{"id":10530,"date":"2017-01-25T10:34:34","date_gmt":"2017-01-25T08:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wfi-global-staging.com\/topwineold\/?p=10530"},"modified":"2021-01-25T17:55:41","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T15:55:41","slug":"hemel-en-aarde-the-home-of-south-africas-champion-pinot-noir","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wfi-global-staging.com\/topwineold\/2017\/01\/hemel-en-aarde-the-home-of-south-africas-champion-pinot-noir\/","title":{"rendered":"Hemel-en-Aarde the home of South Africa’s champion Pinot Noir"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Creation Wines on the Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge makes a feature of pairing food with their reds and whites<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

FROM THE VALLEY to the upper slopes and over\u00a0the ridge, wonderful views left, right and centre… The Hemel-en-Aarde wards outside Hermanus in the district of Walker Bay account for six of South Africa's Top 10<\/a><\/span><\/strong> Pinot Noir\u00a0\u2013 two of the others originating in Elgin (Paul Cluver Seven Flags and Oak Valley), one in Franschhoek (Chamonix Reserve) and one in Stellenbosch (Meerlust).\u00a0Consider the full 2017 SA Pinot Noir Classification comprising just 18 wines to have shown consistently well over the past 10 years and the Hemel-en-Aarde contingent increases to eight:<\/p>\n

Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak and T\u00eate de Cuv\u00e9e Galpin Peak<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
\nCreation and Creation Reserve<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
\nCrystallum Cuv\u00e9e Cin\u00e9ma<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Hemel-en-Aarde Ridge
\nHamilton Russell<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
\nNewton Johnson Family Vineyards<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
\nSumaridge<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/strong>\u2013 Upper Hemel-en-Aarde Valley<\/p>\n

Nowhere else in the country is the variety\u00a0more successful\u00a0\u2013 red Burgundy much loved by wine folk\u00a0around the world but\u00a0oh so difficult to farm outside that area of France famous for its Roman\u00e9e-Conti, Chambertin, Richebourg,\u00a0\u00c9chezeaux, Le T\u00e2che… New Zealand and Australia have their champions, Oregon in the USA has what it takes, and in South Africa it's the leading outfits\u00a0alongside the southern stretch of the R320 between Hermanus and Caledon that have collectively built a reputation for delightful\u00a0Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Among the criteria for good renditions of the ‘heartbreak grape' are\u00a0cooler growing conditions relative to most other varieties. Aside from a few isolated plantings in Franschhoek, Stellenbosch and elsewhere, Elgin and possibly Cape Agulhas are the only districts apart from Walker Bay to have shown the potential to ‘stand shoulder-to-shoulder' with the world's great Pinot Noir appellations. And such is the interest in this little ‘corner' of the Cape winelands that tickets to the annual Hemel-en-Aarde Pinot Noir Celebration<\/a><\/strong><\/span> tend to be sold out way before the event(s).<\/p>\n

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FROM THE VALLEY to the upper slopes and over\u00a0the ridge, wonderful views left, right and centre… The Hemel-en-Aarde wards outside Hermanus in the district of Walker Bay account for six of South Africa’s Top 10 Pinot Noir\u00a0\u2013 two of the others originating in Elgin (Paul Cluver Seven Flags and Oak Valley), one in Franschhoek (Chamonix Reserve) and one in Stellenbosch<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2407,1904,2008,1825],"tags":[2408,2278,1619,1128,906,916,917,1132,780,849,1044,1178,774],"class_list":["post-10530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2407","category-cellar-ratings","category-wine-classifications","category-wine-ratings","tag-2408","tag-bouchard-finlayson","tag-creation","tag-crystallum","tag-hamilton-russell","tag-hemel-en-aarde","tag-hermanus","tag-newton-johnson","tag-pinot-noir","tag-sa","tag-south-africa","tag-sumaridge","tag-wine"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t