aromatics with hints of biscuit, oat meal, dried herbs and wet river stones. Palate is fabulously clean, lean and restrained with a fine crystallinity, smoky minerality, and waxy green apple finish.

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

Tolpuddle 2021, Aus

10. Deep, wet chalk and struck flint nose with plenty of SO2 floating around with a dusty minerality, vinyl and lemon pith. The reduction follows to the palate with a lemon, apple and vinyl note. Made in a skinny reductive style, this needs more time in bottle.

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

Ramey Hyde Vineyard 2019, USA

11. Taut shy mineral nose, full of star fruit, hints of honeydew melon and a touch of lemon biscuit. Quite fresh and crystalline, with a really freshly pressed blood orange and tangerine juice intensity.

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

Domaine Leflaive Puligny Montrachet Les Folatieres 2013, Burgundy

12. A complex but exotic nose with hints of oat meal, chalk, chablislesque minerality and green apple. Lovely notes of savoury pear purée, a hint of reduction, taut and sleek, mineral and classical. Spicy and pithy on the long finish.

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

Giaconda Beechworth 2021, Aus

13. A notably reductive nose with wet slate, petrichor, apple peel, chalk and apple cordial. Cool, sleek and elegant, this is a wine with precision, poise and focus expressed with intelligent winemaking.

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

Shaw + Smith Lenswood Vineyard 2020, Aus

14. Granitic spice, crushed rock, lime peel, green melon, and pistachio macaroons. Clean, intense and pristine with a piquant, pithy limey finish. Such lovely intensity, a sweet – sour palate breadth and a limey saline persistence.

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

Domaine de Montille Puligny Montrachet Les Cailleret 2019, Burgundy

15. Hints of spicy apple cider, lemon, biscuit, and pear purée aromatics. Palate is soft, cool and fleshy with a crisp but soft integrated acidity, a real elegance and finesse. The palate is smoky, mineral and crystalline, sleek, pure and very fine.

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

Draaiboek Wines Onskuld 2021, SA

16. Nose shows dusty aromatics, talc, sherbet, lime bon bons, wet stones and sweet baking spices. Palate sings with tart apple, crunchy pear, white citrus and a saline, pithy dry bitter lemon finish. Quite a cerebral wine.

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

Gaja Gaia & Rey 2020, Italy

17. Sweet confected lift with melon, bon bons, rock candy, with apple and pear boiled sweets. Cool, tangy and crystalline with apple cordial and lime juice hints, finishing with a soft, pithy mineral finish.

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

Kershaw Decontructed Lake District Bokkeveld Shale CY95 2018, SA

18. Sweet pear, hints of flinty reduction, savoury oat meal and buttered white toast. There is a massive intensity, richness and tangy freshness with an incredibly salty maritime finish.

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

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Marlborough 2021, NZ

19. Big, bold intense punchy aromatics that are shrouded in reductive flinty, smoky, stony notes. The palate reveals a magnificent clarity and precision, with the most seductive salty oyster shell notes of chalk stone and citrus. Beautifully fresh and intense, this wine is young but screams class!

(Wine Safari Score: 98/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Craig Wessels and Restless River Making Waves with the New 2020/21 Releases From the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Wessels family have been living on the 20 ha Klein Hemel farm in the Upper-Hemel-en-Aarde for 20 years now, making Restless River wines. Named after the nearby Onrus River (Afrikaans for Restless) that has flooded three times this year and lived up to its name, they’ve been making single-site Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and, interestingly, Cabernet Sauvignon in an area known almost exclusively for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Having inherited the Cabernet vines from the previous owner, they are officially the oldest surviving vines in the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde, and thus something Craig Wessels feels chose him rather than vice versa.

I recently caught up with Craig in London to taste through his new releases, including the fabulous Main Road & Dignity Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 and his now iconic Ava Marie Chardonnay 2021. Restless River is now firmly established as one of the most sought-after premium wineries in South Africa and the wines are definitely worth seeking out.

Restless River Ava Marie Chardonnay 2021, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 12.6% Abv.

