They say wine records and then reflects history as no vintage is ever the same. While this has mostly to do with climatic conditions, the 2020 vintage will certainly also be remembered for the challenges posed by the Covid-19 Lockdown. At Creation however, the prospects are rosy with Cellarmaster Jean-Claude (JC) Martin saying that the crop was well balanced and the quality of the grapes great.
The harvest started early this year with the grapes for the MCC arriving mid-January and the grapes from the first blocks of Chardonnay arriving at the end of January. At that stage Creation was ten days ahead of its usual schedule. The Pinot Noir was picked a week earlier than usual, in mid-February, and the picking stretched over three weeks depending on the age and situation of the vineyard. Then things started to slow down with the Sauvignon Blanc ripening as usual along with the Viognier and the Roussanne. The Grenache Noir, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon came in next, during March, and by 26 March almost all the grapes were in. Then followed the drama of lockdown and the potential ban on winemaking – lifted in the nick of time, at midnight.
While managing the growing season and the picking of the grapes constitute about two thirds of the process, the actual winemaking is of course critical and takes at least three to six months to complete, with small interventions afterwards until the wine is finally bottled.
Commenting on the cellar activities JC has this to say: “This year we could cool down the grapes before we processed them, which made the harvest a more relaxed space – good for clear thinking and making the right decisions. Natural fermentation took place on all the reds and the juice settlements are clearer due to working with cooler juice.”
Here is Winemaker Gerhard Smith’s take on Vintage 2020: “Unfortunately Covid-19 has overshadowed what is a great vintage. There have been so many distractions with people under quarantine, interns that had to return home hurriedly, staff trapped overseas, etc., that we tend to forget just how impressive the season was.
“Lovely Pinot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, also aromatic wines like the Viognier being probably the best I’ve seen. Good, largely sunny yet cool weather led to the perfect ripening conditions for later cultivars such as Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet. We received more Chardonnay as a result of our Vrede vineyards coming on line and could afford to experiment, using natural fermentation and developing a Chardonnay with a more textured mouthfeel. Watch this space!”
The last of the Creation reds are now being transferred to barrels and on Friday they will be crushing the Syrah for the Creation Fine Cape Vintage. That will bring the harvest activities to an end. JC has the final word: “Harvest is always an exciting time and what a reward to make wine from quality grapes. It’s hard to say now if there is a stand out cultivar or wine; we need to wait until malolactic fermentation is complete.” That of course is the story of winemaking but chances are this will indeed be a memorable vintage – in many respects.