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Klein Constantia : Vin de Constance 2019
Klein Constantia : Vin de Constance 2019
Klein Constantia : Vin de Constance 2019
Klein Constantia : Vin de Constance 2019
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J. Robinson18/20
Klein Constantia : Vin de Constance 2019

Klein Constantia : Vin de Constance 2019

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J. RobinsonJ. Robinson18/20

Description

The richness and balance of an iconic South African sweet white wine

The estate

Located in the Western Cape region of South Africa, Klein Constantia has been making history since 1685.

Simon van der Stel, a senior official of the Dutch East India Company, was the driving force behind the construction of his estate, Groot Constantia, named after his wife, Constance, and the planting of numerous vines on his property. These wines swiftly gained international success and were served at the most prestigious dinner parties. Louis XVI, George Washington, Charles Baudelaire and Napoleon Bonaparte all contributed to the growing reputation of this great sweet white wine.

Douglas 'Duggie' Jooste, the former owner of Sedgwick's, a family-owned sherry production company (Jerez), acquired the then neglected estate in 1980.

Zdenek Bakala (American banker of Czech origin) and Charles Harman (vice-president of JPMorgan banks) bought the estate in 2011. Accompanied by two French shareholders, Hubert de Boüard de Laforest, co-owner of Château Angélus (Saint-Émilion) and Bruno Prats, former owner of Château Cos d'Estournel, the two co-owners carried out an in-depth restructuring of the vineyard in order to turn this estate into an illustrious flagship reference among South Africa's finest wines.

The vineyard

Klein Constantia's 2019 Vin de Constance is a Western Cape wine made exclusively from the estate's flagship grape variety, Muscat de Frontignan.

The vineyard for this wine covers 16.5 hectares of sloping land on the famous Constantiaberg mountain, where the granite and clay soils provide an optimal water supply and sufficient water reserves, limiting water stress during hot, dry summers.

The vintage

Spring was marked by cold, wet and windy conditions. While this climate had an impact on flowering and yields, due to the reduced size of the grapes, it also delayed vegetative development. Harvesting was carried out from the end of February to the end of March, under hot and dry weather conditions.

Vinification and ageing

This sweet white wine from South Africa is the fruit of a unique vinification process. The first harvest is carried out in order to create a "reserve" wine. Subsequently, 26 different selections are harvested from grapes that have been dried and withered in the sun, thus favouring an optimal concentration of sugar. Following the harvest, the grapes are rigorously sorted by hand before being vinified separately by batch. In order to stimulate microbial fermentation while protecting the grapes during vinification, a layer of "non-saccharomyces" yeasts is inoculated before alcoholic fermentation. The wine is pressed and then fermented without human intervention in 500-litre barrels. The duration of this fermentation varies according to the batch, from six months to one year. Aged for 18 months in 500-litre French and Hungarian oak barrels (50% new), then a further 18 months in large tuns. Once the ageing is complete, the wine is blended and bottled. The residual sugar content of this sweet white wine is 166g/litre.

The blend

Muscat de Frontignan (100%).

Vin de Constance 2019 from Klein Constantia: Characteristics and tasting tips

The tasting

Colour

The brilliant colour showcases a beautiful light gold colour.

Nose

The delicate nose blends fruity (white peach) and floral (citrus blossom) fragrances with flavoursome notes of orange peel, nutmeg and lemon cream.

Palate

The palate is very complex, with aromas of spices, ginger and ripe fruit. The palate seduces with its perfect balance between sugar and acidity. The finish is persistent, smooth and subtly spicy.

Klein Constantia : Vin de Constance 2019
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