"Power and precision... Just such a consistently great wine... 97 points."  Jane Anson, Jul '25

It's that time of year again when we remind you that you can drink the latest vintage of a wine enjoyed by Napoleon, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens, for just £48 per bottle in bond.  If a history stretching back to 1685 is not compelling enough, the new 2022 vintage of Vin de Constance is completely delicious and scores 97 points from Jane Anson.  Offered at £288 per six 50cl bottles in bond, you can have it delivered in the spring. 

Established not long after Pepys was the first to record a château name (Haut-Brion) in his diary, and a century and a half before sweet Sauternes became a 'thing', Vin de Constance was shipped to Napoleon in exile on St Helena.  For decades, it ranked alongside Tokaji Eszencia as a wine of kings, queens, and emperors, until phylloxera hit South Africa in the 1870s, wiping out the vines.  The estate was restored in the 1980s, with new vintages bottled in a glass flask, modelled on the handblown bottles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. 

With no botrytis here, the style of Vin de Constance is derived from the climate, terroir, and winemaking.  Planted overlooking False Bay, the Muscat de Frontignan grapes benefit from cooling sea breezes and are harvested over the space of several weeks, with early-picked fruit contributing fresh acidity and later-harvested grapes giving a unique raisined character (some bunches are twisted on the vines to aid this).  

The 2022 Vintage

The 2022 growing season started late and the harvest window was short. Warm, dry conditions dominated, with minimal rainfall and increased sun exposure contributing to excellent ripening.  Temperatures remained steady through harvest, avoiding the intense spikes often seen in late summer, producing an exceptional vintage across the Cape.  Picking of the Muscat de Frontignan grapes is usually very extrended but in '22 the grapes were harvested in a month, from 9 March to 8 April, with 18 passes through the vineyard.

Fermentation stopped naturally, preserving purity and balance. The wine matured for 18 months in 500L French, Hungarian and Austrian oak barrels (50% new), followed by an additional 20 months in large-format wooden foudres. 

Availability is extremely limited, so please let us know straight away if you would like to order.

Offered in bond, available for delivery in Spring 2026.