Nose of honeysuckle, nectarine, lychee, lime zest and tangerine. Lychee, tangerine, lime and nectarine on the palate. Very long finish with bright acidity. Still young, but very enjoyable. Served with bread pudding.
This (L21144) is just fabulous. It seems a shame to consume it so young, but it is irresistible. I wish I had a case to to see how it evolves over the coming decades. It is very sweet but somehow light (14% ABV), with great acid tension, and a refreshing stone fruit finish on each sip. it is an intensely floral wine with a cornucopia of aromas and flavors, notably apricot, citrus and ginger. Outstanding.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is the wine which Napoleon Bonaparte, while in exile on the island of St Helena drank daily.
He even reportedly requests a glass on his death bed.
Interesting facts:
It's only in 2012 that the new chapter for Klein Constantia begins. The property had been for sale for a while and – as Vice Chairman Hans Astrom told me – it was “a bit dusty”, severely in need of attention. It changed hands in 2011, with Zdenek Bakala – an American-Czech billionaire – and British banker Charles Harman taking over, merging a year later with the Stellenbosch estate Anwilka, part-owned by Duggie Jooste’s son Lowell Jooste, Hubert de Boüard (of Ch. Angélus) and Bruno Prats (previously of Cos d’Estournel). Matthew Day – who had been working at the property since 2008 – took over as winemaker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting dinner. Surprisingly light color, pale lemon due to its young age. Very pure and floral with camomille, honey suckle, nectarine. Well made, lovely acidity but much too sweet and floral for me. Sweet Muscat is really one of the last things that I order. If it has to be that sweet, then a Riesling Eiswein or TBA would be my preference.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank over several evenings after dinner as a night cap. Light gold color. Intense intoxicating scents of honey, peaches, peppery citrus and peach skin. Good density on the palate. Sweet honey, orange and peach flavors with a good level of acidity keep the flavors vibrant and fresh. Finishes long and sweet with a nice citrus pith note on the finish.
This has the most wonderful nose of honey and Leche. Great mouthfeel and very long finish. Honeyed pears on the pallet. Brisk acidity. Really nice and will only get better with age!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (EBCC): By the time this was popped and poured, I had begun concentrating more on the conversations with friends than with my tasting notes, but ZaphodB‘s comments sum this up very well. It is intensely floral and vibrant, racy and elegant. Absolutely delightful. Must seek out more for the cellar.
Golden yellow hue. Lovely fruity nose with notes of orange blossom, white lilys and jasmine. Mouthfeel is sweet, elegant, well balanced, quite rich, with notes of candied orange peel, white lilys, jasmine, dried apricots and a touch of marzipan.
This is a totally gorgeous wine, so much muscat, and so elegant and fresh. Vibrant and floral, drinks well already and probably for several decades more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aromatic nose of honeysuckle, peach, ginger, lemon zest, tangerine, pistachio and cardamom. Honeysuckle, peach, ginger, lemon, cardamom and tangerine on the palate. Very long, layered finish. Nice balance. Young and vibrant. Served with vanilla custard and raspberries.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is an absolutely superb young dessert wine. Dried apricot for daaaaaays. Was great over 3 days and is a fine value at under $60 for the quality vs. high-end Sauternes for example.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Mostly had over a week, with a little left to taste at the 2 week mark. A very nice dessert wine for sure. I love the orange muscat components to sweetness and this vintage did not disappoint. Fair complexity, fair acid, delicious wine... That said, my only comparison of other Vin de Constance is the 2007 vintage - which was revelatory.
It is likely not a fair comparison with the age difference, but this wine seems to fall quite short of 2007. I do hope that age and maturity will bring my remaining bottles closer to the ethereal experience provided by the 2007 bottling.
Medium gold, honey, peach, caramel, apricot, vanilla, orange peel, good acidity, medium + length finish. Awesome wine, and legendary for a reason! Perhaps the alcohol felt a bit too high, but who cares! Drank by the glass at Oocker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is very very good, sweet but perfectly balanced and really nice muscat flavors. Nevertheless I was expecting a bit more from such a wine, it lacks complexity and length. I will try again in 10 years! There are better price/quality ratios...