Another exceptional expression of cool climate Chardonnay from the Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, which was aged in 500 litre Burgundy barrels, 90% third fill with a 10% new oak portion, together with 10% of the wine aged in 450 litre terracotta amphorae from Florence, Italy. The wine was aged for 12 months in barrel, sur lie, and then for a further three months in stainless steel tanks, followed by 18 months in bottle. On opening, the wine displays top notes of dusty chalk and limestone, honeysuckle, lemon biscuits, freshly baked brioche, lime peel and subtle savoury leesy nuances. Steely and taut, the palate is wonderfully cool, linear and tightly wound while simultaneously offering up an exotic, creamy generosity with a tightly packed core of fresh citrus, waxy lemon rind, and Seville oranges before slightly flinty, reductive mineral hints. A beautifully poised, crystalline expression of Chardonnay with great purity, depth of flavour and classicism. Drink from 2024 to 2034+.

(96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Restless River Main Road & Dignity Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, WO Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, 14% Abv.

Craig Wessels’s Cabernet Sauvignon has now become one of the most sought-after expressions produced in the Cape, despite coming from a region that was not supposed to be suitable for this cultivar. Yet year on year, Craig produces a magical red wine and the 2020 is no exception, aged for 22 months in 20% new 225-litre barrels, the wine is brimming with perfumed aromatics of violets, rose petals, incense, crushed black currants, tilled earth, cocoa, black tea, and melted milk chocolate. Fabulously pure and precise, there is an ethereal quality to the wine that really shines on the palate with a layered complexity of saline crème de cassis, oyster shell, mulberries, black cherry and sweet tobacco nuances. Such vibrancy, freshness and weightless intensity, this really is a superb mouthwatering example with sublime purity and depth, making this another masterful and unique expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from Restless River. Drink now and over the next 15+ years.

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

The Restless River wines are available to UK trade from exclusive importer Swig Wines and to consumers from specialist South African merchant Museum Wines.

The Ongoing Resurrection of the Journey’s End Estate – Tasting a Selection of New Releases with Owner Rollo Gabb…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The first Cabernet Sauvignon was produced from the Journey’s End estate in 2001 and the first Chardonnay in 2002, all from estate fruit. The Kumala brand, which used the Journey’s End name for its premium tier for a short period of time, was sold off in 2004 followed by a complete separation of brands. The first real resurrected “Journey’s End” brand personality started in 2007 when Rollo Gabb took over and a first shipment of wine was exported to the UK through Bibendum Wines, consisting of the 2005 vintages of Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz, and Merlot, signalling the end of the old regime and the start of the new.

The Journey’s End winery is now comprised of a 120-hectare estate which produces a small range of premium hand-crafted wines following minimal intervention, sustainable and organic practices. I caught up in London recently with Rollo Gabb at Quo Vadis, one of the more famous restaurants in his UK business empire, and had an opportunity to reacquaint myself with some of the latest releases from Journey’s End.

Journeys End V6 Sauvignon Blanc 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

Made from vineyards situated 200m above sea level on south facing slopes, the wine remains on its lees for circa nine months in stainless steel tanks. Lush, vibrant and energetic with tangy tropical fruit acids, and notes of green papaya, mango, white peach, gooseberry and a deliciously vibrant fruit concentration and intensity. A really charming expression with plenty of precision and character. 

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

Rollo Gabb tasting in London in 2023.
Journey’s End winemaker Mike Dawson

Journeys End V1 Sauvignon Blanc 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

Aged in 10% new oak and 80% second fill barrels with 10% also in egg / amphora. 50%/50% wild and inoculated yeasts in the fermentation with malolactic discouraged. Shows powdery aromatics of green melon, green apple, and white blossom with a beautifully round, harmoniously textured palate that is very subtle with no edges, round and voluptuous, but also delicately spicy with a lovely long length.

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

Journeys End V1 Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 12.9% Abv.

