Klein Constantia
Vin de Constance
2018
About this winery
Described as one of the world’s most beautiful vineyards, Klein Constantia is set amidst ancient trees and lush greenery on the upper foothills of the Constantiaberg, with superb views across the Constantia Valley and False Bay. Our 146 hectare 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...
See the Klein Constantia detail page for more information on this brand
Product notes
The build up to the 2018 harvest included the highest summer rainfall of the past 6 years as well as some of the coldest average night time temperatures, giving the vines a long and slow growing season. According to statistics the South African 2018 harvest was 2 weeks later than usual and most crops were down by 15%. Our bunches were lighter, however our berries were small and perfect, resulting in elegant flavours with good concentration and succinct characters. Harvest 2018 was the second longest harvest at Klein Constantia since 1986.
Production notes
The 2018 vintage of Vin de Constance was a textbook with cold weather. We harvested 21 different batches, starting early February, bringing in grapes with higher acidity, and continuing until mid April, bringing in grapes with more maturity and flavour. These individual parcels are the unique components which form the building blocks of Vin de Constance. They allow us to craft a wine that has the perfect balance between alcohol, acidity and sugar. The final wine entails a detailed and focused period of blending, during and after fermentation. This wine was aged for 3 years in a combination of 50% new French oak barrels, a small amount of acacia barrels, as well as large format foudres before final blending and then bottling.
Tasting notes
Bright and yellow gold in colour. The nose is layered with complex flavours of Seville marmalade, ginger spice and grapefruit. A rich and luxurious mouthfeel, the wine is full bodied, fresh and vibrant. The palate is balanced showcasing a perfect harmony between salinity, acidity, spice and sweetness. Concentrated with suspended density, it concludes with a pithy astringency and a lingering finish.