2022 Klein Constantia - Vin de Constance Dessert Wine (500ml)

Klein Constantia was established in 1685 on the foothills of the Constantiaberg, overlooking False Bay, and remains one of the most storied wine estates in the world. Its sweet wine, historically known simply as Constantia, was favored by figures from Napoleon Bonaparte to European royalty before production ceased in the mid-19th century. The estate revived the style in 1986 under the name Vin de Constance, restoring a wine once considered among the greatest in the world.

This wine is made from organically farmed Muscat de Frontignan, a thick-skinned grape that rarely develops botrytis, meaning its sweetness comes entirely from grapes left to raisin naturally on the vine rather than from noble rot. The 2022 growing season arrived late and compressed, shaped by warm, dry conditions with limited rainfall that pushed ripening along quickly, and the final wine was blended from eighteen separate batches. After fermentation, it spends around three years aging in oak barrels, part new and part seasoned, deepening its texture and complexity.

Fresh apricot, quince, and dried pineapple mingle with fig preserve and honeyed spice on the nose, while the palate is dense and full bodied yet lifted by bright acidity that keeps it from feeling heavy. Serve it with foie gras, a rich blue cheese, or simply on its own as a contemplative pour after dinner.