Stark-Conde Monk Stone Chenin Blanc 2021

5 Stars 2023 Platter’s South African Wine Guide

Focused & precise debut, with great ageing potential, 21 (95 pts) from 14 year old bushvines named for large rock in dramatic terraced vineyard. Steely & crisp, complex nuances include nectarine, apple, quince & wet pebble. Portion wholebunch, aged 8 months in a combo amphora & oak. Deserves time to fully unfurl; decant in youth.

94 pts Tim Atkin MW 2022

Made with grapes that also go into Stark-Condé’s Field Blend, this is a future flagship white. Fermented and aged in a combination of amphoras and second fill oak, it’s a steely, stony, effortlessly refreshing expression of Chenin Blanc with lovely focus, waxed lemon and oatmeal flavours and the concentration to age. 2022-29

92+ pts Wine Advocate July 2023

Bursting from the glass with a mineral backbone and bright lemony essence, the 2021 Monk Stone Chenin Blanc offers notions of wax melon with citrus blossom essence on the nose. Medium-bodied, this has excellent mineral tension with a fresh and crisp mouthfeel that is immensely pleasing before ending with a lingering, spicy finish that has me daydreaming of fresh shellfish and cheeses. Bravo! 2023-2030