By the glass at Kahani, London. Not sure when this was opened but probably a few days as such the freshness on the wine was not there albeit the wine was delicious. Less of the orange marmalade that we consider the tell tell sign of this wine.still though elegant , well balanced and a joyful 92
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: light copper Nose: well we have bellflower right in front here. Then some fresh apricot and yellow peach. But then, then there is a whole world. Nougat, wafer, fresh baked butter pastry and almond paste biscuit. White pepper and clove hints. Raisins soaked in sherry vinegar. And here I get the distinct feel that there is more to be unpeeled Palate: the balance is perfect. Medium-high sweetness, medoum-high acidity. Big body, full as it gets. Dense but lifted up by the acidity Finish: medium-long
Right on, Napoleon's favorite. I see that. Depth and breadth. Ever-changing aromatics. It is a wonderful wine now but I think it has cards left up its sleeve. Literally will forget the rest in storage, see you when kids graduate
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Always a pleasure to come back to one of the finest sweet wines from SA and this new vintage is as marvelous as any I’ve tried before. Medium glittering golden colour. Intense aroma of dried apricots, peaches, pineapples, honey, apple peel, banana, dried mandarin peel, nutty hints. Palate is concentrated, packed with intense and rich fruity flavour. Dense and silky texture, just like a pure velvety elixir with masterfully balanced great fragrant acidity and a touch of pleasant bitterness.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
From 500mL. Made from unbotrytised, raisined grapes. Yellow-golden; intense aromatics with white florals, lychee, pear, elegant aromatics, slightly showy alcohol, immediately obvious this is Muscat; palate is medium-plus bodied, richly textured with some weight though not heavy, sweet but not overly so, medium-plus alcohol (14%), medium acidity, white stone fruits, orange peel; finish is long and notably has some bitter orange rind, a bit of sweetness to balance. My first experience with this wine, and it is far too young, but enjoyable even now and the quality is obvious. I might prefer a touch less alcohol, but the aromatics, the balance, and the length are excellent. I would love to try this again in 3-4 decades. 93++
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasting @ Klein Constantia: The flagship. Medium gold, honey, peach, caramel, apricot, vanilla, orange peel, good acidity, medium + length finish. Awesome wine, and legendary for a reason!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Absolutely sublime and god-smacked when tasting ! Never had it before, but it blew me right of my socks. So sublime, so smooth, powerful yet beautiful soft.
Not easily dishing out a perfect score, but nothing to default here.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Klein Constantia Tasting (WSPC): In the nose the wine is bright and fresh ,a few rubbery notes that clear off, grapey, apple, pear, tin peach and apricot, tin pineapple, very elegant, with floral notes, quince jam and kumquat. In the palate the wine is all kumquat, beautiful texture, luscious, a thin oak frame, nice acidity, tin apricot, tin peach, grape concentrate, long finish Its very smooth in the palate, seamless
As always that distinct orange jam springs out and from then on its the consistency and elegance of a very well made wine. Such a pretty wine and albeit at the start of its drinking life delivers and will continue to improve for decades. 93 for now
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Layered and prices aroma profile of honey, pear, fresh grass, sunflowers, dried apricot, orange zest, oranges and lime. The palate shows amazing viscosity coupled with tension, dark forest honey notes and just the right amount of sweetness, all in perfect balance. Could be the best Vin de Constance yet out of the ones I’ve tasted (2007, 2013, 2016, 2017)!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Excellent balance of sweetness and acidity with a clean finish, but otherwise this came across as overly simple. I probably served it too cold, but also this is a baby and it would really benefit from a decade in the cellar to develop some caramel notes. HOLD with plenty of upside.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Aiolos En Primeur Tasting (Aiolos HQ): The wine is elegant and fine in the nose, juicy, fresh, grapey, nice ripe stone fruit, peach, nectarine, leafy freshness, floral, freshly made orange marmelade. The wine is smooth in the palate, the sweetness is there but well balanced and not cloying at all, grapey, stone fruit, mandarin, orange marmelade, preserved orange peel, nice acidiy, long elegant finish
