Klein Constantia Vin de Constance - 1994

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Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains(Moscato Bianco in Italy) is the oldest member of the Muscat family, which places it in good standing as one of the oldest grape varieties in the world. The variety is named for its small berries and seeds (petits grains), as is its red-skinned mutation Muscat à Petit Grains Rouges.Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains is grown widely both in Europe and the New World, giving it a long list of regional synonyms. It may be produced in a number of wine styles and sweetness levels, each with its own regional tradition. Fruitier than the 1992, with fig and orange, and a caramel tone. The palate has a beautiful purity, a seamless and long finish, the lemon acidity beautifully pitched against 168g/l of residual sugar. The re-creation of the legendary Constantia wine made in the 18th and 19th centuries, sought after by Napoleon, the aristocracy of Europe, King George IV and King Louis Philippe and praised by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Baudelaire. The grapes are left on the vine to dry out until they are almost in a raisin form. Golden amber colour with wafts of apricots infused with muscat. Complex. Lingering sweetness. Beautifully balanced. 'A definite dark rusty amber now, and showing much more oxidative aromas. Minty, orange peel, very complex flavours, and finely layered like puff pastry. Rasping acidity that keeps the thick marmalade unctuousness under control'. Show more