2016 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2016 1500mL

Regular price: $519.00 /Bottle
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Producer
Klein Constantia
Varietal
White blend
Region
South Africa
Alcohol
14.0%
Volume 1500ml
Vintage 2016
Closure type Cork

The 2016 vintage of Klein Constantia Vin de Constance is a true masterpiece from South Africa. This 1500mL bottle exudes elegance and sophistication, with a deep golden color that shimmers in the glass. On the nose, aromas of apricot, honey, and orange blossom dance together, creating a symphony of scents that entice the senses. On the palate, layers of rich flavors unfold, including ripe peach, candied citrus, and a hint of spice. The mouthfeel is velvety and luxurious, with a perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. This wine culminates in a long, lingering finish that leaves a lasting impression. Savor this exquisite wine on its own or pair it with a decadent dessert for a truly indulgent experience. Klein Constantia has truly outdone themselves with this 2016 vintage, showcasing the best of South African winemaking.

Critic Reviews

98 POINTS

Tim Atkin MW

"Best sweet wine of the year" Increasingly celebrated as one of the great sweet wines of the world, not just the Cape, Vin de Constance is a delight to taste and review. Slightly drier than the 205 release at 165 grams of sugar, it has more in common with the Loire or Tokaji than it does with Sauternes in terms of freshness and structure. Fresh, balanced and floral, with incredible delicacy, racy acidity, fine oak and flavours of pear tart, crystallised lemons and orange zest. 2019-35 KLEIN CONSTANTIA RETAINS IT’S FIRST GROWTH STATUS & IS THE ONLY FIRST GROWTH FROM THE CONSTANTIA VALLEY. VOTED ‘BEST SWEET WINE OF THE YEAR’ 3 TIMES. VOTED ‘BEST YOUNG WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR’ IN 2016. THE SECOND TIME TO SCORE 98 POINTS.

97 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2016 Vin de Constance is matured in 50% French acacia oak, Hungarian oak and regular French oak, and 50% in French foudres . This has more delineation and precision on the nose compared to the previous vintage, offering acacia honey, quince, saffron and touches of elderflower in the background. The palate is very well balanced with fine precision, a killer line of acidity and disarming purity toward a finish that lingers in the mouth. Stunning.

97 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2016 Vin de Constance contains 165g/L residual sugar and has a pH of 3.73. It is slightly paler in color compared to other recent vintages. The well-defined bouquet offers scents of wild honey, acacia and orange blossom, all quite airy and focused – not what you would call a heavyweight nose. On the palate, laser-like acidity cuts through the viscous fruit, and notes of saffron and allspice furnish the honeyed texture. There is immense precision on the finish. Superb.

97 POINTS

Neal Martin - Vinous

The 2016 Vin de Constance contains 165g/L of residual sugar. This has a wonderful bouquet with layers of wild honey and acacia, little-changed since I last encountered it a couple of years back. The palate is concentrated, multi-faceted yet primal at the moment. I suspect this vintage is maturing at a glacial pace, but I cannot wait to taste this at 12-15 years of age. Outstanding.

97 POINTS

Andy Howard MW - Decanter

Strikingly pure, fresh and youthful, this is almost like an 'essence of Muscat'. Hints of elderflower and subtle spices on the nose are complemented by a licquorous palate with zesty citrus peel and honey, balanced by crisp acidity. 2016 was a very early vintage due, in part, to El Nino but the dry, warm season was mitigated in Constantia by prevailing cool sea-breezes, and cool night-time temperatures. This really needs 2-3 years to bring out the complex flavours which will make this a memorable sweet wine for many decades.

97 POINTS

2020 - Decanter World Wine Awards

Classical Muscat which shines through with all the Constantia heritage. Super pure, sleek and precise. Honeysuckle aromas, crystallised orange zest, quince with a pronounced floral marigold. Cleansing acidity to lift the complex finish. Award: Platinum - DWWA 2020

Tom Parker MW - JancisRobinson.com

Sweet and fragrant on the nose. Layers of honey, acacia, sultana and earthy spices. The palate is sweet but not remotely cloying, with bright acidity and great intensity of fruit and marmalade. Harmonious and intense, with superb purity and vibrancy. Mellow raisined notes are lifted by floral orange blossom, cinnamon and sweet vanilla spice. Unerring and long on the finish, superb! 18/20

Jancis Robinson

Strong marmalade and candied lime-peel nose with something floral – not the nobility of a botrytised wine. But then sweet and a little smoky. Certainly very sweet, arguably a tad too sweet, and a bit chewy on the end. I look forward to reading Malu Lambert’s account of a vertical tasting of this wine. 16/20

Winemakers Notes

With more than 320 years of history, The Vin de Constance is without a doubt THE greatest sweet wine of the South hemisphere. A unique style, based on freshness and delicious aromas. A MUST HAVE in one's cellar. The vineyard : The vines of Muscat de Frontignan, the only variety used for Vin de Constance, stretch more than 16,5ha in slopes on the Constantiaberg mountain. The granite terroir of the Constantiaberg is 600 millions years old and has a high clay content which ensures a good irrigation and water retention favorable hence to the keeping of vines during dry and hot summers. Located between 35m and 400m above sea level, the domain benefits of a constant sea breeze. The vines are South-East oriented. The climate is Mediterranean due to the influence of the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans. Summers (November-May) are dry and hot with strong sunlight but refreshed by the Cape Doctor, a wind formed by the Benguela, a current coming from the Antarctic. The freshness of Cape Doctor stresses and shapes the vine, which coupled to the strong sunlight, permits to develop all the complexity of Vin de Constance by filling the fruit in concentration and flavor. The harvest : First of all, a first harvest is realized to create a basic wine with a 12,5-13% alcohol content and a good acidity. In a second time, comes the harvest of the raisined grapes. Indeed, a contrario of sweet Bordeaux wines elaborated thanks to botrytis, the elaboration of Vin de Constance does not require this “noble rot” but the raisining of the grapes. This technic consists in leaving the grapes on the vine, let them dry in the sun and wind to get them aged, wilted and concentrated in sugar. This two times system of harvesting permits to ensure constancy in the Vin de Constance where sugar and acidity are in perfect harmony Vin de Constance elixir is placed in its iconic bottle with its unique and particular form redesigned by an Italian designer to look alike the original bottle while adding it a touch of modernity. Since then, the design has been registered and globally protected, which emphasizes the uniqueness of Vin de Constance. They liked Vin de Constance : Napoléon 1st who had some bottles delivered weekly at Saint-Hélène during his exile. On his death bed, he wanted to drink only Vin de Constance and nothing else. Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette. King of England George IV, the queen Elizabeth II Queen of England Victoria. Prussia Emperor Frédéric Le Grand. Georges Washington, Thomas Jefferson. The Indonesian Prince Dipanagara who was a Muslim but drank Vin de Constance. Baudelaire (« I prefer Constance to opium »), Byron, Jane Austen (a remedy to a heartbreak ), Charles Dickens. John Adams Casanova Alexandre Dumas Nelson Mandela Xi Jinping

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2016 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2016 1500mL

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