Revisiting a Beautiful South African Cabernet

The view from the Stark-Conde tasting room is, in a word, epic.

In 2014, I spent a few incredible weeks in South Africa. It remains one of the most impactful and memorable experiences of my life. I dream at least weekly about going back for the surf, the wine, the natural beauty, the wildlife.

But that's not feasible at the moment, so I'll settle for the next best thing: tasting wine I brought back from my trip. One of the best things about being a traveling wine nerd and collector is bringing bottles back from my adventures. I love to bury them and try to forget about them for at least a few years.

I recently popped a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from Stark-Condé, an incredible winery located in Stellenbosch's Jonkershoek Valley. My trip there was fantastic, and the wines were delicious. But there's always a question in my mind when tasting wine on a vacation in gorgeous locations: Is this wine actually as good as I think it is, or is the bliss of the occasion causing me to love the wine more than I would in another context?

It's an academic question, and in the end it doesn't really matter. Tasting wines where they are grown and made is one of life's incredible joys. But, after revisiting this Cabernet three years after my trip, I'm still convinced it is excellent. In fact, I liked this bottle (with three years of age on it) even more than I did when I first tasted it in South Africa.

Notes below...
2012 Stark-Condé Cabernet Sauvignon
South Africa, Coastal Region, Stellenbosch

$25 (in South Africa)
Medium purple color. Aromas of tart red and black currants, violets, eucalyptus, graphite, mint, bay leaf – gorgeous waves of fruit and non-fruit aromas. Medium acidity and a solid tannic grip combine well, this shows some smoothness and freshness but is still well-built. Black currants, plums, tart but suave fruit, laced with black olive, anise, violets, charcoal, notes of cedar and coffee. On day two I was getting all sorts of mushroom and olive oil notes. Very pretty, complex, memorable. Nothing like visiting a winery, buying a bottle, cellaring it for a few years and opening it to discover it’s even better than you remember. (91 points)