Jonkershoek Valley

Another Classic Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 Release from Stark Conde…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The beautiful Stark Conde winery is located in the scenic Jonkershoek Valley ward of the Stellenbosch region and up until 2023, the wines were produced by Cabernet Sauvignon magician, Rudger van Wyk, now head winemaker at Doolhof Winery in nearby Wellington. I often state that a winery’s quality and ambition can be most easily measured by the quality of their entry level offerings, and for the Stark Conde winery, their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon forms one of the most important wines in their range as well as one of their most enticing offerings when you consider quality and price.

Owner Jose Conde and the Stark Conde Winery often describe themselves first and foremost as a premium Cabernet Sauvignon producer and of course why wouldn’t you when your vineyards are situated on some of the most attractive Cabernet-friendly Stellenbosch terroir in the entire Western Cape. So it is always interesting to taste and assess their new Estate Blend Cabernet Sauvignon release as any winery is only as good as its most modestly priced wine. With the release of their phenomenal 2021 vintage (96/100 GSMW) selling out incredibly quickly, all eyes were immediately focused on the follow-up 2022 vintage offering.

The 2022 vintage in the Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, produced high-quality, elegant wines, particularly noted for a sense of freshness, brightness, and well-structured, fruit complexity, often with a slightly lighter, more refined style in reds and vibrant, crisp acidities in the whites. The cooler, more sheltered nature of the Jonkershoek Valley, combined with Stellenbosch’s consistently mild conditions in 2022, allowed for excellent natural acidity retention and intense flavour development. 

Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon 2022, WO Jonkershoek Valley, 14% Abv. 

This 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon is yet another blinder from Stark Conde. The lift, aromatics and perfume seem that much more expressive, showing a piercing fragrance of pressed violets, sweet baking cloves, salted black liquorice and sappy cedar before darker, broodier notes of damson plum and crème de cassis. The palate is delightfully supple and soft, impressively elegant and accessible at this youthful stage, yet utterly enticing as the salty black currant and black cherry waves of fruit wash over the palate before leaving a stony, graphite mineral-tinged finish. Another real beauty of a wine that has all the swagger and sophistication you’d expect from this dynamic Jonkershoek Valley estate. Drink now until 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Stark Conde wines are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines. Release price is approximately £110 IB per 6 excluding duty and VAT.

Stark Conde Winery Releases One of Their Most Exciting Vintages to Date – Tasting Their Incredible 2021 Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The Stark Conde winery is located in the Jonkershoek Valley ward of the Stellenbosch region and up until 2023, the wines were produced by Cabernet Sauvignon magician, Rudger van Wyk, now head winemaker at Doolhof in Wellington (and who is also producing his own label “New Dawn” … that I will review soon.) I often state that a winery’s quality and ambition can be most easily judged and assessed based on the quality of their entry level offerings, and for the Stark Conde winery, their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon forms one of the most important wines in their range.

Owner Jose Conde and the Stark Conde Winery often describe themselves first and foremost as a premium Cabernet Sauvignon producer and of course why wouldn’t you when your vineyards are situated on some of the most attractive Cabernet-friendly Stellenbosch terroir in the Western Cape. So it is always interesting to taste their Estate Blend Cabernet Sauvignon new release as any winery is only as good as its most modestly priced wine. With the release of the phenomenal 2021 vintage, I was expecting some real fireworks from Stark Conde and thankfully, I was not disappointed.

Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

Undoubtedly one of the best ‘value for money’ premium Cabernet Sauvignon’s produced in the Cape, the highly anticipated 2021 vintage has finally landed and what a beauty it truly is. Dense, dark, and opaque in the glass, this vibrant vintage boasts incredibly lifted, perfumed aromatics packed full of rose petals, violets, potpourri, baking herbs and dried bay leaves, before plush intense notes of saline crème de cassis, graphite, cherry pipe tobacco and iodine hints emerge. On the palate, there is an incredibly sensual, creamy soft textured mouthfeel full of juicy blueberries, black cherries and tart black currant with fine, supple, pliable tannins beautifully framed and enlivened by a juicy, electric mouthwatering acidity. The weightless concentration of black and blue fruits is mesmerising, revealing a fine boned, seductive minerality and a long, pure, fresh berry fruited finish. This wine is simply knock out beautiful, so moreish, so mouthwatering, and so incredibly drinkable now but will of course age effortlessly for 10+ years with its perfect balance of extract and freshness. Wow! What an unbelievable value offering.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Stark Conde wines are available in the UK from specialist merchant Museum Wines at £99 IB per 6 or £23.60pb inc. on their special release offer.

