The fourth International Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir Celebration took place over the past weekend with winemakers, chefs and wine lovers gathering from far and wide to partake in the exceptional wine and food of the Hemel-en-Aarde wine region.
As part of this event, Creation Wines hosted their intriguing Kiss and Tell tasting which featured a series of European Pinot Noirs alongside their own. The tasting was conducted by guest sommelier Jörg Pfützner and Creation cellarmaster, Jean-Claude (JC) Martin. Each guest received a list of the wines to be tasted in no particular order: a real test for the senses! To add to the excitement the semi-blind surprise line-up included a few rogues that were not Pinot Noir – added to contextualise Pinot Noir.
The tasting was followed by a scrumptious brunch pairing showcasing the talents of the Creation Culinary Team. The starter created by Chef Francois was a goat’s-milk cheese mousse with a fruit trio, candied beetroot and a cranberry and soy biscuit – perfectly paired with the 2015 Creation Reserve Pinot Noir. A brilliant touch of theatricality was the serving of the biscuit on top of an inverted Riedel Pinot Noir glass. The mousse with the fruit trio and candied beet was used to connect the dish to the wine in the glass – thus the pairing in a glass!
Next was Chef Jaco’s main course: braised pork cheek, pickled cauliflower snow, kale crumble, fennel, egg foam, raspberry tarragon and roasted tomato sorbet. The 2015 Creation Art of Pinot Noir was an ideal accompaniment to this scrumptious dish. Last but not least was the dessert created by Chef Eleanor: raspberry, pistachio and vanilla jelly, frozen rhubarb with sumac and vanilla custard. Truly a Pinot Noir feast!
Creation presently offers three different Pinots: the Creation Pinot Noir, the Creation Reserve Pinot Noir and the Creation Art of Pinot Noir. Ranging from intensely fragrant and beautifully earthy to excitingly complex and elegantly spicy, each wine has proved to be an international winner in its own right.
Commenting on the recent Pinot Noir Celebration JC says it is encouraging to note that the international demand for good South African Pinot Noir has steadily increased over recent years. “In my opinion this is mainly due to the increased access to quality grapes derived from meticulous clonal selection.”
Having qualified as a viticulturist and winemaker in Switzerland, JC honed his skills on Pinot Noir and upon moving to South Africa bridged the gap between Old and New World winemaking to establish his own inimitable style. His philosophy is based on ‘enhancing the beauty of nature’: “When you are harvesting quality fruit it is not necessary to manipulate the wine. Rather guide it gently through the process so as to preserve the sense of place.”
“We believe it is this sense of place or provenance that more and more Pinot lovers are looking for. Pinot Noir is considered to be one of the world’s most transparent and expressive cultivars; a good Pinot reflects the indelible stamp of its origin and the subtle hand of its winemaker,” adds Creation co-owner and marketing director, Carolyn Martin.