FINE WINE FOCUS       A series examining the best wines of the Cape’s top producers

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance:  An appraisal by Angela Lloyd

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance
An appraisal by Angela Lloyd

What more appropriate moment to feature Vin de Constance than as the trade agreement between South Africa and the European Union is finally signed. The re-incarnation of the legendary sweet wine, a style created locally by Constantia's first vigneron, Simon van der Stel and reaching its epitome in Cloete's eighteenth-century masterpiece, is once again legally available in Europe, where the original was lauded by royalty, writers and politicians. The arbitrary EU regulation forbidding the sale of unfortified wine with a potential alcohol of over 15% was scrapped for South Africa by the agreement.

The dream to re-create the famous Constantia began after Duggie Jooste had purchased the run-down Klein Constantia estate in 1980. It was then that Professor Chris Orffer, the world authority on wine varieties who had extensively researched the Constantia region, remarked to Jooste that Klein Constantia formed part of the vineyards producing the original wine. The challenge was laid down.

In the vineyard

Every step taken by Jooste, winemaker Ross Gower and the farm’s then senior consultant viticulturist, Ernst le Roux (Kobus Jordaan has been involved since 1981), in their efforts to produce a modern version of those sweet Constantias, was done with reference to the original. Muscat de Frontignan (a synonym for Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, the noblest strain of muscat) was the chosen variety; the crop is restricted, by removing bunches, if necessary, thus, allowing the remaining grapes to reach high sugars on the vine, and the wine is unfortified.

The first two vineyard blocks were planted in 1983 (1.28ha) and 1984 (1.10ha), both on fertile decomposed granite soils, in a sheltered spot behind the cellar. Huge demand has prompted the establishment of further blocks, mainly extending up the hillside: in 1995 (1.14ha), 1998 (1.00ha), 2000 (2.16ha) and 2001 (2.13ha).

Planting density is 4000 vines per hectare; vines are trained on an extended five-wire Perold system and spur-pruned. Potential yield may reach 12 to 15 tons per hectare; with removal of bunches, when necessary, at around 18º Balling (at which level the discarded bunches can still be used for wine), the yield drops to the desired six tons per hectare. In the drought years of 1999, 2000 and 2001 no thinning was necessary.

The bunches are harvested, by hand – ‘when they look right,' says Gower. ‘With such a mix of healthy, shrivelled and raisined berries, it’s impossible to get a representative sample of juice.’ The general requirement is around 30% shrivel and 40º Balling, which usually occurs around late March to mid April. Botrytis has never been a feature of Constance; the fungus was first recorded in the Cape at the turn of the twentieth century, so Cloete’s wine would not have had the ‘noble rot’ character. ‘Some modern vintages might have a touch,’ Gower admits, ‘but it is not a feature we're looking for.’

Making the wine

Vinification is kept as simple as possible, again to mirror the old Constantia wines, though employing modern equipment. Four hours’ skin contact is followed by an extended 12-18 hour pressing at a gentle 1.8 bars. Juice recovery is around 450 litres per ton (compared with 700-750 l/ton for Klein Constantia's other white wines). After settling, the juice is inoculated with Pris de Mousse yeast and fermented at 20ºC in stainless steel. ‘It can take up to three months before the final “plop” of fermentation,’ says Gower, the halt either occurring naturally at around 15% alcohol, or through cooling and a sulphur addition. The wine is then left on its lees in tank until it goes into older 500 litre Allier and Nevers oak barrels for 12 to 14 months.

Cold stabilisation, fining and filtration precede machine bottling, whereafter the bottles remain upright until they are waxed and labelled. each of which is hand-dipped into wax. The attractive, asymmetrical 500ml bottle, a replica of a hand-blown original, is individually packed in a black box, with a brochure relating the wine's history.

Vin de Constance is released as a four year-old. I felt it was presumptuous to assign too precise a peak for each vintage, especially bearing in mind the Klein Constantia team had recently celebrated patriarch Duggie Jooste’s 75th birthday with a 1791 Constantia, still in excellent health! So, the rather more flexible option was taken here of long, medium or short term, which might roughly translate into, respectively, 50 years and longer, 20-50 years, and up to 20 years – all, of course, with the proviso that the wine is stored under cool, calm conditions. If I'm not right about the current 1997 still going strong in 2047, I won’t be around to take the blame!

Perhaps the most eloquent testimony to the success and inherent quality of Vin de Constance lies in the contrast between its high profile among media and consumers and low-key marketing. ‘We kept very quiet about the whole concept,’ recalls Lowell Jooste, Duggie’s son, and co-owner. ‘I personally delivered to members of the media a bottle of the first vintage with a press release; there was no big launch.’ And that's how it has remained; each new vintage makes an unheralded appearance on the price list towards the end of the year. Each year, it sells out within one or two months.

