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Klein Constantia is one of the significant wine estates of South Africa, located in the Constantia Valley, near the city of Cape Town, a region that has been known for exceptional wine quality since the 17th century.
The estate is not only a local symbol but also part of global wine heritage. Its history is closely linked to the earliest examples of South African sweet wines, Napoleon Bonaparte, and European high society. Klein Constantia’s vineyards were established as early as 1685, only a decade after Europeans began settling the Cape in greater numbers. During the 18th century, the estate quickly gained a reputation for its outstanding sweet wines known as Vin de Constance, which became one of the first South African wines to achieve international prestige.
One of the most famous admirers of Vin de Constance was Napoleon Bonaparte, to whom the wine was supplied during his exile on the island of Saint Helena between 1815 and 1821.
Klein Constantia’s vineyards lie in a valley surrounded by low hills with southern and southwestern exposures, allowing the warmth of the sun to be balanced by the cooling influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The soils consist of a mixture of limestone and clay with gravel components, giving the wines structure, mineral nuance, and long ageing potential.
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Sweet sweet
South Africa
The estate specializes in several classic South African grape varieties:
Fermentation and ageing are carried out in a way that preserves natural fruit aromas and flavour expression, with oak used sparingly so as not to dominate the wine’s character. The sweet wines made from ‘Muscat de Frontignan’ are known for their concentration, clarity, and longevity, while the dry white and red wines reflect the region’s specific microclimate through fresh acidity, natural fruit purity, and a distinct mineral thread.
Today, Klein Constantia is regarded as one of South Africa’s most important historical wine estates, with its significance rooted not only in present-day quality but also in a lasting cultural legacy. The revival of Vin de Constance is not merely a commercial decision, but a deliberate effort to restore and continue the sweet wine tradition of Constantia from the 18th and 19th centuries.
