Kara Tara Chardonnay Western Cape 2020

Rüdger van Wyk is the breakout winemaker at Stark-Condé in Stellenbosch. In addition to Jancis’ praise, he won South Africa’s prestigious “Diners Club Young Winemaker of the Year” honor and has seen his Stark-Conde wines featured in Wine Enthusiast’s ‘Top 100 Wines of the Year’ list.

But not so secretly, the joint venture he launched with José Conde honoring his hometown is what drives his passion. The goal was to create a truly great wine at such an amazing price point – that the brand and by extension, South Africa would be thrust into the limelight of the international wine stage. No one has said he lacks ambition.

The pair combined to make an electric Chardonnay in the 2020 vintage. The wine is a cross between stainless steel and neutral oak and was aged on the lees for nine months to bring out a lot of personality. It leads with lemon and grapefruit with hints of almond and a salty, mineral finish.