An 87% Sauvignon Blanc and 13% Semillon blend mostly naturally fermented. Classically vibrant and fresh, this wine encapsulates the maritime freshness, energy and zestiness of the Helderberg. The aromatics display lovely notes of wet slate, gooseberry, melon, greengage plums and cut grass that melt into a seamless, harmonious palate bolstered by a tangy acidity, plenty of fleshy peachy fruit and a long, tropically kissed finish. Very impressive indeed. 

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

Journeys End Destination Chardonnay 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.38% Abv.

A 100% Chardonnay from a single block, that is vulnerable to uneven ripening. Picked in 5 to 6 passes over two weeks. Whole bunch pressed into 228 and 300 litre barrels, 15% new and 85% used oak. Normally, 10-15% malolactic from a few rogue barrels. Shows layers of white pepper and oak spice over pear, green apple and pithy white citrus complexity. A very sophisticated expression with a subtle hint of sapidity before a cool, creamy, elegant mid-palate brimming with vitality, silky soft textured phenolics and a stony, granitic pithy finish. Classy and plush with lovely concentration on the finish.

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

Journey’s End V5 Cabernet Franc 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

First vintage produced in 2017 with increasing production slowly over time. The wine was aged in French old oak barrels for 14 months. Delicious aromatics offer chocolate, cherry, mocha, sweet tobacco, sappy cedar, sweet leaf and an attractive underlay of cassis and blue berry fruits. Picante and spicy on the palate, this is a very well honed, vibrant and superbly elegant expression that is neither too cedary or nor too peppery. Simply blissfully fresh, vibrant and perfectly balanced.

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

Journey’s End The Griffin Syrah 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

From a 24- to 25-year-old Syrah block using 100% whole bunches on the stems incorporating carbonic maceration and full malolactic fermentation in oak barrels. Spends 18 months in 16% new American oak with the remainder going into second fill French oak barrels. The aromatics are dark and tarry, packed with stewed black cherries, black plum, olive tapenade over a sappy, resinous, smoky black berry complexity. Super rich and unctuous on the palate, the wine boasts textured layers of black berry fruit concentration, sweet mulberry, sappy sweet plum with a vanilla pod kiss of American oak on the finish.

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

Journey’s End Cape Doctor Red Blend 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14.5% Abv.

A complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot aged in 100% new French oak barrels. An opulently textured, plush red blend that really shows a bit of swagger. Jam packed full of red berry confit, plum compote, smoky granitic minerality, tobacco leaf, and a hint of sweet vanilla pod spice. Creamy textured, sumptuous and plush, hedonistic but also beautifully approachable, expressive and accessible now. Very impressive blend.

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

Wines are imported into the UK by Bibendum Wines.

Draaiboek Wines Continue to Excel with Their Cool Climate Chardonnays – Tasting the New Release Onskuld and Kinkel 2022s…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

There are many new small boutique wineries in South Africa, most of them run by young winemakers who have a full time day job somewhere big and then produce micro quantities of more interesting fine wines or quirky wines on the side in their own time, normally to exercise their creative cravings. But few of these new ventures take on main stream varieties like Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay as the market is fairly saturated already with countless big name brands.

But of course, that is exactly what Draaiboek Wines set out to do when they released their first Onskuld Chardonnay 2019 on to the market made by Thistle & Weed winemaker Stephanie Wiid. Focusing only on prime cool climate Chardonnay fruit, the Onskuld label was sourced exclusively from several contracted plots in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge ward of the Walker Bay region. Four vintages in and Draaiboek Wines has already garnered multiple awards and high critical praise from local and international commentators.

With the 2022 vintage, Draaiboek Wines releases an exciting new Chardonnay cuvee made from Elgin fruit. I visited Draaiboek Wines and Stephanie Wiid in October 2022 and had the opportunity to taste all the component building blocks of both the Kinkel and the Onskuld 2022 vintage, and from the outset, I knew these were both going to be very impressive wines. The new pair were also both recently awarded 5 Stars in the Platter South African Wine Guide, which considering the competition in this category, stands testament to the focus and attention to detail afforded to both of these wines by the Draaiboek team. If you have not tasted Draaiboek Wines yet, and you are an avid Chardonnay aficionado, you must seek them out.