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely nose of apricot jam, orange zest, honey. Great balance with the sweetness balnced byt he acidity, very harmonious with some light balsamic notes in the end spoiling it a little. Overall though very enjoyable.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
4/6/2024 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Nose of honeysuckle, nectarine, lychee, lime zest and tangerine. Lychee, tangerine, lime and nectarine on the palate. Very long finish with bright acidity. Still young, but very enjoyable. Served with bread pudding.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
3/2/2024 - PaulusLoZebra Likes this wine: 96 Points
This (L21144) is just fabulous. It seems a shame to consume it so young, but it is irresistible. I wish I had a case to to see how it evolves over the coming decades. It is very sweet but somehow light (14% ABV), with great acid tension, and a refreshing stone fruit finish on each sip. it is an intensely floral wine with a cornucopia of aromas and flavors, notably apricot, citrus and ginger. Outstanding.
5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2024 - Sean Tay Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is the wine which Napoleon Bonaparte, while in exile on the island of St Helena drank daily.
He even reportedly requests a glass on his death bed.
Interesting facts:
It's only in 2012 that the new chapter for Klein Constantia begins. The property had been for sale for a while and – as Vice Chairman Hans Astrom told me – it was “a bit dusty”, severely in need of attention. It changed hands in 2011, with Zdenek Bakala – an American-Czech billionaire – and British banker Charles Harman taking over, merging a year later with the Stellenbosch estate Anwilka, part-owned by Duggie Jooste’s son Lowell Jooste, Hubert de Boüard (of Ch. Angélus) and Bruno Prats (previously of Cos d’Estournel). Matthew Day – who had been working at the property since 2008 – took over as winemaker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 90 Points
Tasting dinner. Surprisingly light color, pale lemon due to its young age. Very pure and floral with camomille, honey suckle, nectarine. Well made, lovely acidity but much too sweet and floral for me. Sweet Muscat is really one of the last things that I order. If it has to be that sweet, then a Riesling Eiswein or TBA would be my preference.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/30/2023 - SWHighlander Likes this wine: 96 Points
Fantastic. More like a TBA than a Sauternes. One of the best dessert whites I’ve had.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/2/2023 - Pinotfanbg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank over several evenings after dinner as a night cap. Light gold color. Intense intoxicating scents of honey, peaches, peppery citrus and peach skin. Good density on the palate. Sweet honey, orange and peach flavors with a good level of acidity keep the flavors vibrant and fresh. Finishes long and sweet with a nice citrus pith note on the finish.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/27/2023 - Wine Warrior 1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic wine and an unbelievable value. Easily the best wine I have ever had from South Africa.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
10/2/2023 - JWG wrote: 98 Points
Wow. Wow. Only yquem has had this kind of perfection in my experience.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2023 - jmcmchi Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow!
Expecting something good, this was special, outshining some beauties eith the main course
Sweet without sweetness, tangerine acidity with a hint of oak.
Amazing what muscat can do
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/24/2023 - worldtraveler1987 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Birthday girl loves it.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
9/14/2023 - americanstorm Likes this wine: 95 Points
This has the most wonderful nose of honey and Leche. Great mouthfeel and very long finish. Honeyed pears on the pallet. Brisk acidity. Really nice and will only get better with age!
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2023 - Scorpacciata wrote: 95 Points
Tasted with a large group alongside a 2010 Chateau d'Yquem and all rated the 2018 Constantia more highly. Will be fascinating to see how it evolves.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
8/27/2023 - Elliot Vale Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quince, green gauge, tangerine, white flowers and guava. Luscious, complex, very long finish. Epicaly good. I would love to see how this develops.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/9/2023 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Just to avoid me being wrong scoring this a perfect 100 last time.
