On Tuesday 25th April Nimbility hosted an intimate Guided Vertical Tasting of South Africa’s iconic Vin de Constance for a carefully selected gathering of the “who’s who” of China’s importers, sommeliers and influencers at Cellar To Table in Shanghai.
Guests were invited on a journey through space and time, to the historic South African wine estate Klein Constantia. They were first welcomed on the terrace with a glass of Klein Constantia Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2021 and the stunning ‘Metis’ Sauvignon Blanc 2018, before heading inside to be led through an immersive gallery experience of historical figures known for their appreciation of Vin de Constance: from major Head of States of the past to world-renowned artists, guests were taken on a voyage into Baudelaire’s “luxe, calme et volupte” (himself a historical fan of Vin de Constance).
Alongside a tailor-made food-pairing experience by Cellar To Table, guests were given a detailed introduction to Klein Constantia estate and its rich history, followed by a guided tasting of three vintages of South Africa’s most iconic wine – 2019, 2017 and 2009 - by Vin de Constance Brand Ambassadors Ian Ford and Nichole Mao.
The 2019 was the clear star of the show. “Exquisitely balanced”, “the wine is singing and dancing” “precise, beautiful and delicious” were just some of the comments from the attendees. All details of the event from the art gallery look and feel through to the exquisite food pairings were greatly appreciated by guests. One guest even kept his waxed sealed invitation card and has it hung on the wall of his restaurant! So much was the excitement and appreciation of Vin de Constance, the guests collectively decided to buy and open a bottle of 2018 Vin de Constance from Cellar To Table’s own wine list to add yet another vintage to be tasted and compared. Following this tasting, Ian d’Agata one of China’s key wine speaker who attended the tasting published an extensive article on his blog on the tasting and his impressions on each wines and the estate.
Touted as “one of the most mythical vineyards in the world” and regularly appearing within the Top 50 World’s Best Vineyards, Klein Constantia is a legendary wine estate. Dating back to 1685, its history is not only long, but perforated by the highest international acclaim. Over the centuries ‘Vin de Constance’ has been savoured by royalty from Frederick the Great of Prussia to Louis XVI of France and perhaps most famously, reserved for the personal enjoyment of Napoleon Bonaparte while in exile on St Helena. Given pride of place in the cellars of the world’s greatest wine collectors, Constantia was also immortalized in the writings of some of the best poets and authors of the 18th and 19th centuries including Charles Baudelaire, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen.
As a result, the legend of Constantia wine lived on long after production was halted in the late 1800s due to a combination of reasons including vine diseases, labour shortages and farm bankruptcies. Wines that had brought pleasure all over the world may have disappeared forever had it not been for their resurrection by Klein Constantia in the 1980s.
The first ‘Vin de Constance’ of the modern era was harvested in 1986 and after four years in oak barrels released in distinctive (and trademarked) ‘old-fashioned’ bottles to almost instant acclaim. Once again gracing royal tables, from Buckingham Palace to Versailles, and the pages of popular fiction, the wine has enjoyed the highest accolades ever since, both locally and internationally.
For more information about Klein Constantia and Vin de Constance in China please contact nichole@nimbilityasia.com