Draaiboek Wines Onskuld Chardonnay 2022, WO Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, 13.5% Abv.

1.8g/l RS | 6.6g/l TA | 3.31pH

Draaiboek Wines is producing some of the most exciting Chardonnay coming out of the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley and this fourth release of the Onskuld Chardonnay is yet another highly accomplished wine. Spending 10 months in 45% new oak barrels on its fine lees, the minimal intervention winemaking definitely allows this cool climate terroir to shine, with aromatics full of earthy lemon peel, leesy biscuit, oatmeal, white citrus blossom and pronounced wet stone, petrichor mineral nuances. In the mouth, the Onskuld is bold and confident with plenty of cool climate acid tension over tangy lemon pastille and tangerine fruit notes. The balance on the wine is very impressive, as the fruit extract melts seamlessly into a harmonious salty crème brûlée and vanilla pod lime peel spice on the finish. There is really a lot to love about this wine which will undoubtedly appeal to connoisseurs of fine white Burgundy. Drink now and over the next 8 to 10+ years. (4,800 bottles produced.)

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

Draaiboek Wines Kinkel Chardonnay 2022, WO Elgin, 13.6% Abv.

1.8g/l RS | 6.7g/l TA | 3.32pH

This fantastic maiden release wine from Draaiboek Wines draws on the very finest elements of the cool climate terroir of Elgin to create a wine from a dry-farmed eight-year-old single vineyard situated on south westerly facing slopes, 255 metres above the coast. Fermented in French oak using 25% new barrels, the wine was aged for 10 months on its fine lees before being bottled unfiltered and unfined. The Kinkel shows a slightly tighter, more restrained aromatic profile on the nose, with subtle hints of lime blossom, lemon peel, Granny Smith apples, dusty limestone, lemon grass and white stone fruits. For all its reserve and wound spring tension, you can sense the electricity pulsing below the surface, waiting to explode on the racy, energetic, saline palate that shows subtle hints of flinty reduction. Once again, like its sibling Onskuld, the oaking is extremely elegant, pinpoint and precise, in no way obscuring the beautiful white citrus zest and liquid minerality that bristles on the taut palate. Seamless, crystalline and delightfully focused, this is a thoroughly exhilarating expression of cool climate Chardonnay and definitely a new release not to be missed! Drink from 2024 to 2034+.

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

Draaiboek Wines are imported into the UK by specialist SA merchant Museum Wines and are offered for retail at circa £36.99 per bottle.

Three Exciting New Wines From Lokaia – Tasting the 2022 Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Few new winemaking projects reach the characterful quality heights and consumer cult status of Lokaia after only three vintages of production. But this is a very special collaboration between Craig McNaught of Stony Brook and Clayton Reabow of Môreson.

Certainly not a run of the mill style of winery, Lokaia is credited with producing some of the most exciting and individual wines in the Franschhoek Valley in recent years with their hallmarks being vibrant, fresh, early picked fruit fermented on their skins in amphorae in order to express their individual terroirs.

Lokaia produce exciting, innovative, nervy wines that are certainly very much ‘new wave’ in many respects but which also keep one eye firmly on a classical Old-World aesthetic.

Lokaia Pound of Flesh Semillon 2022, WO Franschhoek, 10.5% Abv.

The small production boutique Pound of Flesh Semillon made from Stony Brook vineyards in the Bo-Hoek area of Franschhoek has been one of the truly great new release white revelations of the past two to three years in South Africa. This cultivar is in its terroir home in the Franschhoek Valley and simply excels there, showing intense aromatics of white peaches, lime peel, lemon grass, freshly cut Granny Smith apples with complexing hints of white blossom, dried herbs, wet hay, lanolin and intricate mineral notes of crushed gravel. The palate is equally enticing, showing incredible fruit concentration as well as a piercing glassy acidity, all concertinaed into a very taut, tight, linear but explosive package. With the amphorae winemaking and early picked freshness and purity, the Pound of Flesh Semillon represents a sublime expression of nervy, crystalline white wine with an enviable vibrancy and precision. If you missed the earlier vintages, do not miss this inspiring 2022 release. Drink now and over the next 5 to 8+ years.

