Limited Stocks. Price £60.00. 98 points, Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2015 “Even better than the 2014 release – and that was a spectacular sweet wine – the 2015 Vin de Constance is one of the greatest ever vintages of this iconic sticky. More Barsac than Sauternes in terms of weight, it’s fresh and refined, a bit like the 2012, with citrus and orange zest balancing the 172 grams of sugar. The oak is perfectly judged, the length and freshness things of wonder. 2019-30” Tim Atkin’s 2018 South Africa Report Tasting Notes: 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. Winemaking: Unlike many of the great sweet wines of the world, Vin de Constance is not made from grapes affected by noble rot, but is made from 100% Muscat de Frontignan which ripens fully and then raisins on the vine to give juice with intense concentration and flavour. Harvest takes months, harvesting more than 23 different batches at different levels of ripeness, and the grapes are meticulously selected by pickers who work throughout the night harvesting at 4am to ensure conditions are perfect and the grapes arrive in at the coolest, natural temperature. This ensured both perfect balance of freshness, sweetness and zesty acidity and also a fabulously layered complexity. The wine was then aged in a combination of French and Hungarian oak for three years. Background Information: First produced over 300 years ago as ‘Constantia’, Kings vied for possession of this wine; Louis Philippe sent emissaries from France to fetch it; Napoleon drank it on the island of St Helena to find solace in his lonely exile; Frederick the Great and Bismarck ordered it; Charles Dickens’ character Edwin Drood found support in it and Jane Austen recommended Constantia for its “healing powers on a disappointed heart”. Vin de Constance today is one of the world’s greatest sweet wines. Made from 100% Muscat de Frontignan. Production of Vin de Constance is extremely limited and only occurs in exceptional years – there was no 2010 vintage. Technical Characteristics: Alcohol:13.97% Residual Sugar:172 g/l pH:3.8 Total Acid:6.5 g/l Composition:100% Muscat de Frontignan