Established in 2002 by husband and wife team Jean-Claude and Carolyn Martin, Creation more than lives up to its evocative name. “The name is not only a tribute to the riches Mother Nature has bestowed upon our beautiful farm, it is also a reference to our soils which had never been planted to vines before, and last but not least, it is a promise of constant innovation,” says Carolyn.
The
Estate can be found high up on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge near the coastal town
of Hermanus where the vineyards climb the steep hills of Babylon Toren Mountain
to a lofty altitude of 350 metres above sea level. Here they bask in generous
sunlight, flourish in clay-rich soils and dance in the cool breezes blowing in
from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. According
to cellarmaster-viticulturist Jean-Claude Martin these conditions are
fundamental to the distinctive quality of the wines. Proof of this quality is
the wide array of local and international accolades regularly won by the
Creation wine ranges.
At the 2015 South
African Wine Index (SAWi) Awards, Creation Wines excelled by receiving a
Platinum Award for its Syrah Grenache blend as well as Grand Gold for its
Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Petit Verdot blend, its Pinot Noir and its Viognier.
“The SAWi wine judging system is based on the combined results a wine has
achieved over multi vintages in different multi-national wine competitions or
reviews. As such, a wine is not judged on one occasion only but its consistency
is tracked over a period and built out to a 10 year quality window,” explains
Carolyn. Hot off the press is the news
that Creation features among SAWi’s 10 High-End Red Wine Producers at no 8 with
a combined score of 94.57 for its top three red wines.
2014 also saw 5 Creation wines
rated 90 points or more by Robert Parker and 11 Creation wines scoring a
coveted 90 points or more in wine guru Tim Atkin’s report on South African
wines. A further feather in the Creation team’s cap has been the
fact that the 2013 Creation Reserve Pinot Noir was among only 51 wines and
brandies allocated a 5-star rating in the 2015 edition of the authoritative Platter
Wine Guide. This distinction confirms the Estate’s proud Pinot pedigree.
More recently no less than four Creation red wines were selected for
the prestigious SA Top 100 Wine Challenge. Described as “the major fine-wine only
event in SA”, the Challenge is now in its fifth year and drew 500 entries from
a record of 140 leading wineries. Creation’s winning wines are the Creation Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit
Verdot 2012, the Creation Syrah, Grenache 2013, the Creation Syrah 2013 and the
Creation Reserve Pinot Noir 2013.
But award-winning wines are not all
Creation is famous for. Working hand in hand with Nature, the team once again
proved their commitment to conservation by pledging their support to the
Landmark Foundation. “We’re proud to announce that we are now officially
predator friendly,” said Carolyn. Creation is one of only four farms in the
surrounding Overberg area to have gained this status.
To furthermore confirm Creation’s
dedication to conservation and sustainability, it is one of only nine wineries in South Africa to have received the coveted
EnviroWines accreditation. This pioneering concept has been developed to
encourage and give recognition to growers who produce grapes and wine through
above average environmentally sustainable practices.
While it’s good to know that
Creation’s ultra-premium wines are created in harmony with Nature, it is also
great to know that the team is dedicated to contributing to the local economy
by promoting wine tourism. During 2014 Creation hosted over 45 000
visitors from all over the world and CNN travel writer Clair Hu put Creation at
the top of her list of 10 Sensational South African Wine Farms.
Further praise came from international
wine tourism expert, Robert Joseph, who stated that he was ‘dazzled’ by
Creation’s promotional efforts. These range from carefully listening to
feedback from their clients (which among others has led to the exciting new
pairing - food, juice and milk - for children between the ages of 5 and 11), to
the innovative use of social media to spread the Creation message.
And the message is loud and clear, says Carolyn. “In combining the rich
gifts of Nature and our unique terroir with the considerable skills of our
dedicated team, Creation strives to reward the wine lover with wines of rare
balance, elegance, distinction and finesse. At the same time, as proud custodians
of our little piece of paradise on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, we will leave no
stone unturned to protect and conserve its natural resources and promote it to
the greater benefit of our local and national economy.”