Vin de Constance 1.5L

Foie gras on brioche with vendage tardive wine jelly.

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 perfect location for cool climate wines Klein Constantia produces some of South Africa’s top wines including one of the world’s best natural sweet wines Vin de Constance.

These historic vineyards were first planted in the late 1600s as part of the original Constantia estate, whose legendary sweet wines were celebrated in literature by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Baudelaire. It was sought after by Napoleon, in his exile, and by the courts of Europe in the 18th and 19th century. Chosen for its soil of decomposed Table Mountain granite, and its cooling sea breezes from both the Atlantic and Indian oceans, these vineyards provide the perfect terroir for premium winegrowing.

Vin de Constance 2008 was aged in a combination of 500L French and Hungarian oak barrels for 4.5 years, of which 60% were new barrels and was blended with the aid of new Klein Constantia shareholders and Bordeaux wine experts, Hubert de Boüard and Bruno Prats.

After handpicking selected shriveled grapes, the berries are left to macerate on their skins for several days to soften, which facilitates the recovery of their golden juice with pressing.