I gave this blind to my friends sommelier across the table. They all went quiet ...
For me as well, it still confirms my initial tasting notes - this is really out of this world.
From now on, it's on my yearly to buy vintage !
Mathijs
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/21/2023 - AllRed wrote: 96 Points
Friday Group Brown Bag Tasting (EBCC): By the time this was popped and poured, I had begun concentrating more on the conversations with friends than with my tasting notes, but ZaphodB‘s comments sum this up very well. It is intensely floral and vibrant, racy and elegant. Absolutely delightful. Must seek out more for the cellar.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
7/8/2023 - ZaphodB Likes this wine: 96 Points
Golden yellow hue. Lovely fruity nose with notes of orange blossom, white lilys and jasmine. Mouthfeel is sweet, elegant, well balanced, quite rich, with notes of candied orange peel, white lilys, jasmine, dried apricots and a touch of marzipan.
This is a totally gorgeous wine, so much muscat, and so elegant and fresh. Vibrant and floral, drinks well already and probably for several decades more.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/13/2023 - Bruno DALBIEZ Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning (if you like very sweet wines).
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2023 - Peter Spijker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Exactly the same note as before, this is a spectacular wine. Just need to keep my hands off and leave some for later, but it drinks so well already!
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
1/21/2023 - hoservin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aromatic nose of honeysuckle, peach, ginger, lemon zest, tangerine, pistachio and cardamom. Honeysuckle, peach, ginger, lemon, cardamom and tangerine on the palate. Very long, layered finish. Nice balance. Young and vibrant. Served with vanilla custard and raspberries.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/2/2023 - Nojomoschwa Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is an absolutely superb young dessert wine. Dried apricot for daaaaaays. Was great over 3 days and is a fine value at under $60 for the quality vs. high-end Sauternes for example.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2022 - PDX-S wrote:
Mostly had over a week, with a little left to taste at the 2 week mark.
A very nice dessert wine for sure. I love the orange muscat components to sweetness and this vintage did not disappoint. Fair complexity, fair acid, delicious wine...
That said, my only comparison of other Vin de Constance is the 2007 vintage - which was revelatory.
It is likely not a fair comparison with the age difference, but this wine seems to fall quite short of 2007. I do hope that age and maturity will bring my remaining bottles closer to the ethereal experience provided by the 2007 bottling.
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (3)
10/20/2022 - Peter Spijker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Medium gold, honey, peach, caramel, apricot, vanilla, orange peel, good acidity, medium + length finish. Awesome wine, and legendary for a reason! Perhaps the alcohol felt a bit too high, but who cares! Drank by the glass at Oocker.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/11/2022 - Pinder Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is very very good, sweet but perfectly balanced and really nice muscat flavors.
Nevertheless I was expecting a bit more from such a wine, it lacks complexity and length.
I will try again in 10 years!
There are better price/quality ratios...
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (2)
10/6/2022 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 95 Points
Full of honey, dried apricot, marmalade. Fresh floral and guava too! Lack some acidity for my taste. Still outstanding
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/1/2022 - Papies wrote:
By the glass at Kahani, London.
