The property was restored in 1983 and just two barrels of the 1986 were made under winemaker Ross Gower. The resurrected ‘Vin de Constance’ has once again become one of the world’s greatest sweet wines. 1986 was the first modern era vintage and is still in perfect condition, having been recorked at Klein Constantia. Very little is known about how the 1986 vintage was made, but the tiny harvest would have been macerated on the skins before a hard pressing designed to extract not just sugar and flavour but tannins too, giving the finished wine more texture. This is an incredibly rare and sought-after vintage.

The re-creation of the legendary Constantia wine made in the 18th and 19th centuries, sought after by Napoleon, the aristocracy of Europe, King George IV and King Louis Philippe and praised by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Baudelaire! The property was restored in 1983 and this was the 2nd vintage produced under Ross Gower and the first to ever be commercially released.

1986 is regarded as one of the finest vintages produced in the 80s and 90s. According to current cellar master, Matt Day, the 1986 bottles are bullet proof, and so it seems. All bottles opened for recorking, even poor ullage ones, showing life and structure. Topped up (with the same vintage) and re-corked, sealed and documented at the source for the purpose of this auction, in partnership with Amorim & Klein Constantia. Seal code Rp-787056 can be traced on Amorim Recorking Directory