Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2021

Dating back to 1685 and described as one of the world’s most beautiful wine estates, Klein Constantia is set amidst ancient trees on the upper foothills of the Constantiaberg, with views across False Bay. The 146 hectare estate originally formed part of Constantia, a vast property established 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 slopes, gently cooled by ocean breezes. The famous sweet Constantia wine became a favourite among European nobility including Prussian Emperor Frederick the Great and French King and Queen, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Much later, Napoleon Bonaparte enjoyed up to a bottle of ‘vin de Constance’ daily while in exile on St Helena and reportedly requested a glass on his deathbed. In Jane Austen’s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, Mrs Jennings recommends a little Constantia ‘for its healing powers on a disappointed heart’ as well as for colicky gout. It is also referred to in the works of other famous writers such as Alexandre Dumas, Charles Baudelaire, and Charles Dickens.

When the Jooste family purchased Klein Constantia in 1980, they resolved to recreate this one truly, historically, great wine of the southern hemisphere. The maiden Vin de Constance 1986 was launched in 1990 to instant acclaim, and international accolades have followed for every vintage since then – especially since Klein Constantia’s acquisition by Zdenĕk Bakala and Charles Harman in 2011.