Bordeaux Theme
Live Virtual Auction, 17 September 2023
Bordeaux
About this Item
Perched just beneath Constantia Nek, this picturesque boutique wine estate has been part of the Constania valley’s great tradition of winegrowing since 2000. The Waibel family must be credited for turning this farm around and placing it under the steady eye of overseer and Bordeaux legend, Dominique Hebrard, with Justin van Wyk’s skilled hand in the cellar. The flagship range aptly named Two, Three and Five, according to the combination of Bordeaux varietals in the blend make up has quickly garnered strong following for their consistent power and detail.
2011 was another fantastic year for Constantia Glen wines. It was an especially late vintage, direct impact of this long and cool growing season is that the grapes achieved optimal phenolic and flavour ripeness without any detriment to the natural acidity, this has resulted in ripe-flavoured red wines that have good freshness and vibrancy. Although the growing season was cool, it was quite sunny and the extra sunlight hours coupled with very little rainfall allowed for the picking of healthy and beautifully ripe grapes from our cool-climate vineyards.
The red wines from this vintage show bold fruit flavours and good refinement from finely structured tannins, which bodes well for the ageing potential of these wines.
Provenance
Restaurant Mosaic
Critics Ratings
‘Improving on 2010 (4 stars), 2011 is 45% merlot, 37% cab franc, 18% cab. Red berry & violet perfume leads to juicy dark fruit on palate with hint of mocha. Plush & velvety yet vibrant thanks to high natural acidity after cool season.’ - Platter’s SA Wine Guide 2015, 4.5*
‘The 2011 Constantia Glen Three is a blend of 45% Merlot, 37% Cabernet Franc and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon raised for 17 months in 42% new and the remainder second-fill French oak, its aim to be more approachable than the other cuvées. It has a vibrant peppermint-tinged bouquet with lush red cherries and cassis aromas following suit, later wild fennel. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, the Cabernet Franc coming through nicely adding freshness, touches of green bell pepper and cedar wood, the finish winding down a little to retain elegance. Very fine.’ – Neal Martin, Wine Advocate, 90/100 (Oct 2014)