Monk Stone Chenin Blanc

Pairs beautifully with grilled seafood, roast chicken, pork belly and creamy pasta dishes. The wine's texture and minerality also complement shellfish, Mediterranean cuisine and soft-ripened cheeses.

The dry, warm mid-summer meant that we had low disease pressure and we went into veraison with the vines in excellent condition. The grapes had even ripening and good yields with excellent aromas and acidity.

The grapes were hand-picked in several vineyard passes and chilled before pressing. De-stemming, crushing and light pressing then took place followed by overnight settling of the juice. A portion of the grapes was whole-bunch pressed to help preserve the acidity. This complex, finely-crafted Chenin Blanc was matured in neutral French oak barrels. The wine was on its lees for 9 months and given regular stirrings. After settling naturally, the wine was carefully racked and then given a light fining and bottled with no filtration.

Stark-Condé Wines is located in the picturesque Jonkershoek Valley in Stellenbosch. It is a dramatic valley with steep changes in vineyard elevation from 150 to 600 metres making for a range of sites with distinct characteristics. At Stark-Condé they stick to traditional winemaking methods: open tank fermentation meticulous sorting of grapes hand-punchdowns basket pressing and maturation in small French oak barrels.