Stark Conde’s New Single Vineyard Three Pines Syrah 2022 Rated and Reviewed…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This premium estate in the Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch continues to produce not only exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon based reds but also some incredibly seductive Syrahs. This 2022 single vineyard expression would have still been made by previous winemaker extraordinaire, Rudger van Wyk, who departed the estate at the end of 2023. 

The impressive Stark Conde vineyards are located in the picturesque and dramatic Jonkershoek Valley, a site with steep changes in vineyard elevation ranging from 150 to 600 metres making for a range of terroirs with distinct characteristics. At Stark Conde they stick to traditional winemaking methods using open tank fermentation, meticulous sorting of grapes, hand-punch downs, basket pressing and maturation in small French oak barrels.

One of the three pine trees overlooking the Syrah vineyard.

Stark Conde Three Pines Syrah 2022, WO Jonkershoek Valley, 14.5% Abv.

This new release spent 18 months in French oak, 40% new, as well as a portion in concrete. The aromatics are fresh and lifted, packed full of fragrant violets, purple flowers, blueberries, black berries, earthy currants, before deeper notes of hoisin plum sauce and savoury grilled meats. The concentration is notable, the glycerol mouthfeel broad and fleshy with a brûléed vanilla pod spice, a tangy creme de cassis concentration and savoury blueberry fruits over subtle brûléed mocha notes on the finish. Polished and suave, this is an impressive wine for the 2022 vintage. Drink on release and over the next 8 to 10+ years. (3,344 bottles, certified organic.)

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Stark Conde wines are imported into the UK by specialist South African importer Museum Wines.

The Stark Conde Three Pines Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Revisited…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Stark Conde Wines was launched in Stellenbosch in 1998 by Hans and Midori Schroder with a focus on producing hand-crafted premium wines. Located in the picturesque and ever so dramatic Jonkershoek Valley in Stellenbosch, it is a site with steep changes in vineyard elevation ranging from 150 to 600 metres making for a range of terroirs with distinct characteristics. At Stark-Conde they stick to traditional winemaking methods using open tank fermentation, meticulous sorting of grapes, hand-punch downs, basket pressing and maturation in small French oak barrels for 20 months. The wines are then bottled without fining or filtration.

While winemaker Rudger van Wyk has now moved on from Stark Conde in 2023, he was certainly instrumental in establishing the Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon wines of the Estate Blend, the Three Pines Single Vineyard Cabernet and the Oude Nektar Single Vineyard Cabernet as some of the most respected expressions of premium Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Stellenbosch. The Three Pines retails in the UK for £44.99pb.

Stark Conde Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

The aromatics are dark and broody with piercing notes of violets, saline black currant, piquant black cherries, black breakfast tea and subtle hints of brown toast and sweet cedar before iodine and graphite notions. The palate is dense and compact, offering a medium to full bodied mouthful with plenty of dry extract and juicy black berry fruit concentration on display. The tannins are fleshy and sweet but also finely textured adding real substance to the wine without detracting from its sumptuous elegance and harmonious balance. A very precise wine that will appeal to all avid premium Cabernet Sauvignon collectors. Drink now and over the next 10 to 12+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Stark Conde Wines are imported into the UK by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.

Stark Conde Release Another Stellar Brace of Jonkershoek Valley Whites from the 2023 Vintage…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Owner Jose Conde and the Stark Conde Winery often describe themselves first and foremost as a premium Cabernet Sauvignon producer. Why wouldn’t you when you have some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards and terroir in the Cape winelands? But there are other strings in Stark Conde’s bow, producing some outstanding white wines from single cultivars as well as a field blend.

As for the vintage, South African winegrowers showed characteristic pluck in the face of difficult 2023 harvest challenges. Despite a relatively wet season capped by disruptive late-harvest rains which affected some red late ripening cultivars, the vintage was generally hailed by respected winemakers and viticulturists for its quality, in particular for whites, which show intensity, freshness, concentration, and purity of varietal character. Two new whites are about to hit the UK market, and both are absolute stunners.

