Drink Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance before you die!
Why? Because this is one of the world’s most legendary sweet wines — the famous Constantia once adored by emperors, royalty, writers, and famously requested by Napoleon in exile.
Ten Second Summary
- What it is: A historic natural sweet wine from Klein Constantia in South Africa’s Constantia Valley.
- Made from: Muscat de Frontignan (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains).
- Tastes like: Apricot, orange peel, marmalade, honey, spice, dried fruit, and a glorious balance of sweetness and freshness.
- Why it matters: Vin de Constance is the modern revival of the legendary Constantia wine that captivated Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries.
- Best with: Blue cheese, fruit tarts, rich pâté, or simply on its own as a dessert in a glass.
- When to drink: It is delicious on release but can age beautifully for decades.
Not what you’re looking for? Explore more best sweet wines.
Not in the mood for something sweet? Try something sparkling, white, red, or fortified.
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Klein Constantia vineyards in Constantia beneath the Constantiaberg mountains | © kleinconstantia.com |
What’s on this page
- 1. Why Vin de Constance is bucket list worthy
- 2. What is Constantia?
- 3. The legendary sweet wine of Constantia
- 4. Napoleon, Jane Austen, and the cult of Constantia
- 5. Why Constantia is so special
- 6. The revival of Vin de Constance at Klein Constantia
- 7. How Vin de Constance is made
- 8. What Vin de Constance tastes like
- 9. How long to cellar Vin de Constance
- 10. Find a bottle of Vin de Constance
- 11. Quick FAQ
1. Why Vin de Constance is bucket list worthy
Drink Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance before you die because it is not merely a delicious sweet wine. It is a wine with genuine myth, real history, and a flavour profile that still feels luxurious in the old-fashioned, unapologetic sense of the word.
This is one of those rare wines that gives you both pleasure and story. It is deeply linked to place, steeped in historical glamour, and happens to taste glorious too.
2. What is Constantia?
Constantia is one of South Africa’s historic wine regions, located on the cool slopes of the Cape Peninsula. The original Constantia estate dates back to 1685, when Simon van der Stel established what would become one of the Cape’s most famous names in wine. Over time, that original estate was divided, with one part eventually becoming Klein Constantia. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}
For centuries, the name Constantia became synonymous with a great sweet wine — one so admired that it rivalled the most prestigious dessert wines of Europe.
3. The legendary sweet wine of Constantia
During the 18th and 19th centuries, Constantia was one of the most famous sweet wines in the world. It enjoyed astonishing prestige and attracted the sort of clientele most producers can only dream about: emperors, kings, aristocrats, and literary figures.
It was not just popular; it was coveted. Klein Constantia’s own history notes that Vin de Constance was once prized above Yquem and Tokay, which gives you some idea of just how exalted Constantia once was in the European imagination.
4. Napoleon, Jane Austen, and the cult of Constantia
The glamour of Constantia was amplified by the company it kept. Historical records cited by Klein Constantia confirm that Napoleon Bonaparte, while in exile on Saint Helena, regularly requested Vin de Constance. Jane Austen also immortalised Constantia in Sense and Sensibility, helping cement its literary aura.
This is one of the things that makes Vin de Constance such a compelling bottle to drink today. It is not just sweet wine. It is a revived relic of old wine-world glamour — an actual taste of a wine style that once sent Europe weak at the knees.
5. Why Constantia is so special
Great wine needs a great place, and Constantia has one. Klein Constantia sits on the upper foothills of the Constantiaberg, with decomposed granite soils and a cool maritime influence from nearby False Bay. The estate’s vineyards rise from around 70 to 343 metres above sea level, and that combination of altitude, slope, and cooling breezes helps preserve freshness and structure in the wines.
This matters enormously for a sweet wine. Without freshness, sweetness can become cloying. Constantia gives Vin de Constance a line of acidity and poise that stops it from feeling heavy. That tension — lusciousness held in check by freshness — is a huge part of the wine’s charm.
6. The revival of Vin de Constance at Klein Constantia
The original Constantia wine did not continue uninterrupted into the modern era. Production faded, the vineyards declined, and the legend risked becoming just that — a legend.
Then came the revival. Klein Constantia explains that after Duggie Jooste bought the estate, he set out to restore its standing and revive the historic wine. With Ross Gower and Professor Chris Orffer, the estate released the first modern vintage of Vin de Constance in 1986. This is one of the rare cases in wine where an ancient and celebrated style was not merely copied, but meaningfully brought back to life.
7. How Vin de Constance is made
Vin de Constance is made from Muscat de Frontignan, also known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. It is a natural sweet wine, and part of its appeal is that it achieves richness without depending on botrytis in the Sauternes mould. Instead, it draws its identity from ripe, concentrated Muscat fruit and the estate’s own interpretation of the historic style. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}
The result is a wine that combines sweetness with aromatic lift, rather than merely piling on sugar. It tastes noble, but never merely sugary.
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Raisined Muscat grapes used to make Vin de Constance | © kleinconstantia.com |
8. What Vin de Constance tastes like
Vin de Constance is all about opulence controlled by freshness. Depending on the vintage, tasting notes from Klein Constantia regularly point to apricot, Seville marmalade, orange peel, spice, dried fruit, and honeyed richness, often with a remarkable brightness running through the middle. :contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
The best sweet wines do not merely taste sweet. They feel complete. Vin de Constance has that completeness: luscious fruit, aromatic complexity, energy, and a finish that lingers beautifully.
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Klein Constantia Vin de Constance, South Africa’s most iconic sweet wine | © kleinconstantia.com |
9. How long to cellar Vin de Constance
This is not a sweet wine you need to rush. Klein Constantia’s own technical sheets note that Vin de Constance is capable of ageing for many decades, even generations, from release. That should not be surprising: sugar, acidity, and flavour concentration make a formidable team when it comes to longevity. :contentReference[oaicite:8]{index=8}
That said, it is also lovely young, when the fruit is bright and exuberant. Drink it young for freshness and perfume; cellar it for deeper, more complex, more contemplative pleasure.
10. Find a bottle of Vin de Constance
If you want to tick Constantia properly off your wine bucket list, this is the bottle to look for:
Klein Constantia – Vin de Constance
A modern revival of South Africa’s most legendary sweet wine, made from Muscat de Frontignan and steeped in centuries of Constantia history.
Find Klein Constantia Vin de Constance on Wine-Searcher
11. Quick FAQ
What is Constantia wine?
Constantia is a historic sweet wine from the Cape, South Africa, and today Klein Constantia’s Vin de Constance is its best-known modern expression.
Is Vin de Constance the same as old Constantia?
It is the modern revival and interpretation of the legendary Constantia sweet wine.
What grape is Vin de Constance made from?
Muscat de Frontignan, also known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains.
Did Napoleon really drink Constantia?
Yes. Klein Constantia states that historical records show Napoleon regularly requested Vin de Constance while in exile on Saint Helena.
Does Vin de Constance age well?
Very well. It can be delicious young but is capable of ageing for decades.
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