2009 South Africa

This wine is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Petit Verdot, 21% Merlot and 8% Malbec. ll vineyards are unirrigated and produce low yielding fruit (4 to 6 t/ha) giving a pure expression of its environment. The grapes are ripened to peak maturity before being hand harvested. The nose has aromas of smoked meats, dark cherries and Christmas cake. There is a hint of roasted fennel bulb and five spice. The palate is full, rich, lingering and dry. It is mouth-filling and packed with flavors of dark cherries, plums, cassis and mulberries.

This blend offers ripe fruit flavors with a savory mid-palate of smoked meats, fennel bulb and roasted spices. The tannins are firm and dry which offers an exceptionally long finish. Serve with smoked meats, venison pie, beef fillet with a red wine sauce or an oxtail stew. The wine also pairs well with hard cheeses.

The nose is enticing with orange, marmalade and apricot aromas, freshly harvested honey. If this isn’t enough of an assault on the olfactory senses, then the palate is in for just as big a treat. The mouth feel has a lovely viscosity that layers the mid palate with tropical fruit, dried pineapple, spiced honey and yet the finely balanced acidity lifts this to a finely honed length and finish. Always a great sweet wine for the hedonists this is another great offering that is very drinkable in its youth or over the next 10 + years.
Stuart Rae, Private Account Manager

The Klein Constantia Vin De Constance is a legendary natural sweet wine, widely regarded as one of the world’s finest. During the 18th and 19th centuries Vin de Constance was the most famous wine from the Southern Hemisphere. This seductive and iconic sweet offering, made only 20km from Cape Town, seduced the Kings and Queens of Europe, featured in the novels of Charles Dickens and Jane Austen and continues to impress its loyal followers. In 1980 Klein Constantia was bought by Duggie Jooste who redeveloped the Estate.

Early records were studied and careful selection was made from vines which, in all likelihood, came from the original stock used in Constantia 300 years ago. In 1986 the first vintage of the renaissance was reintroduced to the public and packaged in a similar style 500ml bottle to its forebears. Made from Muscat de Frontignan, the 2009 was aged in a combination of French oak, French Acacia oak and Hungarian oak barrels for 4 years, of which 60% were new barrels. The harvest began in late January and was completed only in late April.

The extended picking period allowed the estate to harvest up to 25 different batches that make up the many components in the final blend. Each bunch is hand selected and only the ripest and best bunches are chosen. There is no racking or movement of the wine during the 4 years of ageing until the final blend is decided.

This is a fascinating wine. Made by the irrepressible Adi Badenhorst in the Swartland from a mind-blowing ten varieties, it already has five years of age and is showing beautifuly now. The lemon-gold colour initially suggests that this is not a shy retiring wallflower of a wine. The nose is reminiscent of toasted hazelnuts with notes of ripe lemon coming through and the palate... Where to begin with the palate? It is full of weight and interest.

Notes of tangerine from the Roussanne mix with the warmth of Viognier and the waxy character of Chenin Blanc and Semillon. An usual, almost sherry-esque pervades the wine which, along with the lovely, long and fresh finish, binds the whole together beautifully. Quite unique, this is an enticing and absorbing wine experience. The blend comprises: 29% Chenin Blanc, 23% Roussane, 11% Viognier, 11% Chardonnay, 10% Grenache Blanc, 5% Colombard, 5% Grenache Gris, 2% Semillon, 2% Verdelho, 2% Clairette Blanche.
Catriona Felstead MW, Wine Buyer