Stark Conde Monkstone Chenin Blanc 2023, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

The wines from the 2023 vintage continue to surprise with their exceptional quality and concentration, and this impressively complex Chenin Blanc from Stark Conde is no exception. The aromatics are intricate and wonderfully expressive, packed with hints of white peach, green honeydew melon, Granny Smith apples and delicate sweet citrus notes over subtle savoury fresh fennel root and dried herb nuances. The palate is particularly mouthwatering and tangy, bright acids well balanced by the vibrant white peach and yellow apple pastille fruit concentration. A wine that always spends almost a year on its fine lees, the palate showing the resulting textural depth and breadth, finishing with great intensity, energy and a tangy fruit persistence. Another masterclass in serious Chenin Blanc from the Jonkershoek Valley’s most revered winery. Drink on release and over the next 6 to 8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 94/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Stark Conde Field Blend White 2023, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 12.5% Abv.

A perennial favourite in the Stark Conde white range, this impressive 2023 is a blend of 42% Roussanne, 30% Chenin Blanc, 20% Verdelho, and 8% Viognier. Fermented in neutral oak, the aromatics are stunningly pure and precise, boasting notes of dry summer hay, crunchy white pears, green apple, pithy white citrus, and complexing stony granitic mineral notes. On the palate the wine is strikingly fresh and intense, deliciously mouthwatering displaying a notable concentration of white peach and green pear fruits, with a beautifully crystalline purity, perfectly integrated tangy acids and a long, juicy finish. As with many field blend wines, the whole is simply greater than the sum of its parts, with each component marrying seamlessly to create a truly majestic, organically certified white blend. This is good to go on release but will certainly reward 3 to 5+ years of additional ageing in bottle.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Stark Conde wines are imported into the UK exclusively by South African specialist merchant Museum Wines.

Stark Conde Winery Blazing a Trail with Their Premium Cabernet Sauvignon in the Jonkershoek Valley – Tasting the New Release 2020 Estate Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Owner Jose Conde and the Stark Conde Winery often describe themselves first and foremost as a premium Cabernet Sauvignon producer and of course why wouldn’t you when your vineyards are situated on some of the most attractive Cabernet-friendly Stellenbosch vineyards in the Western Cape. So it is always interesting to taste their “entry level” Estate Blend Cabernet Sauvignon new release as any winery is only as good as its most modestly priced wine, or so the saying goes.

Fortunately, there is no compromising when it comes to quality and this beautifully accomplished wine is sourced from four different blocks on the farm where the soils and aspects differ slightly, but with all vines planted on ideal decomposed granite iron-rich red soils typical of the Stellenbosch mountain vineyards. In addition to the Cabernet Sauvignon blocks, two additional blocks are incorporated into the Estate Blend to add a little extra salt and pepper complexity, leaving the final blend at 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. For this cuvee, after fermentation is completed, only 300 litre French oak barrels are used, of which around 30% is new oak. Aged for 20 months in barrel, the wines are then bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Looking down over the farm from the Three Pines Single Vineyard.

While winemaker Rudger van Wyk has now moved on from Stark Conde in 2023, he was certainly instrumental in establishing the Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon wines of the Estate Blend, the Three Pines Single Vineyard Cabernet and the Oude Nektar Single Vineyard Cabernet as some of the most respected expressions of premium Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Stellenbosch. 2020 of course saw the tail end of the drought and the harvest began early and ended relatively early. Average temperatures were moderate with cool evenings, the resultant fruit of good quality with a fine balance between fruit, acid and tannins, although yields were decidedly on the low side this vintage.

Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

The 2020 Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon is another charming wine with an alluring aromatics of pressed violets, sweet piquant black berries, black cherry, burnt wood embers, sweet cedar wood shavings and a stony graphite spice that wafts from the glass. The palate is fresh and vibrant, deep and layered, with a core of zippy black currant fruits, soft black plum nuances, black cherries, fine grained tannins, and a sumptuous depth of spicy granitic minerality. A very well honed, harmonious, full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon expression that combines a wonderful balance, finesse and harmony with the characteristic Jonkershoek Valley fruit intensity and structure. Drink on release and over 10+ years comfortably.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Stark Conde wines are imported into the UK by specialist South African merchant Museum Wines and the wine retails for circa £26 per bottle.

Stark Conde Release Another Impressive Single Vineyard Oude Nektar 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Produced from one of the most spectacular single vineyards in the Cape winelands, I was fortunate enough to visit this special site in March 2023 just as winemaker Rudger van Wyk was preparing the Oude Nektar 2019 for release in the local South African market. I am of course a big fan of the Oude Nektar 2015 and 2017, and now in its sixth vintage post replanting after the vineyard was destroyed by fire in 2009, the 2019 is beginning to show the true potential of this high-altitude Jonkershoek Valley vineyard. Having tasted the phenomenal 2017 again recently, this 2019 is certainly a vintage that will rival the great 2017 bottling which is starting to close down for a few years of slumber.

