Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2018

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Klein Constantia is an estate intimately linked to the history of winemaking in South Africa. Simon van der Stel, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope and founder of the estate, was one of the first to believe, in 1685, that the Cape terroir held great potential for producing great wines. The name Constantia chosen for his new estate was probably inspired by Constantia van Goens, granddaughter of the Governor General of the East India Company, to whom Simon van der Stel owes the allocation of vast lands to create his estate. The estate is thus located just behind Table Mountain, about twenty kilometers from Cape Town. Upon his death, the estate was purchased by Hendrik Cloete, who elevated it to a unique level of renown. This sweet wine, made from overripe grapes, would garner illustrious fans, including Louis Philippe, Napoleon—then in exile on Saint Helena—Frederick the Great, Bismarck, and others.

Klein Constantia experienced a succession of owners during the 19th and 20th centuries, alternating between periods of crisis (phylloxera) and periods of splendor. In 1913, Abraham Lochner de Villiers and his wealthy American wife, Clara Hussey, acquired it, living in the lap of luxury until their deaths in the 1960s. Since 1980, Klein Konstantia has been owned by the Jooste family, who have made significant investments to revive this historic vineyard. Klein Constantia produces a range of wines, primarily from Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Riesling grape varieties. But the Vin de Constance is the estate's flagship cuvée, a revival of the 18th and 19th century vintage, presented in its original 50cl bottle.