Stark-Condé Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

2012 is an excellent vintage with bright red fruits and excellent acidity. The wines have remained tight despite nearly 2 years in barrel and I believe it will be a vintage with excellent aging potential. In comparison to previous years, we used quite a bit less Merlot in the blend and it was the first year our Malbec was included.

variety : Cabernet Sauvignon [ 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Merlot ]

winery : Stark-Conde Wines

winemaker : José Conde

wine of origin : Stellenbosch

analysis : alc : 14.5 % vol rs : 1.8 g/l ta : 5.8 g/l

type : Red

pack : Bottle size : 750ml closure : Cork

in the vineyard :

Clone: CS46C, CS163C, CS27A, 10C, 1C,

Rootstock: Richter 110, 99
Fruit source: from 4 different vineyard blocks all from our own Oude Nektar farm in Jonkershoek, Stellenbosch
Age of vines: cabernet 11 - 23 years at harvest; merlot and cab franc 13 years; petit verdot 10 years

Trellis: 5-wire vsp

Irrigation: supplemental drip irrigation

Vineyard elevation: 200 - 310m

Slope: South East and North West

Fruit source: from 4 different vineyard blocks, mostly from our own Oude Nektar farm

The grapes for this wine are from 4 different cabernet vineyards and our best merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot vineyards, all at a mix of different elevations. Although all are on the decomposed granite soils typical of the hillsides in Jonkershoek, the soil textures vary quite a lot and that, together with the differences in elevations and clones, gives a variety of different flavour profiles to the grapes.

about the harvest:

ºB at harvest: 24.5-25.5º

The merlot and cabernet franc grapes were picked in late February and the cabernet sauvignon grapes and the Petit Verdot were harvested in mid-March. The grapes were picked into small lug boxes.

Yield: 6t/ha

in the cellar : The grapes were picked into small lug boxes and cooled overnight to about 14° before being hand-sorted and crushed into small open-top fermentation vats. After being cold-soaked for a couple of days, the musts were inoculated with commercial yeasts. A range of yeast was used, several domestic and an imported Bordeaux yeast. About 20% also underwent fermentation with the natural yeasts. The fermentations were hand punched-down every 4 hours for the first half of fermentation and every 6 - 8 hours until dry. At dryness, the wine was basket-pressed and racked to barrel for malo-lactic fermentation and barrel maturation. Only 300l French oak was used, of which about 35% were new. After 18 months barrel maturation, the blend was assembled and put back to barrels for a further 4 months integration.

Bottled with a light filtration after 22 months barrel maturation. | Total production: 1604 (9l) cases

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