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When thinking of the best Natural Sweet Wines in the world, is very likely that brands like Château D’Yquem, Royal Tokaji Eszencia, or Royal DeMaria’s ice wine come to mind. Well, I have another one in mind, this dessert wine is not only a worthy competitor when it comes to outstanding quality and age-ability, but it also won't make you break the bank, this is Klein Constantia Vin de Constance.

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance is an iconic wine and one that has been highly applauded by some of the most important wine critics in the world. This wine (2019 vintage) also appeared on James Suckling's "100 Best Wines for 2021," being the only South African wine to achieve recognition.

Klein estate has been around for more than 3 centuries. Since its inception, and until today, it has been one of celebrities’ and world leaders’ favorite wines. Starting with Frederick the Great and Louis XVI, who were known to be great collectors. It’s also mentioned in the works of Balzac, and Alexandre Dumas. English royalties are avid drinkers of this Vin de Constance, with Queen Elizabeth serving the vintage 2008 Constantia to Xi Jinping, and even today, this wine is loved by Princess Kate Middleton. 

The International Landscape Institute called Klein’s estate “One of the most mythical vineyards in the world.” And with good reason, this place is located in an outstanding terroir, where soils originate from 600-million-year-old granite, and a beautiful refreshing breeze maintains cool temperatures and preserves the fruit during the ripening season. The vineyards are planted with old vines of Muscat de Frontignan, with some of them dating back to 1983. These grapes are capable of producing raisined fruit that delivers the perfect concentration of sweetness and flavor.

This is a wine to admire, a wine to drink with contemplation, and to enjoy from the very first sip to the last. 

Aging: 18 months in 50% new 500L Hungarian and French oak barrels, followed by 16 months in large oak casks.

The 2021 Vin de Constance offers a pure, vibrant bouquet of quince, orange zest, and a hint of marmalade. The palate is beautifully balanced, with rich, viscous textures and refreshing acidity. Flavors of lemon rind, mango, crème caramel, and dried apricot are followed by a spicy, lingering finish with hints of nutmeg and walnut. Fresh, electrifying, and incredibly long-lasting, this wine is both opulent and lively.

The 2021 Vin de Constance comes from 27 different batches with two weeks on the skins. With 173.5 grams per liter of residual sugar (the same as 2020), it presents a very pure bouquet, effervescent with quince, orange zest and just a hint of marmalade—wonderfully delineated and focused. The palate is supremely well balanced with a viscous entry and extremely good weight in the mouth, but the acidity (6.3 grams per liter) keeps this on its toes. Quite spicy on the finish, this lingers long in the mouth, and I can still feel it 30 seconds after it has departed. There’s real freshness and electricity here. Outstanding. ~97 Neal Martin, Vinous Media

A long, relatively cool season where harvest was two weeks later than usual, and this is displaying exceptional tension and switchback textures of opulence and acidity. So poised and well judged, waves of bitter marmalade, lemon rind, mango, pineapple, crème caramel and luscious dried apricot flavours, such intensity and length, touch of nutmeg, flint and walnut on the finish. Matthew Day winemaker. 18 months in 50% new 500L Hungarian and French oak barrels, followed by 16 months in large oak casks, 173g/l residual sugar. ~97 Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Dried apples, apricots, honey and light caramel with some flowers on both the nose and palate. Medium-bodied, sweet but not overpowering, showing lots of freshness and focus. Tangy at the end, but so polished and caressing on the palate. Drink or hold. ~95 James Suckling

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