The Wines of South Africa (WoSA) inaugural Sommelier Symposium takes place from 10 to 17 September and at Creation we were thrilled to host some 40 leading sommeliers from across the globe on the 14th of September. The occasion was a walk-around tasting of 16 Hemel-en-Aarde Chardonnays. Here is an excerpt from my short speech.
We are fortunate to live and work in one of the most biodiverse wine regions in the world; a region famous for its world-class Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Our proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, our cool climate, elevation, and longer ripening season, are all ideally suited to producing Chardonnay of great elegance and finesse. Regular cloud cover, filtering out sunlight, brings forth a hauntingly beautiful, restrained style of Chardonnay, with the acidity and texture setting it apart from the broader style of warmer climate wines.
If you are looking for a juxtaposition of New and Old World Chardonnay – energised, crisp and complex or pristine and linear – look no further than the Hemel-en-Aarde. Here you will find an exciting variety to tantalise your palate and enhance the bounty of fresh produce from our region. It is our intention to produce Absolutely Brilliant Chardonnay in our region.
We are working with scientists across the world on specific projects to understand nature better. We’re also working on South African based projects to mitigate climate change, to make sure we have enough diversification of rootstock, and that we are using the most suitable clonal material. An example is the Gen–Z project with our national nursery and Vititec to determine rootstock and clonal material best suited to this region.
Fine Chardonnay is about the sense of place and the fine people who make it and we believe South Africa is producing exceptional, world–class Chardonnay.
Carolyn Martin – Creative Director, Creation Wines