Not sure when this was opened but probably a few days as such the freshness on the wine was not there albeit the wine was delicious. Less of the orange marmalade that we consider the tell tell sign of this wine.still though elegant , well balanced and a joyful 92
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/23/2022 - stet Likes this wine: 94 Points
Color: light copper
Nose: well we have bellflower right in front here. Then some fresh apricot and yellow peach. But then, then there is a whole world. Nougat, wafer, fresh baked butter pastry and almond paste biscuit. White pepper and clove hints. Raisins soaked in sherry vinegar. And here I get the distinct feel that there is more to be unpeeled
Palate: the balance is perfect. Medium-high sweetness, medoum-high acidity. Big body, full as it gets. Dense but lifted up by the acidity
Finish: medium-long
Right on, Napoleon's favorite. I see that. Depth and breadth. Ever-changing aromatics. It is a wonderful wine now but I think it has cards left up its sleeve. Literally will forget the rest in storage, see you when kids graduate
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/3/2022 - Ernestas Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always a pleasure to come back to one of the finest sweet wines from SA and this new vintage is as marvelous as any I’ve tried before. Medium glittering golden colour. Intense aroma of dried apricots, peaches, pineapples, honey, apple peel, banana, dried mandarin peel, nutty hints. Palate is concentrated, packed with intense and rich fruity flavour. Dense and silky texture, just like a pure velvety elixir with masterfully balanced great fragrant acidity and a touch of pleasant bitterness.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
5/24/2022 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
From 500mL. Made from unbotrytised, raisined grapes. Yellow-golden; intense aromatics with white florals, lychee, pear, elegant aromatics, slightly showy alcohol, immediately obvious this is Muscat; palate is medium-plus bodied, richly textured with some weight though not heavy, sweet but not overly so, medium-plus alcohol (14%), medium acidity, white stone fruits, orange peel; finish is long and notably has some bitter orange rind, a bit of sweetness to balance. My first experience with this wine, and it is far too young, but enjoyable even now and the quality is obvious. I might prefer a touch less alcohol, but the aromatics, the balance, and the length are excellent. I would love to try this again in 3-4 decades. 93++
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/22/2022 - Peter Spijker Likes this wine:
Tasting @ Klein Constantia: The flagship. Medium gold, honey, peach, caramel, apricot, vanilla, orange peel, good acidity, medium + length finish. Awesome wine, and legendary for a reason!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/10/2022 - Mathijs81 Likes this wine: 100 Points
Absolutely sublime and god-smacked when tasting !
Never had it before, but it blew me right of my socks.
So sublime, so smooth, powerful yet beautiful soft.
Not easily dishing out a perfect score, but nothing to default here.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/8/2022 - kostaslonis wrote:
Klein Constantia Tasting (WSPC): In the nose the wine is bright and fresh ,a few rubbery notes that clear off, grapey, apple, pear, tin peach and apricot, tin pineapple, very elegant, with floral notes, quince jam and kumquat.
In the palate the wine is all kumquat, beautiful texture, luscious, a thin oak frame, nice acidity, tin apricot, tin peach, grape concentrate, long finish
Its very smooth in the palate, seamless
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (5)
3/7/2022 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
As always that distinct orange jam springs out and from then on its the consistency and elegance of a very well made wine. Such a pretty wine and albeit at the start of its drinking life delivers and will continue to improve for decades. 93 for now
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/19/2022 - sirpat00 Likes this wine: 97 Points
Layered and prices aroma profile of honey, pear, fresh grass, sunflowers, dried apricot, orange zest, oranges and lime. The palate shows amazing viscosity coupled with tension, dark forest honey notes and just the right amount of sweetness, all in perfect balance. Could be the best Vin de Constance yet out of the ones I’ve tasted (2007, 2013, 2016, 2017)!
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/23/2022 - Portland Seth Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent balance of sweetness and acidity with a clean finish, but otherwise this came across as overly simple. I probably served it too cold, but also this is a baby and it would really benefit from a decade in the cellar to develop some caramel notes. HOLD with plenty of upside.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2021 - kostaslonis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Aiolos En Primeur Tasting (Aiolos HQ): The wine is elegant and fine in the nose, juicy, fresh, grapey, nice ripe stone fruit, peach, nectarine, leafy freshness, floral, freshly made orange marmelade.
The wine is smooth in the palate, the sweetness is there but well balanced and not cloying at all, grapey, stone fruit, mandarin, orange marmelade, preserved orange peel, nice acidiy, long elegant finish
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/9/2021 - Yorgos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Lovely nose of apricot jam, orange zest, honey. Great balance with the sweetness balnced byt he acidity, very harmonious with some light balsamic notes in the end spoiling it a little. Overall though very enjoyable.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment