Aside from making up some of the 400,000-plus tourists that visit Groot Constantia annually, one wouldn’t necessarily associate the Japanese with SA’s 338-year-old first wine farm.
The link, though, is that much like Japanese businesses think and plan ahead not in five- or ten-year cycles or even in decades, but rather in centuries, so too does Groot Constantia.
Where most modern wineries constantly look to what is going to be the next big thing over the next 10 years — look at chardonnay coming in and then going out of fashion over the last 10 or 20 years, the current wave of Chenin being considered SA’s “signature wine”, the love affair with the Swartland, for example — Groot Constantia doesn’t follow fashions or cyclical trends.
Rather, they focus on preserving the cultural heritage of the estate, reflecting the diverse influences on Groot Constantia over the centuries, and making excellent wines that reflect the constancy of the terroir on the slopes of Table Mountain.
“Groot Constantia is a national monument, and we respect that.
“So, we don’t follow trends, we make decisions on a 300-year timeline; we ask ourselves is this a valid decision for 300 years?” cellar master Daniel Keulder says.
Much like the experience of visiting Groot Constantia itself, expect to find timeless elegance, class and consistent style in the wines rather than flash and fireworks.
Groot Constantia Rosé is meant for sipping on, Keulder says, while deciding what to have for lunch, and what to drink with it.
Delightfully fragrant and delicate, fresh and crisp with layers of flavour (R119.90 at Preston’s, and worth noting their prices are discounted below the farm prices and those of the major supermarkets).
As a lover of the steely sauvignons blanc from the Constantia area, I can tell you that Groot Constantia’s (R189.90) is a “very Constantia” sauvignon blanc — complex but restrained, with typical Constantia gooseberry and herbal/nettle tones, a touch of mouthfilling richness from a dash of Sémillon in the mix and six months on the lees, balanced by just enough crisp, fresh acidity.
While Constantia is mostly considered a white wine growing area, 70% of Groot Constantia’s production is red wines, of which the “new” Lady of Abundance 2019 is a best seller — “new” because it is a new name for the old favourite Constantia Rood.
The new name is thanks to an Italian tourist who pointed out the Lady of Abundance statue, familiar on churches in Italy, on the main gable of the manor house, a feature the team were used to seeing every day, and inspired them to capture the lady in a wine that is itself an abundant gift.
“Abundant” partly because it is arguably the best value wine from Groot Constantia, punching way above its price of R169.90, and also because it’s a crowd-pleasing juicy wine, easy to drink on release but capable of improving with age.
The blend varies every year, as the aim is a style rather than a set recipe.
The 2019 has shiraz, tannat, Grenache, cab sauv, cab franc and merlot — which might sound a bit of a fruit salad but the result is fantastic — sleekly silky and luscious, fragrant with touches of mocha, vanilla and wood spice, moving into layers of ripe black fruit seasoned with savoury and herbal notes.
A fantastic wine.
HeraldLIVE
Lady of Abundance lives up to its name
Aside from making up some of the 400,000-plus tourists that visit Groot Constantia annually, one wouldn’t necessarily associate the Japanese with SA’s 338-year-old first wine farm.
The link, though, is that much like Japanese businesses think and plan ahead not in five- or ten-year cycles or even in decades, but rather in centuries, so too does Groot Constantia.
Where most modern wineries constantly look to what is going to be the next big thing over the next 10 years — look at chardonnay coming in and then going out of fashion over the last 10 or 20 years, the current wave of Chenin being considered SA’s “signature wine”, the love affair with the Swartland, for example — Groot Constantia doesn’t follow fashions or cyclical trends.
Rather, they focus on preserving the cultural heritage of the estate, reflecting the diverse influences on Groot Constantia over the centuries, and making excellent wines that reflect the constancy of the terroir on the slopes of Table Mountain.
“Groot Constantia is a national monument, and we respect that.
“So, we don’t follow trends, we make decisions on a 300-year timeline; we ask ourselves is this a valid decision for 300 years?” cellar master Daniel Keulder says.
Much like the experience of visiting Groot Constantia itself, expect to find timeless elegance, class and consistent style in the wines rather than flash and fireworks.
Groot Constantia Rosé is meant for sipping on, Keulder says, while deciding what to have for lunch, and what to drink with it.
Delightfully fragrant and delicate, fresh and crisp with layers of flavour (R119.90 at Preston’s, and worth noting their prices are discounted below the farm prices and those of the major supermarkets).
As a lover of the steely sauvignons blanc from the Constantia area, I can tell you that Groot Constantia’s (R189.90) is a “very Constantia” sauvignon blanc — complex but restrained, with typical Constantia gooseberry and herbal/nettle tones, a touch of mouthfilling richness from a dash of Sémillon in the mix and six months on the lees, balanced by just enough crisp, fresh acidity.
While Constantia is mostly considered a white wine growing area, 70% of Groot Constantia’s production is red wines, of which the “new” Lady of Abundance 2019 is a best seller — “new” because it is a new name for the old favourite Constantia Rood.
The new name is thanks to an Italian tourist who pointed out the Lady of Abundance statue, familiar on churches in Italy, on the main gable of the manor house, a feature the team were used to seeing every day, and inspired them to capture the lady in a wine that is itself an abundant gift.
“Abundant” partly because it is arguably the best value wine from Groot Constantia, punching way above its price of R169.90, and also because it’s a crowd-pleasing juicy wine, easy to drink on release but capable of improving with age.
The blend varies every year, as the aim is a style rather than a set recipe.
The 2019 has shiraz, tannat, Grenache, cab sauv, cab franc and merlot — which might sound a bit of a fruit salad but the result is fantastic — sleekly silky and luscious, fragrant with touches of mocha, vanilla and wood spice, moving into layers of ripe black fruit seasoned with savoury and herbal notes.
A fantastic wine.
HeraldLIVE
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