Klein Constantia Vin de Constance

Constantia Ward, South Africa

Klein Constantia's Vin de Constance is one of the world's most legendary dessert wines — a recreation of the 18th-century Constantia wine that captivated Napoleon and European courts. Made from late-harvest botrytised Muscat de Frontignan (Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains) on Constantia's granite-sandstone slopes. Luminous gold with extraordinary complexity: apricot jam, orange marmalade, honey, ginger, quince, and a saline mineral freshness that prevents cloying sweetness. The wine ages magnificently over 20-30+ years. Sold in 500ml bottles with the historic 18th-century label design.

Pairing intelligence

• dessert: Klein Constantia Vin de Constance's apricot and honey character achieves a classic dessert pairing with warm Tarte Tatin — the wine's stone fruit sweetness mirrors the caramelised apple's complexity; Calvados caramel bridges the wine's hint of brandy-like richness; crème fraîche's tang cuts through the wine's sweetness. A pairing that balances the legendary wine's sweetness with the dessert's buttery richness.
• cheese: Vin de Constance's apricot and honey intensity achieves one of fine dining's great dessert pairings — blue cheese and sweet wine. The wine's sweetness contrasts Stilton's pungent saltiness; fig cake bridges the wine's fruit character with the cheese's complexity; pear amplifies the wine's gentle floral note. A pairing of the 18th-century dessert wine tradition at its most timeless.