THREE YEARS in a row! Stark-Condé‘s victory at South Africa's 2026 Trophy Wine Show, where their 2025 Monk Stone Chenin Blanc was judged Best Organic Wine, followed triumphs with their Round Mountain Sauvignon Blanc 2023 and Three Pines Syrah 2022 that won the same trophy at the 2024 and 2025 Shows respectively. Howzat! All of the Stark-Condé wines from the Oude Nektar farm deep in the Jonkershoek Valley of Stellenbosch have been certified organic since the 2022 vintage, with cellarmaster José Conde, his wife Marie and their team having won the title of Best Organic Wine at the Trophy Wine Show every year since the award was introduced.
Why Monk Stone? The vineyard, featuring a boulder, is planted along terraces intended to prevent erosion during rainfall. “The wave and ripple patterns formed by these terraces, together with the large boulder, recall a traditional Japanese rock garden, and hence the name.”
STARK-CONDÉ MONK STONE CHENIN BLANC 2025
WO Jonkershoek Valley-Stellenbosch (Oude Nektar farm). Cool, high-altitude vineyard (300m). Granite soils. 60% bush-vines, 40% trellised. Drip irrigation. Grapes hand-picked in several passes and chilled before pressing. After de-stemming and a light pressing (some of the grapes whole-bunch pressed), the juice was settled overnight. After fermentation, the wine was matured in neutral French oak barrels, to build texture – nine months on the lees with regular stirring. Unfiltered: careful racking followed by light fining and bottling. Total production: 1800 bottles. Certified organic by Ecocert.
Alc 13.5% | RS 1.9 | TA 6.3 | pH 3.23
Winemaker's Tasting Notes: An intriguing bouquet of guava and quince, framed by subtle vanilla notes. The palate is complex and finely textured with a mix of stone, citrus fruit and creamy, spicy flavours. The finish is long, with a persistent minerality. Age-worthy.
R380pb ex-cellar, Jonkershoek Valley-Stellenbosch.