The 2019 is an expressive blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot (a small barrel selection of non-Oude Nektar estate grown Petit Verdot was blended into the wine) from clones 169 and 23, planted on 101-14 rootstock, yielding 5.5 tons of fruit per hectare.

Rudger van Wyk with the Oude Nektar vineyard behind his right shoulder.

Based around the highest elevation vineyard on the estate, which at 550m is arguably one of Stellenbosch’s highest Cabernet vineyards, the Oude Nektar site has very stoney decomposed granitic soils, and an ideal aspect toward the afternoon sun. Although this vineyard gets a cooling breeze, it averages 45 minutes more sunlight each day which allows for a slower ripening period. This 2019 blend was matured for 20 months in French oak barrels (70% new) before being bottled with no fining and no filtration.

Stark Conde Oude Nektar Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, WO Jonkershoek Valley, 13.5% Abv.

There is no doubting that the Oude Nektar 2015 and 2017 were soaring creations of note. But when you taste the 2019 block buster from Rudger van Wyk, you realise that this is yet another epic wine where the vintage and vineyard held hands to give the winemaker something really very special to work with. The aromatics are classical and beautifully straight laced with notes of rose petals, violets, pencil shavings, grilled herbs, black berries and raspberries bursting to the fore before hints of smoky fireplace embers, sweet tobacco leaf, iodine and graphite nuances. An intense full-bodied palate is simultaneously lithe and light on its feet with a striking elegance and a vibrant core of earthy black currant and black cherry fruits embraced by silky soft powdery tannins. An impressively regal Cabernet Sauvignon with a sensual core of fruit, bright integrated acids and a supple, harmonious saline finish. A beautiful wine with class written all over it. Drink from 2025 to 2045+. (Only 3,275 bottles produced.)

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Stark Conde wines are exclusively imported into the UK by Museum Wines. The Oude Nektar 2019 is available on limited allocation by special request. Contact Daniel@museumwines.co.uk for further information. Retail price is circa £60pb.

An Impressive Benchmark Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Released by Premium Jonkershoek Valley Estate Stark Conde…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Cabernet Sauvignon is the bedrock of the Stark Conde winery in the Jonkershoek Valley ward of Stellenbosch and at 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2019 new release also includes a small percentage of 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. This super concentrated vintage sees a pronounced intensity and flavour focus as a result of the reduced peaberry-sized crop that yielded high colour, very good phenolics and a lower-than-average alcohol level.

Stark Conde also produce two more premium Cabernet Sauvignon based blends in the Three Pines and the Oude Nektar cuvées, both of which have much higher price tags than this beautiful benchmark “estate” Cabernet blend. Quite simply, very few wine producing countries can hit this level of age-worthy, classical quality for such an incredibly affordable price. Seek it out and make some space in your cellar! (Recommended retail price at £24.99 per bottle in the UK)

Stark Conde Cabernet Sauvignon 2019, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 13.5% Abv.

This 2019 is certainly deep, dark and opaque with a broody blackberry and black plum core from 18- to 30-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines. On the nose, the wine really impresses with alluring aromatics of violets, raspberry herbal tea, sweet tannery leather, freshly tilled earth and mocha spice before opulent notes of earthy blackberry, blueberry and graphite. With such incredible power and intensity of fruit on display here, the subtle cedar wood and black chai tea spice nuances are absorbed by the black fruit and mineral depth. Despite the vintage’s slightly lower-than-average alcohol level, the palate is wonderfully plush and dense with a classically fresh sweet and sour vein of crème de cassis, black cherry and leafy mulberry over sweet expansive fleshy tannins. When the perfect terroir meets the perfect variety and the finest winemaking know-how is utilised to capture that in a bottle, this is what you get – mesmerising quality at such an affordable price. Drink this classically configured Cabernet powerhouse over the next 10 to 15+ years. What an absolute steal… only possible from South Africa!

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Available in the UK from their exclusive importer, the South African Fine Wine Specialist, Museum Wines.

https://www.museumwines.co.uk/shop/stark-conde/2019/cabernet-sauvignon-7/

Prodigious Stellenbosch Red Wine Producer Stark-Conde Release Another Block Buster White – Part 2: Tasting the 2021 Field Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

This deliciously complex white is a barrel-fermented blend of 54% Roussanne, 30% Chenin Blanc, 9% Verdelho and 7% Viognier. All sourced from a single vineyard at the entrance of the Stark-Conde Oude Nektar farm, it is planted to a mix of varietals in order to match the complex mosaic of soil types found on this unique plot of land. The grapes are all picked at the same time, pressed and co-fermented together as a genuine field blend.

