2023 Stark-Conde, The Field Blend, Jonkershoek Valley

Western Cape,South Africa,

£22.99

Bottle size: 75cl,
  • DE-95
  • GS-94+
  • JR-16/20
  • TA-94

In stock

Shop Stock: 25 available.
*Standard UK delivery 2-3 working days

Warehouse Stock: 30 available.
*Extended UK delivery 3-5 working days

*International Delivery available, location dependent.

This aromatic white blend is made from a single vineyard block which consists of 4 different grape varietals. The grapes were planted with the specific intention of creating this unique blend. Roussanne and Viognier add richness and texture, while Chenin Blanc and Verdelho add bright fruit and acidity. The wine is delicately oaked, and handled as carefully and naturally as possible.

Category: SKU: hub-10390787-1-IB-STOCK-N

Description

This wine is almost entirely barrel fermented, with a small portion being aged in concrete egg to add a component of body. We handled the wine as carefully and naturally as possible, giving it only a light fining and then bottling with minimal filtration. VINEYARD INFORMATION “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 in the Jonkershoek Valley ward in Stellenbosch, 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. This is a fabulously complex and characterful fine wine that pays homage to this ancient lost art of winemaking and serves to reinvigorate the entire White Blend category for which South Africa is undoubtedly a world leader.”

Additional information

Wine Type

White

Country

South Africa

Region

Western Cape

Subregion

Coastal Region

Vintage

2023

Brand

Stark-Conde

Cultivar

Rousanne, Verdelho, Viognier, Chenin Blanc

Bottle Size

75cl

Pack Size

1x75cl

Alcohol Percentage

13.00

Duty Status

In Bond

Availability

Immediate

Rating Agencies

Decanter, Greg Sherwood, JancisRobinson.com, Tim Atkin

Reviews

Tim Atkin 94

Located right next to the entrance, the 2.8-hectare block that’s the source of this wine is intriguing. The 2023 release is a cuvee of Roussanne, 30% Chenin Blanc, 20% Verdelho and 8% Viognier. Waxy, spicy, concentrated yet fresh, it has pear, citrus and peach skin flavours and added complexity from concrete egg, amphora and 10% new oak components. [Tim Atkin MW, 03/09/2024]

Anticipated maturity: 2024-2032

Decanter 95

[Decanter, 19/06/2024]

Greg Sherwood 94+

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. [Greg Sherwood MW, 01/03/2024]

JancisRobinson.com 16/20

Dusty, acacia-pollen nose; watercolour traces of honey, angelica, ginger, dill. A geometry of acidity and so salty it’s like rolling sea-glass pebbles in your mouth. Comes back to brisk, taut, tensile tektite-tumblestone apple and greengage. The leanest, hungriest, most austere of the Field Blends I’ve tasted. [Tamlyn Currin, 24/02/2024]

Producer Profile

This is our smallest production wine, from an older block of just 22 rows. When we make up the blend we concentrate on the texture – one critic described it as “having the texture of crushed violets” – we know that with a few years in the bottle the aromas and flavours unfurl beautifully. The wine is based on our “Block 6” of Syrah, our oldest Syrah vineyard. The vineyard block is contiguous with our Three Pines Cabernet Sauvignon block – a very finely textured decomposed granite soil with a fairly high proportion of clay that contributes to good water retention.