Top Merlot: Creation 2009 Merlot
There’s no doubt that the movie Sideways smashed the good image that Merlot had in the States – and sales slumped noticeably after the movie became a sleeper hit. In spite of that, consumers persist in the belief that Merlot is an easy-drinking wine.
2009 is justly regarded as a superlative vintage in South Africa, having had a long, cool growing period and delayed onset of harvest following a good cold winter with ample rainfall. So no surprise that this month’s top performer in the Merlot category was a 2009 (albeit by a narrow margin over the Eikendal 2008). But an eyebrow or two may be raised by the fact that it’s only the second release from this winery. Then again, Creation’s not exactly a hidden gem.
“Can you believe that 300 people a day were making the trek up that awful dirt road to our cellar door in December?” said a rather incredulous Carolyn Martin. “We were amazed!”
The gravel road isn’t as bad as she makes out, but there’s no reason for her amazement when an average Saturday and Sunday turnout is in the region of 60 to 80 people. What’s the secret behind people flocking to Creation, just outside Hermanus, in their proverbial droves? The spectacular location below the Babylon Toren peak is just one aspect, the quality of the wine another, while the decisive elements are the warmth of the welcome and rather unique food and wine pairing experience that this new operation offers.
It all started about 10 years ago when Carolyn and husband Jean-Claude – JC to one and all – spent a December holiday visiting family. Carolyn, a Finlayson by birth, is sister to David Finlayson of Edgebaston, daughter to respected industry old hand Walter (ex-Blaauwklippen, Hartenberg and Glen Carlou), who is coincidentally one of the few people to twice take the Diners Club Winemaker of the Year crown and also niece to Peter Finlayson of Bouchard Finlayson renown.
“We were sitting on the deck at Peter’s home, overlooking Grotto Bay in Hermanus, and dreading going back to the snow and cold in Switzerland when JC and I had one of those ‘wouldn’t it be nice to live here’ moments...”
One thing led to another and Peter happily took the couple up the Hemelen- Aarde Valley Road, ignoring Carolyn’s shudders of horror, to a patch of land he’d had his eye on for some time. Trained viticulturist and winemaker JC had a few non-negotiable prerequisites: virgin land in order to avoid the virus problems which bedevil South African vineyards and coolclimate growing conditions.
“This used to be a sheep farm and the land had only ever been grazed. Also in our favour was that it boasted a weather station so we had accurate climatic data going back 15-odd years,” said JC. “At the time – 2001 – I thought we’d plant grapes but never actually relocate and live here...” The Martin family were quite happy with their life in Switzerland where JC worked as a winemaker and broker. “We had fantastic friends, many of them chefs, so weekends often took the form of ‘lunch’, starting at 11am and ending around midnight after numerous plates of food had been whipped up to match wines everyone had brought along!” But those experiences of good times with friends, food and wine also sowed the seed for Creation’s philosophy of food and wine pairing which has proved so popular with the public.
By no means do they regret the decision to buy the land and plant grapes. The Martins, with friends and partners Christoph Kaser and his wife Heidi, own 35 hectares of land, 22 of which are under vine. The first grapes went into JC’s desired virgin earth in 2002 and 2003 with the Martins moving out to South Africa in 2006 to oversee the building of the winery and tasting room.
“2003 was horrific,” said Carolyn. “I still go cold at the memories of having to write cheques to cover R90 000 bills just for diesel for the massive diggers preparing the soils.” The decisions of what to plant were driven by JC’s desire to do something different to what he was used to. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir held little challenge for him or Kaser since they made them year in and year out in Switzerland. Blends – both Bordeaux and Rhône – piqued their interest, hence the decision to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Shiraz, Grenache and Pinot Noir. On the white side, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Viognier went into the ground.
The Martin/Kaser tag team is an effective one, having grown their relationship while working at Swiss properties Grillette and Hôpital de Soleure. “Christoph and Heidi come out in February every year and he immediately gets to work in the cellar for six weeks while I am invariably at my busiest at Overhex. (He’s the production manager and one of three partners who own the large Worcester winery renowned for its popular Balance wines.) Once the Kasers return to Switzerland mid-March, JC returns to Creation to take up the reins, with assistant Kevin Baatjies being the one constant throughout.
It’s quite unique having two winemakers responsible for the production at one cellar but the Kaser/Martin duo insist it works in their favour. “I’m here every week, tasting the barrels continuously. Christoph comes out and he approaches everything with a fresh and very critical eye. He hasn’t followed the evolution of the wines as I have but he’s definitely more impartial and doesn’t hold back on his opinions,” says JC.
CREATION’S MERLOT
“Everyone thinks Pinot Noir is tricky. Growing Pinot Noir is easy – the only problem is trying to correct matters when something goes wrong. Merlot is far more of a challenge in South African conditions. If you know the process of making good Pinot Noir, you shouldn’t have too many problems when it comes to winemaking but growing the grapes is difficult. Merlot doesn’t want too much heat or it gets stressed. It wants and needs water – but not too much...”
Factors JC believes are in Creation’s favour when it comes to Merlot are obviously the soil primarily – clay-based soils with decomposed bokkeveld shale. The shale drains well while the clay retains moisture – which Merlot both likes and needs. The vineyards are planted at a density of 3 500 vines per hectare and JC relates that the roots reach down four to five metres into the soil. Average yields are five to six tonnes per hectare which translates into 1.5kg of grapes per vine. Then there’s the temperature. It’s cool in their valley below the Babylon Toren peak and the mercury seldom spikes over 30°C, even at the height of summer. Finally there are the cooling maritime breezes since they are just seven kilometres from Walker Bay as the crow flies.
