Description
Creation Pinot Noir 2025 is a cool-climate Walker Bay red shaped by freshness, fine detail, and a restrained, site-driven style. Pinot Noir from this part of the Cape often leans into brightness and savory nuance rather than sheer weight, and that is very much the case here. It is a wine built on finesse, where red fruit, earth, and floral lift are held in careful balance.
The nose opens with raspberry, cherry, and wild strawberry, followed by shiitake mushroom, forest floor, and a gentle rose-petal note that gives the wine extra aromatic lift. On the palate, the fruit remains vivid and precise, supported by lively acidity that keeps everything focused and energetic. Silky, well-integrated tannins give just enough structure without getting in the way of the wine’s more delicate lines, and the finish lingers with a pleasing balance of red fruit and earthy undertones. It would pair especially well with duck, roast chicken, mushroom dishes, or grilled salmon, where its freshness and savory detail can settle naturally into the meal.
The nose opens with raspberry, cherry, and wild strawberry, followed by shiitake mushroom, forest floor, and a gentle rose-petal note that gives the wine extra aromatic lift. On the palate, the fruit remains vivid and precise, supported by lively acidity that keeps everything focused and energetic. Silky, well-integrated tannins give just enough structure without getting in the way of the wine’s more delicate lines, and the finish lingers with a pleasing balance of red fruit and earthy undertones. It would pair especially well with duck, roast chicken, mushroom dishes, or grilled salmon, where its freshness and savory detail can settle naturally into the meal.
The wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir, with the fruit hand-harvested and 20% whole bunches included in the ferment to bring added lift, structure, and aromatic complexity. Fermentation took place spontaneously in stainless steel tanks, preserving purity while allowing for a more natural expression of the fruit. The wine was then matured for 10 months in French oak, with 10% new barrels and the balance in second- and third-fill oak, giving subtle support without overshadowing the vineyard character.
Winemaker: Carolyn Martin
Viticulturist: Jean-Claude Martin
Winemaker: Carolyn Martin
Viticulturist: Jean-Claude Martin
When in 2002 Jean-Claude (JC) and Carolyn Martin took up the challenge of establishing a winery in a remote corner of the Walker Bay Wine Region, they did so with the courage of their conviction.
The 40 hectares of undulating land on the lofty Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge had never been planted to vines before, but recognizing the vast potential, they set out with tenacity and determination to transform it into a model wine farm.
No easy feat, but then the Swiss-born JC and South African-born Carolyn (née Finlayson) both come from wine pioneering stock spanning at least three generations and two continents!
The 40 hectares of undulating land on the lofty Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge had never been planted to vines before, but recognizing the vast potential, they set out with tenacity and determination to transform it into a model wine farm.
No easy feat, but then the Swiss-born JC and South African-born Carolyn (née Finlayson) both come from wine pioneering stock spanning at least three generations and two continents!
