Klein Constantia Vin De Constance, Sweet Wine | 500 ml

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In 1778 the portion of the estate surrounding van der Stel's mansion was sold to the Cloete family, who planted extensive vineyards of mostly Frontignac, Pontac, red and white Muscadel and a little Steen ( Chenin blanc) [2] and extended and improved the mansion. On the death of Hendrik Cloete in 1818, the estate was split, and the upper portion became the property of Cloete's son Johan Gerhard Cloete under the name Klein Constantia. Constantia, the first wine farm in Southern Africa, was established in 1685 by the VOC Governor of the Cape Simon van der Stel, and was used to produce wine as well as other fruit and vegetables and cattle farming. Van der Stel, a keen viticulturist, had been the first to recognize the potential of the decomposed granite soil in the sheltered valley facing False Bay and bounded by sea on both sides after he had had soil samples collected from all over the Cape. He chose this area to plant his vines and named it Constantia. Matt Day, head winemaker at Klein Constantia since 2012, presented four decades of the estate’s wine at the Institute of Masters of Wine in September 2019. Day’s intention was to demonstrate his philosophy of balance and his mission to increase the freshness of the wine. Achieving balance is the goal of every winemaker, and Day discussed this holy grail in the simplest terms. ‘You need to make a sweet wine that almost tastes dry, so that you can drink it at different parts of a meal.’ If both Anwilka and Vin de Constance remain works in progress, Day seems pretty content with what has been achieved so far with the latter, while remaining mindful that there’s still more to be done.

For Day, it’s about fine-tuning the balance between primary, secondary and tertiary flavours – taste 2014 today and the emphasis is on the tertiary, while 2020 “has just left the primary stage”. Skrabec, Quentin R. (September 2010). The world's richest neighborhood: how Pittsburgh's East Enders forged American industry. Algora Publishing. p.63. ISBN 9780875867953. It's only in 2012 that the new chapter for Klein Constantia begins. The property had been for sale for a while and – as Vice Chairman Hans Astrom told me – it was “a bit dusty”, severely in need of attention. It changed hands in 2011, with Zdenek Bakala – an American-Czech billionaire – and British banker Charles Harman taking over, merging a year later with the Stellenbosch estate Anwilka, part-owned by Duggie Jooste’s son Lowell Jooste, Hubert de Boüard (of Ch. Angélus) and Bruno Prats (previously of Cos d’Estournel). Matthew Day – who had been working at the property since 2008 – took over as winemaker. While the estate still produces a full range of whites and reds, Vin de Constance is its flagship. Another winemaking tweak involves the use of a non-saccharomyces yeast prior to fermentation, which inhibits the development of unwanted micro-organisms (and off flavours), but also stimulates an additional, non-alcoholic fermentation to improve complexity. Beautifully perfumed with sweet citrus, marmalade, grapes and honey. Spicy and intense with great freshness, sweetness and complexity. Nice spicy, raisiny notes with lovely focus and complexity. So fine, pure and complex. Has great acidity, and some tannin, balancing the sweetness beautifully. So fine. 97/100

ALSO READ: SA wine tourism industry encouraged by growth of visitors to the Cape THE WORLD’S GREATEST SWEET WINE Devoted to Klein Constantia as they were, Clara and Abraham were determined that the farm should remain within the de Villiers family. As they had no children of their own, their nephew Jan, son of Rocco and Annie de Villiers of Paarl, was designated as their heir, and sent to the University of California at Berkeley for two years to study viticulture. When Jan returned to Klein Constantia he remained until Abraham's death in 1930, when he then left for the Transvaal, returning only in 1955 when his Aunt Clara died, whereupon he inherited the property. With the passing of Clara Hussey de Villiers, the era of glamour and splendour came to an end. [8] The Jooste Era [ edit ] Klein Constantia: Press Room" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 December 2013 . Retrieved 8 March 2013. How, then, did such a legendary wine fall from grace? Economic downturn in the second half of the 19th century, followed by the arrival of mildew and phylloxera in the Cape, and the subsequent dominance of the KWV – the state-run cooperative – saw it vanish. When you’re responsible for the 21st-century incarnation of one of the world’s most famous wines, the obvious temptation must be to leave well alone; to pay more attention to history than modernity, and to place a higher value on tradition than innovation.

We always do our very best to achieve our stated delivery times but please note we can not be responsible for circumstances beyond Tanners control including, but not limited to, adverse weather conditions and supplier and carrier difficulties. Delivery to other areas - additional charges The original Constantia estate was huge, and a long time ago was split into a number of different properties. Since Klein Constantia released their Vin de Constance, neighbouring estates have joined the game: Groot Constantia followed in 2003 with their Grand Constance, and Buitenverwachting have their 1769.

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In June 2012, Klein Constantia merged with Stellenbosch-based vineyard, Anwilka (formerly co-owned by Lowell Jooste, Hubert de Boüard and Bruno Prats) and Klein Constantia welcomed two new shareholders in de Boüard, of Château Angélus and Prats, formerly of Château Cos d'Estournel. [14] Wine production [ edit ] In Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen's character Mrs Jennings recommends a little Constantia for "its healing powers on a disappointed heart". [4] In Charles Baudelaire's Les fleurs du mal poem XXVI entitled Sed non satiata Baudelaire compares the charms of his beloved to the pleasures brought by Nuits-Saint-Georges and Constantia wine: "Even more than Constantia, than opium, than Nuits, I prefer the elixir of your mouth, where love performs its slow dance." [8] Uniqueness is an overused term, but there is no other wine like Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance. Produced from Muscat de Frontignan grapes on the cool lower slopes of Constantiaberg on the Cape Peninsula, it has an ancient history. Early records show how the 10th commander of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, planted the first vines at the estate he called Constantia in 1685” Adam Lechmere