2018 Stark-Conde Cabernet Sauvignon Stellenbosch South Africa 750 ml

We don’t spend half our year out on the wine trail looking for the ordinary. We’re looking for the outliers, and no bottle deserves that title more than the estate-grown 2018 Stark-Condé Cabernet Sauvignon.

Stark-Condé’s 2018 shows exactly what we want to see in a superb Cabernet, no matter the region or price. It’s got the rich, dark-fruit aromas beautifully accented with dark chocolate and violets. It’s got the concentrated and polished palate. Add structure and a powerful finish, and you’ll see why Decanter said the wines of Stellenbosch offer a “bridging style between the structured clarets of the Médoc and the fruity wines of Napa.”

Stark-Condé hails from the Jonkershoek Valley—South Africa’s “Napa”—where the Cabernet grows in iron-rich red soils. You rarely see wines grown solely in Jonkershoek, since most of the region is dedicated to the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve, where 9600 different plant species thrive, 70% of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world. Stark-Condé’s land, 80% of which is rugged terrain, has similar biodiversity. 

The winery began planting their Oude Nektar Vineyard in 1990. It’s a truly prestigious place for Cabernet: The south-facing slopes here range from 620–1800 feet above sea level, and are much cooler than most of Stellenbosch. Strong winds wash over the vines during the summer, cooling the vineyards and allowing the Cabernet to develop complexity over a long ripening period.

The warm and dry 2018 season produced tiny, beautifully ripe berries with superb concentration and velvety tannins. After being harvested in small crates then hand-sorted, the wine was open-top fermented before aging for 20 months in 30% new French oak barrels.