Groot Constantia Grande Constance 2017

Groot Constantia Grande Constance 2017

A wine with a truly great story. In the 1700s, Hendrik Cloete owned Constantia. He was a direct descendant of Jan van Riebeek’s Assistant Gardener who arrived in the Cape on 6th April 1652. Mr Cloete was responsible for the Golden Era for Cape Wines in Europe. His wines were found in the cellars of European Royalty, such as King Frederik of Prussia and fabled political people like William Pitt the Younger, the British Prime Minister, who had bottles in his cellar. napoleon had a monthly shipment of Constantia Wine to St Helena where he was in Exile. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and the French writer Baudelaire all wrote about the wine.

White Muscat de Frontignan ripening on the vine

Made from both Red and White Muscat de Frontignan, the red giving it its gorgeous amber colour, the vines are planted in mainly granite origin soils. The vineyard is next to the Groot Constantia Manor House, restored after a fire in the 1920s.

Floricious Beukes

Floricious Beukes, the Estate’s Vineyardist, and his team take all vineyard actions like pruning, canopy management and harvesting by hand. Pest control is done biologically, and soil health and weed control are managed by a selected mix of winter cover crop.

A long ripening period a result of cool breezes from the Atlantic Ocean meliorating summer heat, ensured that the sweet berries had adequate sunlight to produce the golden nectar. The grapes were fermented on the skins for about 1 week then pressed. After fermentation, the wines were racked and put into French Oak Barrels to mature for another 24 months.

Red Muscat de Frontignan, really sweet and ready for picking

The red muscat gives the wine a beautiful amber colour. The nose shows an abundance of ripe and dried fruit, like crushed pineapple, apricot and raisins. The ageing in barrels adds some wood spice and a hint of honey to the wine. The dried fruit and honey follow on the palate, and a fresh acidity balances the sweetness.

The Grand Constance is presented in a bespoke bottle packed in a little wooden case with leather hinges and enclosure.

Carey Boucher Erasmus’s smooth chicken liver parfait

Pair
While people may like to drink the wine with dessert or after dinner, I like to serve it at the start of a meal with a delicious Smooth Chicken Liver Parfait. Carey Boucher Erasmus provides the recipe. Click HERE

Carey Boucher Erasmus with me a while ago