The 2020 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance [Muscat] is a highly acclaimed dessert wine from the Constantia region of South Africa. This wine, produced by Klein Constantia, stands out with its rich and complex profile, earning multiple excellent reviews from renowned critics.
Decanter highlights the wine's "highly floral and concentrated nose" with notes of "marmalade, orange zest, toasted caramel patisserie, and orange blossom." The palate is described as "thick and viscous, comforting and deep," featuring a "weighty, sugary texture offset by serious spiced and toasted edges." This review praises the wine's balance and complexity, noting it as "well built and purposeful," with an "expertly made" combination of flavors. The wine’s structure and the challenging vintage conditions are also noted, with a residual sugar content of 174 g/L and total acidity of 6.3 g/L.
The Wine Independent echoes similar sentiments, describing the wine as having "fragrant notes of rose oil, allspice, candied ginger, and sultanas," with additional hints of "pear tart and aniseed." The palate is described as "fantastically pure and sweet," balanced by a "racy line" and an "epically long, perfumed finish."
James Suckling emphasizes the wine's "bright medium-gold hue" and "focused and intense nose" layered with "honeysuckle, apricot, citrus, honey, and marmalade." The wine is praised for its "really pure and tangy" palate, balanced by "intense citrusy flavors and natural acidity," making it both "long and effortless."
Vinous provides insight into the wine's maturation process, noting that it is matured "50% in Hungarian and French oak barrels for 18 months and then 18 months in foudres." The review describes the wine as having a "pure bouquet" with scents of "wild honey, white peaches, nectarine, pressed white flowers, and yuzu." The palate is said to be "gorgeous, mellifluous" with flavors of "pineapple, peach skin, aniseed, lime, and stem ginger."
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate gives one of the highest praises, calling it "classic and expressive" with "seductive aromas of marmalade and honeysuckle." The review notes the wine's "harmonious balance" and "layers of complexity," with flavors of "apricots, saffron, quince paste, and sweet candied citrus tones." The wine is described as potentially "one of the finest expressions of Vin de Constance to date."
Wine Spectator describes it as a "gorgeous dessert wine" with a "fine, creamy nappe to the texture," carrying flavors of "ripe apricot, passion fruit coulis, and candied pink grapefruit peel." The review praises the wine's "vibrant acidity" and "panoply of aromas and flavors" that echo on the finish.
Overall, the 2020 Klein Constantia Vin de Constance is a complex, well-balanced dessert wine with high praise for its rich, floral, and fruity profile, making it a standout choice for collectors and enthusiasts alike.