2 0 1 5 · 95 points - Wine Spectator 94 points - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Regional Trophy & Gold - Decanter International Wine Awards #10 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines

2 0 1 5

Vin de Constance 2015

Since being re-introduced in 1986, after having been dormant for almost 100 years, Vin de Constance has again appeared on many lists as one of the world’s greatest wines. It is internationally recognised for its historical importance, origin, quality and unique style. In order to continue this iconic wine’s legacy and for it to be around for another 330 years we certainly do not want to alter this successful and unique wine style. However, it is our commitment to always seek for small but balanced improvements in areas that can further elevate the quality of this wine.

The essence of Vin de Constance is perfect balance between sugar, acid and alcohol while retaining freshness and expressing our cool climate location and very specific soil types. Everything we do, from vineyard to bottle is done with this in mind.

Here are some indications of what we have been undertaking:

• The 2015 vintage marked the beginning of a long 3-year drought, resulting in one of our earliest picks since 1986. More so, 2015 will be remembered by the devastating fire that affected the entire Southern Peninsula for two weeks in March. Through the determination and hard work of the Klein Constantia team we were able to minimize the damage caused to the farm and vineyards, largely kept to the upper reaches of the farm. Fortunately, the majority of the grapes had already been brought into the cellar with only a small portion yet to be harvested. These batches came from the most further point on the farm from the fire making it unlikely that there was damage to any grapes or wine produced.

• Despite the warm year, we were able to isolate 23 different batches of Muscat de Frontignan to make up the final blend of Vin de Constance. The most time consuming of these batches is the essencia, the heart and soul of the Vin de Constance, which is made from raisins harvested individually by our specialised team. Raisining happened fast, giving us concentrated berries with the perfect balance between sugar, alcohol and acidity.

• Another exciting element of the harvest was the opportunity to utilize the newly renovated cellar with dedicated tanks perfectly suited for maceration and fermentation of the Muscat skins. These tanks have been designed to enhance the extraction of flavours and sugars whilst keeping the fermentation temperature controlled and protecting the juice and skins from oxidation and over extraction. Aged in a combination of French oak, Hungarian oak and Accacia barrels, the wine went on to mature in the new Vin de Constance barrel cellar. A cellar kept at optimal temperatures and set to the right humidity allowing the wine to age in perfect conditions for 3 years.

• In order to enhance the complexity of the wine, we began to experiment with a ‘Non Saccharomyces’ yeast strain, stimulating an additional non-alcoholic but microbial fermentation. The added benefit of this process is that it inhibits any unwanted micro-organisms in the wine, reducing any off flavours from being formed.

• We harvest in the very early hours of the morning, ensuring conditions are perfect and that the grapes come in at the coolest natural temperature.

• NDtech is the latest cutting-edge offering from Amorim Corks. It is a unique quality control technology for natural cork closures that effectively eliminates the risk of cork taint, by ensuring that if any TCA remains present in the cork it is below the detection threshold of 0.5 nanograms/litre. This helps preserve the integrity of both the cork and the wine. The 2015 vintage of Vin de Constance is the second vintage to receive these closures.

• The process to isolate our own clone from the original Muscat de Frontignan block continues. We have identified vines of superior qualities which have been cleaned up by Western Cape Biotech and moved to the Vititech nursery. Currently the material is being propagated and in 2019 we will be able to remove the old block and replant to the new clean material.

• Due to the success of the bush vines (goblet) in previous vintages, more have been planted and all new plantings are now configured in the same way. In order to fully revive the Constantia wine, we aim to create it as it was done in the early days when vines were farmed in this area. The microclimate of a bush vine (goblet) is very different to that of a normally trained vine, resulting in a different flavour profile. The shape of the bush vine (goblet) also allows maximum sunlight exposure to the bunch, resulting in a higher degree of early raisining that in turn improves the balance of ‘sugar to acid’ ratios at harvest.

• The blending is an important factor when trying to achieve a perfect balance in the wine. Outside of our internal tasting panel, select tasters from both South Africa and France attend multiple tasting sessions over a 6-month period, constantly fine tuning the perfect blend before the final decision is made and then bottled.

Matthew Day, winemaker of Klein Constantia.

Tasting NoteThe drought prompted a shorter harvest, which resulted in faster ripening fruit yielding berries with concentrated flavours and well balanced acidity. With the renovated cellar, we could make use of dedicated tanks intended for perfect maceration and fermentation of the Muscat. Throughout the season we harvested in batches - from the riper berries that have great acidity to the raisins for sugar concentration. Each batch is kept separate and treated differently. These batches make up the perfect ratio between sugar, alcohol and acidity which allows the wine to stop fermentation naturally and without intervention.

Vintage 2015

Varietal Muscat de Frontignon

Alcohol 13.97%

Residual sugar 172g/l

PH 3.8

Total Acid 6.5g/l

Region Constantia, Western Cape

Vibrant and tantalizing from the bright, golden appearance to the lingering, zesty finish. The nose is layered with aspects of citrus blossom, honeycomb and stone fruit which follow through onto the palate. Full bodied and elegant, the mouthfeel is rich and creamy with a refreshing acidity.

DESCRIPTION

Historic Score CardVin de Constance 2014

97 points, Platinum & Best in Show - Decanter World Wine Awards96 points - Tim Atkin SA Report

95 points - James Suckling

Vin de Constance 201398 points - Karen MacNeil, Winespeed97 points - Jamie Goode, Wineanorack

96 points & Platinum Best in Show - Decanter World Wine Awards96 points - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

95 points - Tim Atkin SA Report95 points - James Suckling94 points - Wine Spectator94 points - Stephen Tanzer

19/20 - Weinwisser5 stars - Platter’s Wine Guide SA

Vin de Constance 201297 points - Dencanter Rating

97 points - Tim Atkin SA Report95 points - Wine Spectator

94 points - Robert Parker’s Wine AdvocateOverall Sweet Wine of the year - Tim Atkin SA Report

Best Sweet & Fortified wines - Tim Atkin SA Report5 stars - Platter’s Wine Guide SA

Vin de Constance 201196 points & Best sweet wines of the year - Tim Atkin SA Report

96 points - Christian Eedes WineMag SA94 points - Wine Spectator93 points - Stephen Tanzer

93 points - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate5 stars - Platter’s Wine Guide SA

Vin de Constance 200995 points - Wine Spectator

94 points - Robert Parker’s Wine AdvocateRegional Trophy & Gold - Decanter International Wine Awards

#10 in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 wines for 2015 - first South African wine to achieve Top 10

Vin de Constance 200896 points - Tim Atkin SA Report

95 points - Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate 95 points - Decanter UK

94 points - Wine Spectator17/20 - Jancis Robinson

Trophy & Gold - International Wine Challenge