Vin de Constance 2011

Vin de Constance bottle & case
At the launch for the 2011 Vin de Constance, winemaker Matthew Day mentioned being stunned by a bottle of 1791 that amazed with its incredible aromatics and purity of flavours. 

  • First made in 1685 from raisined Muscat de Frontignon berries, Klein Constantia's Vin de Constance was known historically simply as "Constantia" and was drunk in preference to Tokay and Yquem.  Drunk by Napoleon, Frederick the Great, Bismarck, and referenced by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Baudelaire to name a few, this is a legendary wine.
 
Day spoke passionately about the efforts being made to to recreate those original vineyard conditions; reverting to trellised bush vines, restoring the natural balance of soils and vines and isolating their own Muscat de Frontignon clone from the original Vin de Constance block
 
Day has the resources he needs to "take it to the next level", with the backing of wealthy committed owners, and the expertise of consultants Hubert de Bouard (of Chateau Angelus) and Bruno Prats (formerly of Chateau Cos d'Estournel).  Together they want to make Vin de Constance, once again, the world's greatest sweet wine and are leaving no stone unturned.
  
  • A wine fit for royalty, the 2008 Vin de Constance was served at the recent state banquet when the Queen hosted Chinese president Xi Jinping and his wife at Buckingham Palace.  
  • No Vin de Constance was released in 2010 as the quality was deemed insufficient but the 2011 Vin de Constance showed itself to be a brilliant successor to the 2007 (97pts WA), 2008 (95pts WA) and 2009 (94pts WA and recently crowned number 4 in the Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of 2015).
 
A fraction of the price of Yquem, at just over £40 per bottle (inc duty and VAT), this is a legendary wine that doesn't come with an enormous price tag.

"if I happen to taste better value for money than recent vintages I will let you know - but don't hang around waiting. I mean, under $50 for a meticulously crafted, profound, rare and utterly delicious world class wine? What are you waiting for?"   Neal Martin, The Wine Advocate

 
Wine offered In Bond (IB) excluding duty and VAT.  For enquiries please email the team
Offer subject to final confirmation. E&OE.


VintageWineGrowerConditionSizeCasesBottlesPrice 
2011 Vin de Constance Klein Constantia - 50cl (6 bt) 10 - 195 per Case Add to shopping cart
"For the 2011 perfectly raisined berries were hand picked in 25 lots in the early hours of the morning to ensure optimal sugar and acid levels.  Each lot was macerated and vinified separately before being blended and aged in oak and acacia barrels (60% new). The 2011 shows clean and focussed flavours on the nose and palate with dried apricot, orange zest and spice leading to an incredibly long precise finish.  It is beautifully poised with a luscious rich mouth coating texture that is perfectly balanced by the refreshing acidity."
Albany Vintners 
 
"Consistently one of the best sweet wines in the world, this tea-leafy, honeyed, orange peel-scented Muscat is rich and sweet, with 152 grams of sugar, some skin tannins, nutmeg and ginger spice and a weighty, dense texture. Long, complex and assured. Drink: 2015-25" 
96pts Tim Atkin, South Africa Report 2015

"Wonderfully bright on both the nose and palate. Concentrated flavours of apricot and orange zest with aspects of frangipani flowers abound. Mouth filling yet clean and focussed, the wine tapers into a rich, luscious finish"  
Matthew Day, Winemaker