2022 Creation Estate Syrah Grenache

They call their place a paradise and we understand that. Creation's vineyards are located on a plateau in the scenic Hemel-en-Aarde Valley in the Walker Bay wine district. After harvest, the grapes are destemmed and crushed. The traditional fermentation then takes place on the skins, followed by a malolactic conversion in oak barrels. The wine undergoes wood aging for fourteen months, 25% of which is in new barrels and the rest in second-year and third-year oak. A light filtering takes place before the wine is bottled to retain as many aromas and flavors as possible. The result is a sturdy blend with lots of dark fruit and that typical syrah pepper in the aftertaste. The wine is ready to drink now, but can be kept for another five to seven years

A good Rhône wine ?? This is the first thing you will think of this Creation Syrah & Grenache. The relatively cool climate and use of Syrah and Grenache grapes do not make this a typical New World wine at all, but it also has the elegance that we see in a good Rhône. The wine has a beautiful purple-red color. With intense aromas of ripe plums, black pepper and tapenade on the nose. On the palate, the dark fruit in particular comes to the fore with supple tannins and surprisingly fresh acidity.

Vintage year 2017 - 8 (Press wine)
Harvest year 2017 - 8.5 (DGH)

About Creation Estate

When Jean-Claude (JC) and Carolyn Martin took on the challenge of starting a winery in a remote corner of the Walker Bay Wine Region in 2002, it was quite exciting. Vines had never been planted here before, but JC and Carolyn - both descendants of well-known wine families - were determined and convinced of the area's potential. Together they founded Creation Estate in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. Five years later, in 2007, the first harvest took place and they equipped the cellar with the best equipment from Germany, France and Switzerland. Since then they have been working hard. Not only with their quality wines, the tasting room has also made a name for itself.

Today, Creation Estate has 50 hectares of vineyards in the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. JC and Carolyn's winemaking philosophy is based on “enhancing the beauty of nature.” It is primarily about the quality of the grapes, not about the tricks that can be performed in the cellar. “Winemaking is a delicate art that requires restraint to capture the nuances of its origin,” said JC Martin. The terroir is important at Creation Estate. Not surprising, because the combination of higher altitude vineyards and the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean creates a unique microclimate in Walker Bay. In addition, JC Martin works with wild yeast cells instead of commercially developed ones, read more about this on our news page.

In 2019, the municipality of Overstrand Hermanus in South Africa was awarded the status 'Creative City status for Gastronomy' by UNESCO! This is one of only 10 cities worldwide and the first on the African continent to receive this distinction. For Creation winery, and other many individuals and boutique producers from the region, this is a tribute to the contribution they make to achieving sustainable development goals.

About Hemel-en-Aarde Valley

Creation Estate is located in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, a sub-area within the Hemel-en-Aarde Valley. It is located about twenty kilometers from Hermanus, the coastal town on Walker Bay that is also known as the 'whaling capital' of South Africa. The Atlantic Ocean not only ensures that the whales enjoy floating around here, it also provides an ideal climate for wine growing. It is warm there, but it rarely gets warmer than thirty degrees in the growing season. This is due to the fresh sea breeze and the fact that the Creation Estate vineyards are slightly higher than most vineyards in the area. The grapes are given the opportunity to ripen optimally, but retain their fresh acidity thanks to the cool nights. The soil also plays an important role in this. The vineyards have a clay-derived slate soil called Bokkeveld. It prevents water stress and makes the vines less vigorous, which in turn contributes to the slow ripening of the grapes (due to the slow release of groundwater).

In short, Creation Estate has a unique terroir in the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge. They know how to translate this into full, but at the same time elegant wines with ripe fruit aromas, fresh acidity and beautiful minerality.