VIN DE CONSTANCE
2008 Klein Constantia
| Grapes | Muscat |
| Origin | South Africa |
| ABV | 14% |
Tasted on its release at a Vin de Constance Masterclass in September 2013, the 2008 is immediately remarkable as it is darker than both the 2005 and the 2007 tasted just beforehand. This is reflected on the palate by huge weight and thickness of texture. Wow! Such great concentration and intensity. Loaded with flavours of thick-cut, dark Dundee Marmalade, wonderful spice and warm clove notes. Just such power and persistence, still quite tightly wound but brooding with so much flavour, then you pick up the acidity which is remarkable and then delightful notes of rose petals and such pretty aromatics. This certainly has a very exciting future. L&S (Oct 2013)
| 12 | ||
*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.
The 2008 Vin de Constance needs a little more encouragement from the glass compared to other vintages. It is reminiscent of a Barsac with aspirations toward a Tokaji Aszú! There is lovely definition on the nose, which offers scents of Seville orange marmalade, quince, sea spray and mandarin, all gaining intensity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with a viscous opening. Like the 2012, this is built around a killer line of acidity that lends tension and poise. Marmalade, apricot jam, grapefruit and honeyed notes form the chorus line, later joined by stem ginger and rhubarb. The finish is long and graceful. Excellent. Drinking range: 2020 - 2045 Rating: 95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Sept 2020)
Deep amber. Tea, dried apricot and raisin, with clove, orange rind and dusty mineral notes. Fresh and bright, with acidity ahead of sweetness, carrying dried orange peel, tea and caramel. Long, long finish. At its peak. (TJ) Drinking range: 2015 - 2028 Rating: 17 Tim Jackson MW, www.jancisrobinson.com (Dec 2019)
The nose has a fragrant charm orange blossom spring flowers and although the start of the palate is quite light there is sensuous underlying sweetness. The fruit mix is exotic lots of orange peel and tropical fruits just a hint of exciting spice. 2013-22 Rating: 95 Derek Smedley MW, www.dereksmedleymw.co.uk
Klein Constantia
Vin de Constance comes from the Klein Constantia estate founded in 1695, just 20 miles from Cape Town at the foot of Table Mountain. Most unusually for a ‘New World’ wine, it was big news in Europe throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Napoleon is said to have shipped over bulk quantities of Vin de Constance to St Helena, to allow for about a bottle a day to see him through his exile there, but he was not alone, Louis XVI, Frederick the Great and the discerning gastronomes that made up the Russian Royal family were all more than partial too. Our own dear Jane Austen recommends it in Sense and Sensibility to sooth a broken heart and the more effusive Frenchman, Monsieur Baudelaire, suggests that only the ‘lips of a lover were more heavenly sweet...’ Following its early success the estate’s fortunes changed in the mid nineteenth century – the dreaded Phylloxera devastated the vineyards and the estate went in to rapid decline. Not until 1979 did life get breathed back in to Klein Constantia when a local family picked up the pieces, planted new vines and started the revival of this once illustrious wine estate – the revival has continued as new owners took the reins in 2010, with deep pockets and huge ambition. You can read David Porter's latest blog piece on the recent 2008 Vin de Constance Tasting with Matt Day the Winemaker Here
- For full delivery details see our Delivery page.
- We offer free nationwide* delivery for all orders over £150 with our own vans. We also offer an express delivery service for an additional charge.
- Order & Collect from any of our 5 London shops. Order by Midnight for collection the next working day from 11am.
- Private wine storage: we offer a full In Bond and Duty Paid private wine storage service - find out more here.
ORDER COLLECT
ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS