Klein Constantia Estate

The 146 ha Klein Constantia Estate originally formed part of "Constantia", a vast property established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, the first governor of the Cape. This particular valley was chosen not only for its beauty, but also for the decomposed granite soils on its slopes, gently cooled by ocean breezes. Prized by leaders and aristocracy throughout 18th Century Europe, Constantia’s Vin de Constance was revived by Klein Constantia in 1986, reaffirming this unique natural sweet wine’s place in history. Today, Klein Constantia continues to make some of South Africa’s top wines and the world’s best dessert wines; wines that reflect the cool Constantia climate, as well as their historic tradition.

Vibrant and tantalizing from the bright, golden appearance to the lingering, zesty finish. The nose is layered with aspects of citrus blossom, honeycomb and stone fruit which follow through onto the palate. Full bodied and elegant, the mouthfeel is rich and creamy with a refreshing acidity. (Ref: www.kleinconstantia.com)

Serve chilled as an accompaniment to desserts such as tarte tatin and crème brûlée, or to cheeses such as Roquefort and Stilton. The combination of high residual sugar and alcohol levels allows the wine to age for at least 20 years.

The essence of Vin de Constance is perfect balance between sugar, acid and alcohol while retaining freshness and expressing the cool climate and very specific soil types of Klein Constantia. The 2015 vintage marked the beginning of a long 3-year drought, resulting in one of the earliest picks since 1986. Despite the warm year, we were able to isolate 23 different batches of Muscat de Frontignan to make up the final blend of Vin de Constance. The most time consuming of these batches is the essencia, the heart and soul of the Vin de Constance, which is made from raisins harvested individually by their specialised team. Raisining happened fast, giving concentrated berries with the perfect balance between sugar, alcohol and acidity. Dedicated tanks perfectly suited for maceration and fermentation of the Muscat skins were used. These tanks have been designed to enhance the extraction of flavours and sugars whilst keeping the fermentation temperature controlled and protecting the juice and skins from oxidation and over extraction. Aged in a combination of French oak, Hungarian oak and Accacia barrels, the wine went on to mature in the new Vin de Constance barrel cellar. A cellar kept at optimal temperatures and set to the right humidity allowing the wine to age in perfect conditions for 3 years. (Ref: www.kleinconstantia.com)

“Even better than the 2014 release - and that was a spectacular sweet wine - the 2015 Vin de Constance is one of the greatest ever vintages of this iconic sticky. More Barsac than Sauternes in terms of weight, it’s fresh and refined, a bit like the 2012, with citrus and orange zest balancing the 172 grams of sugar. The oak is perfectly judged, the length and freshness things of wonder. 98 Points” Tim Atkins, South Africa report 2018 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2015