Stark-Conde Field Blend 2021, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

Very Southern Rhone in its varietal mix, but decidedly Mediterranean on the nose with lifted aromatics of wild garlic leaf, white blossom, sweet green herbs, bruised apple and subtle waxy incense notes over a dusty, stony granitic minerality. The barrel fermentation lends additional savoury, honied notes of lemon biscuits, warm white toast and peach stone fruits. On the palate there is a fabulous vibrancy and tangy acid freshness of crunchy yellow orchard fruits, white peach, ripe tangerines and a long, slightly pithy, phenolic finish of tart green pears and wet river pebble minerality. The richness and textural generosity of the of the Roussanne and Viognier is beautifully managed, enlivened by the salinity and freshness of the Chenin Blanc and Verdelho. Field blends seem to be the new trend setters for white wines in the Cape and I have not tasted many better than this yet. Another super exciting Cape white blend that expresses its own sense of place. Drink this on release and over the next 6 to 8+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Prodigious Stellenbosch Red Wine Producer Stark-Conde Release a Block Buster Chenin Blanc 2021 from Jonkershoek Valley Fruit…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The back label of this wine says it all. It starts by proclaiming … “Chenin Blanc is a relatively rare varietal in our area of Stellenbosch, but the higher, cooler slopes and granite soils are well suited to producing an intense, mineral style.” We are of course talking about the Jonkershoek Valley, a Ward of Stellenbosch more famous for Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah than Chenin Blanc. But with some super famous Chenin Blanc wines like Mev. Kirsten from Sadie Family Wines, Ian Naude’s Old Vine Series Chenin Blanc and Chris Alheit’s Nautical Dawn all coming from various other top Wards of Stellenbosch, the potential for producing block buster Chenin Blanc wines around Stellenbosch is unquestionable.

Self-taught American cellarmaster Jose Conde (who’s married to the owner Hans Schroder’s eldest daughter) first attempted making wine in 2000, and he chose to experiment with his favourite grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. As luck would have it, his father-in-law Hans Schroder farmed arguably the best Cabernet grapes in the region. Made with basic equipment and using traditional methods, the maiden vintage yielded just 2,400 bottles, but against the odds and to everybody’s surprise the wine went on to win 5-stars in the Platters Wine Guide, rated 92/100 points in Wine Spectator, and was selected by UK wine writer Oz Clarke as one of the Top 20 Wines of the Year. I remember this wine very well as I was one of the first wine merchants in the UK to buy and sell it in the early 2000s. And a cracker it was too!

Winemaker Rüdger van Wyk

Today, the team at Stark-Conde includes the prodigiously talented winemaker Rüdger van Wyk who creates fine wines using minimal intervention in the cellar. With vineyards ranging in elevation from 150 to 600 metres above sea level, the Stark-Conde estate offers some incredibly fine red wines of distinct character and sense of place and this new 2021 Chenin Blanc is no different. The winery also produces a well known white field blend which I look forward to tasting and reviewing soon.

Monk Stone Chenin Blanc gets its name from the large boulder which punctuates the organically grown, high-altitude vineyard block at Stark-Conde. This bush-vine Chenin Blanc vineyard is planted along dramatic terraces which were sculpted to prevent rain erosion. The wave and ripple patterns formed by these terraces, together with the large boulder, recall a traditional Japanese rock garden, and hence the name “Monk Stone”.

Stark-Conde Monk Stone Chenin Blanc 2021, WO Jonkershoek Valley, Stellenbosch, 13% Abv.

7.6 g/l TA | 3.10 pH

A beautiful rendition of Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc that initially shows a youthful reserve before slowly opening up with aromatics of yellow orchard fruits, granitic minerality, dried green herbs, tangerine peel, green pear and saline oyster shell maritime hints. The minerality and salinity are front and foremost on the palate that shows all the classic 2021 vintage characteristics of purity, clarity, freshness and intensity. Loaded with electric tension, vibrantly fresh acids, the wine reveals a tart juicy green fruited melon concentration and again, an abundance of pithy minerality and rock salt salinity on the persistent finish. Deft winemaking on display here complemented by exceptional vintage quality. Drink this on release and over 8 to 10+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The wines of Stark-Conde are available to trade and consumers from their UK importer:

https://www.museumwines.co.uk/product/stark-conde-monk-stone-chenin-blanc-south-africa-2021 for £24.99 per bottle.