David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

This a blend of 52 Shiraz, 37% Cabernet and 11% Petit Verdot.

Some musty notes. Blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries, blue fruits, pepper, black licorice, vanilla, caramel, dark spice, dark fruit liqueur notes, dry leather, underbrush and withering to dry dark florals. Gets better as you sip it but, not really my thing. Perhaps, that changes with enough bottle age.

Photos of; Klein Constantia, the entrance of their tasting room, red wine barrels and Estate vines.
— 7 hours ago

Ray S

9.5

Wow! Our server recommend this as a companion to the lamb we ordered. Or maybe I'm still on an adrenaline rush having dipped into the Zambezi just a few feet away from the edge of Victoria Falls. Either way... I want more! — 7 days ago

Jon Ebsworth

9.1

Really interesting SA white blend, the chenin and viognier coming through on the palate most strongly — a day ago

Clive McNish

9.1

Very nice, smokey blend, very much in the Burgundy style but with some nice Stellenbosch fruit. Good bottle now but some nice ageing potential. — 21 days ago

Mark Flesher

8.9

D3. Very light Chenin. Getting some lemon primarily on the nose. Very light but crisp open yet acidity is restrained. Middle with hints of peach and tangerine. Finishes with more rounded edges than I thought it would. Did what it needed to do to mellow me post lunch! — 10 days ago

Kurt Schuster

8.9

Burst of green bell pepper at the start that’s fading to dusty ripe fruit on the verge of jammy, but not there yet. Baking spices to an almost berry pie without a crust flavor. Tannins form a firm backbone and has a sweet to spicy to round ripe finish. Delicious. — 4 days ago

with Frank and Deborah

Noel Lourdes

9.0

Very good on the palate. Would have been exceptional if it had more bouquet...but still it gets the 9 rating for its immediate impact on taste — 8 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.0

The nose reveals, ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, plum skin, black raspberries, strawberries, cola, dark chocolate, vanilla, dark spice, rich dark earth, dry top soil, soft leathery notes, touch smoke, steep red fruit tea, caramel, mocha, stones with fresh & withering dark red florals.

The body is on the lighter side for Cabernet. The tannins firm and powdery. The structure, tension, length and balance are good. Ripe fruits of; blackberries, dark cherries, blueberries, plum skin, black raspberries, strawberries, cola, dark chocolate, vanilla, dark spice, rich dark earth, dry top soil, tobacco, soft dry leathery notes, touch smoke, steep red fruit tea, caramel, mocha, dark chocolate bar, crushed granitic soils, dry stones with fresh & withering dark red florals. The acidity bright. The finish has bright fruits but, is earth dominate. It’s requires five years of aging before enjoying it.

Photos of; Klein Constantia hillside vineyards, painting of their old school bottle, grounds of their Estate and large oak vats. — 7 hours ago

Jean-Christoph Morin

9.0

Vintage 2018. Very light yellow color. Nose: pear, peach, already very subtle smells of butter. In the mouth: nice acidity maybe too intense (probably dispersed in a few hours, a few years), light citrus, yellow apples. A lot of oak (maybe too much for some). A very beautiful wine. Surprising price-quality ratio. Very pleasantly surprised. I am not a big fan of Chardo. This one is surprising, I recommend.

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Vendange 2018. Couleur jaune très légère. Au nez : poire, pêche, déjà des odeurs très subtiles de beurre. En bouche : belle acidité peut-être trop intense (se dispersa sans doute dans quelques heures, quelques années), des agrumes légers, pommes jaunes. Beaucoup de chêne (peut-être trop pour certains). Un très beau vin. Rapport qualité-prix surprenant.  Très agréablement surpris. Je ne suis pas un grand fan de Chardo. Celui-ci est surprenant, je recommande. — 15 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Sorry, short notes on this one. I had to get to Cape Point Vineyards.

This might be their most famous wine. Here is some history of this wine over the centuries. Napoleon Bonaparte had as much as 1,126 liters (297 gallons) of Constantia wine shipped in wooden casks each year to Longwood House, his home in exile on St Helena from 1815 until his death in 1821. The Count de las Cases reported that, on his deathbed, Napoleon refused everything offered to him but a glass of Constantia wine.

In Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen's character Mrs Jennings recommends a little Constantia for "its healing powers on a disappointed heart"

In Charles Dickens' last (and unfinished) novel, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Constantia wine is served to the reverend Septimus by his mother.

My quick notes. They make several passes through the vineyard waiting for the perfect raisinated grapes. The body is, thick, sticky and sweet. Marmalade, both peach types, apricot, nut skins, dried pineapple, lots of residual sugar, great acidity and a rich, sweet, well balanced polished finish. Not entirely different than Sauternes. Thick D’Yquem of South Africa.

Photos of; the Klien Constantia Estate vines with the mountains painting the background, the door to Duggies Dungeon, horizontal stainless settling tanks and the fruit of this wine in its raisinated picking state. — 7 hours ago