Inaugural Fine Wine
Live Auction, 8 June 2019
Session 1
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Described as one of the world’s most beautiful vineyards, the 146 hectares of Klein Constantia originally formed part of "Constantia", a vast property established in 1685 by Simon van der Stel, the first governor of the Cape. This particular valley was chosen not only for its beauty, but also for the decomposed granite soils on its slopes, gently cooled by ocean breezes. The property behind the iconic Vin de Constance has pedigree and provenance that stretches widely beyond sweet wine.
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.
Provenance
Private ClientCritics Ratings
‘Intense, lifted, fresh honey and lemon bouquet. Racy, minerally acid lends vivid clarity to the rich fruit, silky texture. Excellent balance. Incisively clean, long. Amazingly youthful.’ Angela Lloyde
‘Startling caramelised orange nose, smoky, a touch of rancio, vivid. Medium bodied, moderate concentration, good acidity, a trace of oxidation, yet vibrant, with some tropical fruit. Peppery finish, fine length.’ Stephen Brook, Decanter magazine.
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