Klein Constantia
Sauvignon Blanc 2019
100% Sauvignon Blanc
RSD 2,585
AWARDS
92 Points - Tim Atkin, MW (for 2018 Vintage)
VINTAGE
A great deal of attention has been placed on expressing the Klein Constantia style in this wine. It consists of a blend of various parcels from the estate, each kept separate throughout the wine-making process. Finally, they are carefully blended together to create a perfect representation of the unique Klein Constantia terroir.
WINEMAKING
Sticking to the basics, we made a wine to truly respect and express the Klein Constantia terroir. Batches were hand sorted and the grapes were pressed gently, allowing optimal free run juice to be used. It was 100% tank fermented and spent 7 months on the lees after which the various batches were blended together to create this elegant wine.
TASTING NOTES
Bright and light in appearance, aromas of citrus and stonefruit fill the nose. The palate is richly textured, fresh and complex with a bold minerality - a pure expression of Sauvignon Blanc. The wine concludes with a long crisp flinty finish. Drink now or allow to develop until 2023.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Region: Constantia, Western Cape, South Africa
Alcohol: 13.5%
Acidity: 6.30 g/lt.
pH: 3.27
Residual Sugar: 1.60 g/lt.
Klein Constantia
Metis Sauvignon Blanc 2017
100% Sauvignon Blanc
RSD 3,780
AWARDS
92 Points - James Suckling (for 2017 Vintage)
94 Points - Tim Atkin, MW (for 2018 Vintage)
VINTAGE
A great deal of attention has been placed on expressing the Klein Constantia style in this wine. It consists of a blend of various parcels from the estate, each kept separate throughout the wine-making process. Finally, they are carefully blended together to create a perfect representation of the unique Klein Constantia terroir.
WINEMAKING
Grapes were harvested by hand from 4.00 am from high lying blocks able to withstand the way in which the wine is made. No sulphur was added at crush and fermentation was wild. The wine was left to mature on the lees for a period of 12 months in a combination of stainless steel tank as we as 20% neutral oak barrels.
TASTING NOTES
Light and vibrant in appearance. Fresh citrus and nettle aromas fill the nose. The palate is concentrated and full bodied with a rich peppery and mineral mouthfeel. Refreshing and supported by a balanced acidity, the wine concludes with a powerful and flinty finish. Drink now or keep up to 5 to 10 years.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Region: Constantia, Western Cape, South Africa
Alcohol: 13.5%
Acidity: 7.20 g/lt.
pH: 3.22
Residual Sugar: 1.90 g/lt.
Klein Constantia
Estate Red 2016
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Malbec, 19% Shiraz & 16% Petit Verdot
RSD 4,540
AWARDS
94 Points - James Suckling (for 2016 Vintage)
92 Points - Tim Atkin, MW (for 2016 Vintage)
VINTAGE
A great deal of attention has been placed on expressing the Klein Constantia style in this wine. It consists of a blend of various parcels from the estate, each kept separate throughout the wine-making process. Finally, they are carefully blended together to create a perfect representation of the unique Klein Constantia terroir.
WINEMAKING
Each parcel is carefully identified and blocks are split into multiple portions in order to harvest at the perfect ripeness. The grapes are then bunch and berry sorted to ensure that only the healthiest berries are selected. Malolactic fermentation takes place in 40 % new French oak barrels after alcoholic fermentation. The wine is then aged for 12 months before blending and bottling.
TASTING NOTES
Deep ruby in appearance. Boasts a lively nose with rich dark fruits from ripe plums to blackcurrant, balanced with a perfume of elegant oak spice. The palate is refined with delicate red fruit backed up well integrated tannins that allows for a long savory finish. Drink now or keep up to 5 to 10 years.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Region: Constantia, Western Cape, South Africa
Alcohol: 14.6%
Acidity: 5.20 g/lt.
pH: 3.66
Residual Sugar: 2.00 g/lt.
Klein Constantia
Vin de Constance 2015
100% Muscat de Frontignan
RSD 16,260
AWARDS
98 Points - Decanter Magazine (for 2015 Vintage)
98 Points - Tim Atkin, MW (for 2015 Vintage)
96 Points - James Suckling (for 2015 Vintage)
The vineyard of Klein Constantia was planted by Simon van der Stel, the first governor of the Dutch Cape Colony, the settlement at the Cape of Good Hope, Constantia, in 1685.
Vin de Constance wine was enjoyed in the 18th and 19th centuries by many of history’s great personalities, among them are Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette, King George IV of England, Queen Victoria, President George Washington, President Thomas Jefferson, Queen Elizabeth II, Emperor Frédéric le Grand, Otto von Bismarck…
Napoleon Bonaparte ordered as much as 1,126 liters (297 gallons) of Vin de Constance shipped in wooden casks each year to Longwood House, his home in exile on St Helena from 1815 until his death in 1821. The Count de las Cases reported that, on his deathbed, Napoleon refused everything offered to him but a glass of Vin de Constance wine. (Wikipedia - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Constantia)
VINTAGE
The 2015 vintage brought about challenges and joys. It is the first vintage to be completed in our renovated cellar, with equipment dedicated for the making of Vin de Constance. This harvest marked the first year of the long 3 year drought in the Cape, resulting in the earliest harvest of Muscat de Frontignan we have had since 1986. It was also the year of the terrible fires that raged through the Cape Peninsula.
WINEMAKING
The drought prompted a shorter harvest, which resulted in faster ripening fruit yielding berries with concentrated flavours and well balanced acidity. With the renovated cellar, we could make use of dedicated tanks intended for perfect maceration and fermentation of the Muscat. Throughout the season we harvested in batches - from the riper berries that have great acidity to the raisins for sugar concentration. Each batch is kept separate and treated differently. These batches make up the perfect ratio between sugar, alcohol and acidity which allows the wine to stop fermentation naturally and without intervention. The wine was aged in a combination of 50% new French oak, Hungarian oak and French acacia. It was left for a period of 3 years in barrel on the gross lees before racking out and blending. It spent a further 6 months in tank before bottling.
TASTING NOTES
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, the mouthfeel is rich and creamy with a refreshing acidity.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Region: Constantia, Western Cape, South Africa
Alcohol: 13.97%
Acidity: 6.50 g/lt.
pH: 3.6
Residual Sugar: 172.70 g/lt.