2023 Creation Estate Viognier

Creation was the first to plant viognier in the Hemel-en-Aarde valley. The terroir appears to be ideal. The Atlantic Ocean provides cooling, giving the grapes a little longer to ripen. Slow ripening ensures that the grapes gain aromas without sacrificing fresh acidity. The latter also has to do with the time of harvest. The grapes are picked early, then pressed and the juice is fermented in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine continues to mature on the yeast cells ('sur lie') for another three to four months. This makes the wine rounder in taste. There is no malolactic conversion or wood maturation to preserve the fruitiness and fresh acidity.

The Creation Estate is a South African viognier. A creamy wine with intense aromas of white peach, apricot and flowers, which combine with a crisp minerality on the palate. In the glass the Viognier is straw yellow with the typical Viognier notes of white peach, apricot and a pinch of nutmeg in the nose.

In the mouth the wine is full bodied, rich, fruity with a creamy mouthfeel, aromas of white fruit and flowers, supplemented with a crisp minerality. Do not serve too cold because then the typical Viognier notes will disappear. Delicious with creamy pasta dishes. Also delicious with a salad of chicken, mango and coriander. Coriander provides a flavor explosion!

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.

FACT: In the 'Attachments' tab you will find the official fact sheet of this beautiful wine. We will send this to you automatically when you order this wine. The wine is stored in our conditioned Wine Warehouse and if you pick up the wine you will often receive a nice discount. You will see your discount immediately when you choose 'Collect' on the checkout page. We are located in Dordrecht with plenty of parking. Click here for our address.