2008 was the first Merlot under the Creation label – and it was rewarded with a gold medal at Veritas and a Diamond Award at the Investec Winemaker’s Choice Awards. The follow-up vintage, 2009, again received gold at Veritas and JC somewhat regrets his decision to enter the wine. “I should have held it back a little bit longer and released it a year later.”
He is of the opinion that winemakers should take the same tack with Merlot as with Pinot Noir. “It needs to be full of finesse. If you taste the top examples of Merlot in the world, those are the characteristics which leave an impression – finesse and elegance.” Whereas Cabernet Sauvignon boldly stands up, beating its chest and proclaiming its presence and 10-year age-ability, Merlot is less bold but no less age-worthy he believes. “It’s also accessible earlier than Cabernet.”
And while detractors decry the ‘green’ character on Merlot, JC makes the point that even in Bordeaux, the heartland of the grape, ‘green’ character can be found on both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. “If you walk the vineyards and taste the Cab and Merlot grapes, you get a touch of greenness – even in Bordeaux. But ‘green’ needn’t be a negative – so long as the wine is elegant and without harsh tannins or rough edges. Elegance is the key.”
He advocates that anyone wanting to produce top Merlot should do their homework. Selecting the correct site is key and once planted, it is essential the vineyard is in balance in order to deliver the best fruit. Not too much vigour or growth on the vine and yet it should also not be puny or weak.
“It’s taken us seven years to learn that one block of Merlot needs a bit of supplemental irrigation to help it through summer while the other one doesn’t. It’s a slow process and you have to take it step by step.”
Right back in the early noughties when still in the planning stages, JC believed the Bordeaux blend would be built around the Merlot – and not the Cabernet Sauvignon, as conventional South African winemaking wisdom maintained. “The Cabernet Sauvignon is to add body to the fruit of the Merlot while the Petit Verdot is there for that final bit of seasoning – like salt and pepper on your food.”
“If you can pick full, ripe fruit and your grapes have good acid and tannins naturally, it’s ideal,” says JC. This chilled individual is a fan of letting nature take its course. “Not only do we start harvest a week or two later than other producers, we have the luxury of being able to pick – and then wait a little more for the remaining grapes to ripen further. Because of that there’s little or no stress in the cellar. We aren’t like other wineries where they work until 2am every night! We’re quite relaxed.”
The Merlot goes into wooden fermenters for inoculation (the addition of yeast) once crushed and destemmed. It then spends 16 months in French oak, 20% new, although this regime is being amended year by year. “We’re reducing that to 15% because, like many South African winemakers, we’re realising that more new wood isn’t always necessary for elegance.”
The Creation team of Kaser and Martin are utterly convinced of their property’s ability to produce top Merlot and Syrah. JC fondly recalls their first crush in 2007. “Christoph is a total perfectionist... he’s Swiss! And he was just smiling and smiling that first harvest! Those were our first grapes off young vines and the quality was outstanding.”
His final words: “We’ve been around for only seven years – the wines in bottle are just our second release! Our potential over the next 10 years is huge.”
CREATION WINES
Cellar: Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge, Walker Bay
GPS: S 34° 19’51.5” E 019° 19’33.8”
Tel: 028 212 1107 or 072 673 1880
info@creationwines.com | www.creationwines.com
Owners: JC and Carolyn Martin; Heidi Kellerhals Kaser and Christoph Kaser
Winemakers: Christoph Kaser, JC Martin with Kevin Baatjies
Viticulturist: JC Martin and Christoph Kaser, advised by Johan Pienaar
Sales/visits: Monday to Saturday, 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday 10:00 to 16:00 Open public holidays.
Tasting fee: None Tours: By arrangement
Total production: 70 tonnes/5 000 cases
White wines: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Semillon
Red wines: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Petit Verdot, Syrah, Syrah-Grenache.
Vine density: 3 500/ha on slopes up to 350m above sea level.
Soils: Heavy clay with an overlay of shale (decomposed bokkeveld shale)
FOOD PAIRING PLATTER
Creation’s food pairing platter is available daily at the tasting room. Although the offerings are
dependent on availability, the pairings below are usually available and an attendant will guide guests through the tasting, explaining why certain combinations work so well. The pairing platter costs R80 per person. It’s recommended that large groups pre-book (tel 028 212 1107).
WHAT TO DO?
If you’re visiting Creation on a Saturday, make your first stop the Hermanus Country Market held at the Hermanus Cricket Club (tel 072 883 3894). Oodles of homemade goodies are for sale – from organic, free-range eggs, to home-bakes, jams and preserves to cheeses. There’s also a Saturday market at Hermanuspietersfontein (tel 028 316 1875).
For the more actively inclined there are great walks in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve (tel 028 313 0819). Some of the Cape’s best examples of Disa orchids can be found here.
No visit to Hermanus would be complete without a walk along the heads, looking out to sea to spot basking, broaching or lobtailing whales. The prime months for whale watching are between May and November when the Southern Rights make their annual trip to Walker Bay to calve and mate before heading back to the cooler waters of the southern ocean. Hermanus is one of the best land-based whale-watching spots in the world but they can be seen up close by boat – or for the more adventurous – by sea kayak. If you don’t fancy braving the cool waters of Walker Bay yourself (or don’t have a permit) buy a few cray fish at one of the shops in the new harbour. For more options, visit www.hermanus.com.