The 12 vintages released to date have received recognition beyond what one might expect from such young wines. Accolades have been widespread, including from the French, who chose to ignore the EU regulation! The wine has shared centre-stage with greats such as Yquem, and is enjoyed by presidents and pop stars. High auction prices and ratings are all now part of this modern Constantia, which looks set to emulate its illustrious predecessors.

Annual production: 1500-2000 cases
Current release: 1997
Price: R130 per 500ml bottle

KLEIN CONSTANTIA VIN DE CONSTANCE 1986-1997

1986 Noble Late Harvest *****1000 litres made, never sold. Brilliant burnished gold with olive-green rim. Intense, lifted fresh honey and lemon bouquet. Racy, minerally acid lends vivid clarity to the rich fruit, silky texture. Excellent balance. Incisively clean, long. Amazingly youthful though gains in intricacy over younger vintages. Long term. Alc 13.7% RS 95 g/l (no TA available)

1987 Noble Late Harvest **** Stronger bronze with broad olive rim. Rich raisiny nose with some apricoty botrytis and racy peppermint lift. Pleasant mellow integration on concentrated if simple flavours; less textured, more obvious sweetness but well trimmed by bracing acid. Medium term. Alc 13.9% RS 125 g/l TA 9.4g/l

1988 *** No style designation. Clear, bright amber, pronounced olive rim. Intense, somewhat one-dimensional raisiny nose with suggestion of toasty oak. Drier impression; diminished voluptuousness; alcohol quite prominent; reasonable length. Lacks some harmony. Shorter term. Alc 14.4% RS 82 g/l TA 10.9 g/l

1989 ****½ From this vintage designated Natural Sweet Wine. Bright, deep mahogany centre well-graded to green edge. Sherry-like nose with roasted nut tones, slight attractive oxidation. Palate fresh, well-tailored richness, flavours true to nose, good structure, balance and length. Medium-long term. Alc 15.9% RS 84 g/l TA 8.5 g/l

1990 ****½ Clear, layered mahogany/bronze with green rim. Raisins with dried apricots and citrus peel on appealing, mellow nose focused by a little va. Luscious, sweet entry with good minerally acid core; vivid, apparently youthful flavours, long racy finish. Medium term. Alc 14.4% RS 127 g/l TA 7.5 g/l

1991 ***** An elegant beauty! Bright gold with amber highlights. Complex, subtle nose showing lovely balance between muscat and raisin scents. Sweet entry to delicate, silkily textured palate; unevolved but perfectly balanced; has endless length and finesse. Long term Alc 14.1% RS 158 g/l TA 8.3 g/l

1992 ****½ Brilliant gold, amber tinge at centre. Fresh mint, raisins, lime marmalade scents. Similarly vibrant apricot, citrus concentration; mouthcoating richness; excellent sugar/acid balance. Developing into striking individual. Long term. Alc 14.5% RS 103 g/l TA 8.3 g/l

1993 ***½Strong gold with amber centre. Young, fresh lime marmalade fragrance and noticeable wood spice. Richly textured, obviously sweet; nudge of tannin and alcohol needing time to harmonise. Has balance to do so but jury is out on improvement potential; now the least integrated of the wines. Medium term. Alc 14.5% RS 168 g/l TA 7 g/l

1994 **** Noticeably darker than contiguous vintages; bronze with olive rim. Bold, intensely ripe apricot, raisiny bouquet. Big, luscious mouthful more raisins than muscat with slight caramel finish. Good concentration; should gain more mellow calmness though not necessarily greater complexity. Medium term. Alc 14% RS 139 g/l TA 8.8 g/l

1995 ***** Brilliant, saturated gold. Wafting, multi-layered mint, lime marmalade fragrance. Elegant with poised, racy acid, balanced mix of raisins and muscat fruit. Full complexity still to evolve. Resist for at least 4-5 years. Long term. Alc 14.5% RS 112 g/l TA 8.3 g/l

1996 **** Similar delicacy to '95 but shyer, less expressive; possibly due to higher S02. Fine, minerally acid, prominent on finish. With time in glass, youthful grapey flavours emerge. Will be very good. Leave at least 5 years. Medium term. Alc 14.3% RS 112 g/l TA 8.7 g/l

1997 ****½ Clear butter yellow/gold. Deep dried apricot, raisin and bitter orange marmalade aromas; still youthfully vigorous. Rich, luscious with still-obvious sweetness on entry, not yet knit with fine, poised acid. Tailored, clean finish with long cinnamon spice flavours. Great potential. Leave for at least 5-6 years. Long term. Alc 14% RS 102 g/l TA 9.1 g/l

Unbottled vintages: 1998 (in barrel), 1999, 2000 and 2001 (in tank) were also tasted but, as unfinished wines, not assessed. The 2001 seems to have potential delicacy and complexity similar to 1991 and 1995; 1998 is bigger, with good concentration and excellent balance; 1999 big, rich and fruity; 2000 closed and quite sturdy. All show more obvious grapey character than more mature vintages.

Key: Alc = alcohol by volume
RS = residual sugar
TA = total acidity

• Return to Grape 14 contents page
• Return to home page