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

Lokaia Sandman Chardonnay 2022, WO Franschhoek, 12.5% Abv.

Another high-flying category in South Africa along with Semillon, Chardonnay also happens to be a cultivar that performs exceptionally well in the Franschhoek Valley and the grapes for this impressive 2022 Sandman Chardonnay are sourced from the vineyards of white wine focused Môreson winery where Lokaia co-owner Clayton Reabow is head winemaker. The previous vintages of this wine have been likened to drinking premium Premier Cru Chablis Chardonnay and this fabulous 2022 follows a similar stylistic aesthetic boasting a nutty, white citrus fruit laden aromatics with intricate nuances of dried herbs, wet chalk, waxy lemon peel, salted pistachios, melted honey and subtle salty oyster shell and granitic mineral spice layers over leesy savoury notes. On the palate, the acidity is fresh and pronounced, becoming another key foundation block of the harmoniously taut, classically structured, liquid mineral finish. Yet again, this is an incredibly striking expression of Chardonnay that will certainly delight the purists. Drink on release and over the next 3 to 5+ years.

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

Lokaia Call of the Void Cabernet Franc 2022, WO Franschhoek, 10% Abv.

Always electrically intense and bright, this is another benchmark expression of exceptional Cabernet Franc, with its pristine aromatics of purple flowers, violets, rock candy and sweet lily. In the modern world, this is an undoubtedly taut, tight expression of Cabernet Franc with the palate breadth and depth, expansive and profound, showing complex smoky cranberry and red cherry nuances. This incredibly mineral, ethereal expression is simple class, strutting its shoulders and plumping its chest while acknowledging the finer, fresher aspects of the wine. This is undoubtedly the finest expression of Lokaia Cabernet Franc to date and from first taste, and you know you are in for a profound taste adventure when you approach the 2022. Drink now and over the next 8 to 10 years.

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

The Lokaia wines are imported into the UK by Museum Wines.

Louis Jadot Releases Another Stellar Ladoix Blanc from the Warm 2020 Vintage in Burgundy…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Louis Jadot seems to be on a bit of a run of form when it comes to top quality white vintages. This Covid-hit 2020 is a charming vintage delivering full, fleshy, concentrated wines with plenty of intensity, depth and textural mouthfeel while retaining moderate alcohols and low pH levels. 2020 was a warm, dry year and efforts were of course made to pick fruit a little earlier than normal to retain freshness and energy in the wines. In the cellar, foudres and 500 litre barrels complement the classic Burgundian 228 litre barrels as changes are made to the wines’ elevage in an attempt to adapt to climate change.

Louis Jadot Domaine Gagey Ladoix Le Clou d’Orge Blanc 2020, Burgundy, 13% Abv.

The 2019 vintage was widely regarded as one of Jadot’s best white vintages on record, so 2020 was always going to be up against it. But this juicy Domaine Gagey Ladoix Le Clou d’Orge 2020 Blanc is a wonderfully expressive creation showing the ripeness and exoticism of the vintage. The aromatics are intricate and expressive, boasting notes of peaches, lemon pastille, citrus oil, salted toffee and honey drizzled on warm pastries fresh out the oven. The palate reveals a lovely opulent core of fleshy yellow citrus fruits that coat the mouth, with ripe flavours lingering with impressive persistence. A wine with a pleasing balance, flavour intensity and soft bright acids rather than zippy, nervy, chiselled acids of a cooler, leaner year. Certainly a real class act in terms of white Burgundy quality, and most importantly, with a rare accessible price point still. Enjoy now and over the next 3 to 5 years.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW

Wines are available exclusively to the UK trade through importer Hatch Mansfield and retails for circa £35 per bottle.

A True Celebration of Premium South African Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with Creation’s New Releases…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 3 Comments

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.