A provenance rooted in the ideal cool-climate terroir of the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge and also in the fact that Creation cellarmaster and viticulturist Jean-Claude (JC) Martin honed his skills on Chardonnay while establishing his career in Switzerland.
Today Creation has no less than three artisanal Chardonnays in its portfolio. These wines are meticulously cultivated in the vineyard, gently handled in the cellar and widely acclaimed for reflecting the distinctive terroir.
In line with his belief that quality wines are dependent on quality vines, JC maintains a hands-on relationship with his vineyards, monitoring the development of the grapes and making decisions according to the performance of each vineyard block. His patience and dedication find their reward in the harvest which is done by hand according to the ‘triage’ method of hand selection in the vineyard.
The many recentaccolades for Creation Chardonnay include a deserving 91 points allocated by leading US wine critic Neal Martin MW for the 2016 vintage. The renowned Greg Sherwood MW rated the 2016 Creation Reserve Chardonnay at 93 points while he allocated 94+ points to the 2016 The Art of Creation Chardonnay and 95 points to 2017 vintage. To ensure your allocation of the pre-release 2017 The Art of Chardonnay, click here to pre-order.
And now for a tempting review of the Creation Chardonnay portfolio …
The Creation (Estate) Chardonnayrewards with generous quince, pear and peach, enhanced by fresh minerality and hints of vanilla. Well-judged acidity contributes excellent balance and a lively, lingering aftertaste.
Grown in a single vineyard, the Creation Reserve Chardonnay has a presence all its own – and what a presence! Vibrant aromas of fresh grapefruit and fragrant apple mingle with a hint of honey and a sprinkling of cinnamon. These are echoed on the clean and pure palate where buttery nuances are beautifully balanced by the characteristic Creation minerality.
The star of the show is of course The Art of Creation Chardonnay– a limited-release wine gaining its intensity from a specific site within a single vineyard. Elegantly refined in its aromas of fresh lime and delicate quince, the wine is also gorgeously opulent with whiffs of warm butterscotch and almond. On the creamy, exquisitely balanced palate layer upon layer of flavour unfold: rich vanilla pod, peach kernel, vivacious pear, a hint of white pepper – all enlivened by bracing minerality.