Stark-Conde Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
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Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blackberry fruit aromas with tea-leaf and cedar notes. The palate is rich and polished with dark fruit and mocha flavors and a finely balanced acidity. Long finish with the fine tannins typical of a Jonkershoek Valley wine.
Blend: 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This medium- to full-bodied red presents a pure beam of dark, ripe black currant fruit underscored by a streak of spicy minerals. Offers accents of vanilla bean, rose hip and orange peel, which add to this version's expressive character. Tightly coiled and well-knit at first, this is a concentrated wine that opens nicely in the glass. Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Petit Syrah and Cabernet Franc.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Starting with a dusty and red-fruited nose, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon has a delicate frame of approachable juicy red fruit aromas. This wine can be enjoyed young, but it also possesses the ability to age gracefully. Medium to full-bodied, it is firm on the palate with a delightfully succulent and tannic edge that will remain food-friendly for years to come. Rating: 90+
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A noble variety bestowed with both power and concentration, Cabernet Sauvignon enjoys success all over the globe, its best examples showing potential to age beautifully for decades. Cabernet Sauvignon flourishes in Bordeaux's Medoc where it is often blended with Merlot and smaller amounts of some combination of Cabernet Franc, Malbecand Petit Verdot. In the Napa Valley, ‘Cab’ is responsible for some of the world’s most prestigious, age-worthy and sought-after “cult” wines. Somm Secret—DNA profiling in 1997 revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a spontaneous crossing of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc in 17th century southwest France.
With an important wine renaissance in full swing, impressive red and white bargains abound in South Africa. The country has a particularly long and rich history with winemaking, especially considering its status as part of the “New World.” In the mid-17th century, the lusciously sweet dessert wines of Constantia were highly prized by the European aristocracy. Since then, the South African wine industry has experienced some setbacks due to the phylloxera infestation of the late 1800s and political difficulties throughout the following century.
Today, however, South Africa is increasingly responsible for high-demand, high-quality wines—a blessing to put the country back on the international wine map. Wine production is mainly situated around Cape Town, where the climate is generally warm to hot. But the Benguela Current from Antarctica provides brisk ocean breezes necessary for steady ripening of grapes. Similarly, cooler, high-elevation vineyard sites throughout South Africa offer similar, favorable growing conditions.
South Africa’s wine zones are divided into region, then smaller districts and finally wards, but the country’s wine styles are differentiated more by grape variety than by region. Pinotage, a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, is the country’s “signature” grape, responsible for red-fruit-driven, spicy, earthy reds. When Pinotage is blended with other red varieties, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir (all commonly vinified alone as well), it is often labeled as a “Cape Blend.” Chenin Blanc (locally known as “Steen”) dominates white wine production, with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc following close behind.