“I tend to read like I drink: all over the place and rarely the same thing twice.” – José Conde.
Stark-Condé is a melting pot of American, Japanese, and South African doctrine in the Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch. Though a Valley such as this, given its own diversity, seems uniquely suited to host such wide-ranging ideologies. José Conde, owner, and winemaker represents the American component, also imbued by his father’s Cuban heritage. Marie Condé {NOT Kondo}, daughter of Hans Schröder and Midori Maruyama, original owners of the Oude Nektar farm in the Jonkershoek Valley. SHE represents the fusion of Japan and South Africa – with her father having met and married her mother at university in Japan, and due to the Prohibition of Mixed Marriages Act, they were only allowed to return to South Africa in the late 1980s with their three daughters. Together this family runs a 250 ha farm with around 32 ha under vine in the awesome Jonkershoek Valley. Diner’s Club Young Winemaker of the Year 2018, Rüdger Van Wyk, one of the first graduates of the Cape Winemaker’s Guild Protégè program, joined the team in 2015 and has been adding his unique understanding of South African terroir to the mix. Stark-Condé, as a brand, is KNOWN for their Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, specifically the Three Pines. In this year’s Tim Atkin South Africa report, their Oude Nektar, Cabernet-Petit Verdot blend, was compared to a Pauillac First Growth and rated 97 Points to boot (2017 ALSO received 97 points in 2020).
While Stellenbosch is RED, note RED and not JUST Cabernet Sauvignon – given the quality of not ONLY the Cabernet, but the Syrah, Pinotage, and the traditional Bordeaux Five in the valley, the quality of their whites have remained a quietly consistent thing. An accepted truth amongst the natives, as if a state secret they remain unwilling to share with outsiders, lest they wish to know about the cellar door sales TOO. The Stark-Condé Field blend was made to reflect the complexity of the soil types in Jan Lui’s Field, believed to be one of the oldest cultivated fields in Stellenbosch, with grapes grown here for more than 350 years. Having planted Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, Verdelho, and Viognier all together on the same vineyard in 2008, it seems fitting that the wine was not only co-planted, but co-crushed, co-fermented, and grown on 11 different soil types. A unique expression of the diversity of the place and the root of their newly released Monk Stone Chenin Blanc 2021.
Chenin Blanc illustrates the nuances of the South African terroir beautifully. As Ken Forrester said, it has become a South African calling card, though we definitely tend to look to warmer sites when searching out the finer examples of Chenin. It makes sense then that Stark-Condé has found yet another facet of South Africa’s adopted heritage grape to further express its suitability to the myriad terroir of South Africa.
“There’s not much Chenin Blanc planted in Jonkershoek Valley; the grape is normally associated with warmer regions. But a couple of years ago, we had an idea to plant Chenin on the higher, cooler slopes on our farm. We believed this spectacular site was suited to producing an intense, mineral style of wine. With granite soils and a crazy steep incline, we carefully terraced the hillside to avoid mudslides and managed to plant what I believe is a unique site for Chenin. Every winemaker or viticulturist that visits the site drools with envy!
My personal taste in white wine leans toward the intense, mineral style. I like the fine tension between the lightness of the mouthfeel and the depth of the fruit. The Monk Stone Chenin Blanc is matured in a combination of handmade clay amphorae (fired from local clay) and neutral French oak barrels. I believe this to be an age-worthy Chenin.” – Rüdger Van Wyk.
As such, we invite you to discover Stark-Condé’s maiden release, Monk Stone Chenin Blanc 2021. Monk Stone gets its name from the large boulder which punctuates the organically-grown, high-altitude vineyard block at Stark-Condé. This bush-vine Chenin vineyard is planted along dramatic terraces and sculpted to prevent rain erosion. The wave and ripple patterns formed by these terraces, with the large boulder, recall a traditional Japanese rock garden, hence the name Monk Stone.
Quite possibly their future flagship white, we suggest you get acquainted early on. These Stark-Condé wines, with their organic certification and constant innovation, tend to become a sure thing.
Stark-Condé Monk Stone Chenin Blanc 2021
94 Points – Tim Atkin
“Made with grapes that also go into Stark-Condé’s Field Blend, this is a future flagship white. Fermented and aged in a combination of amphoras and second fill oak, it’s a steely, stony, effortlessly refreshing expression of Chenin Blanc with lovely focus, waxed lemon and oatmeal flavours and the concentration to age. 2022-29 ” – Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2022.
95 Points – Christian Eedes
“The nose shows citrus and peach plus hints of flinty reduction and fynbos while the palate shows extraordinary fruit concentration, punchy acidity and a super-dry finish. It’s an intense and tightly wound wine that needs at least another 12 months to show what’s it really made of.” – Winemag.co.za
Stark-Condé Field Blend 2020
94 Points – Tim Atkin
“The best field blend white yet from Rüdger van Wyk and José Condé, this is Roussannedominated for the first time, with support from 46% Chenin Blanc, Verdelho and Viognier. Honeysuckle and jasmine-perfumed, it has flavours of aromatic herbs, aniseed, passion fruit and citrus and a smidgeon of oak spice. 2022-27” – Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2021.
95 Points – Platter’s Wine Guide
“Mostly roussanne, with chenin, verdelho & viognier (54/30/9/7) fermented together in combo older barrels & concrete ‘eggs’. 2020 intense & aromatic stonefruit, hay & almond in harmony with oak, vibrant mineral undertone. 2019 (4.5 stars, 93 pts) had chenin majority.” – Winnie Bowman for Platter’s Wine Guide.
Stark-Condé Oude Nektar 2017
97 Points – Tim Atkin
“What a wine! What a vintage! And to think that this stunning site between 550 and 600 metres was replanted after a fire as recently as 2009. Marrying Cabernet Sauvignon with 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, it’s one of the great Cape reds. Far from a blockbuster, it’s nuanced and refreshing, with incredible perfume of fynbos and cut grass, fine-boned tannins and a long, stony finish. 2023-32” – Tim Atkin South Africa Report 2020.
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