Constantia Royale Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Shall we complete the full set of Constantia farms?
Last night's Wine Wise Sauvignon Blanc session was a great excuse to finally taste and document the new kids on the Constantia block. They’re not actually new...the Nova Zonnestraal farm dates back to the 1700’s. However, the first vintage of Constantia Royale was released only in 2015. 7 hectares are under vine, and they grow only white grapes. Fun fact? There’s a major highway that runs through the farm, dividing it into two.
The Wine:
The palest of lemon, with a pronounced nose of lime, green apple, kiwi, passionfruit, wet stones and yup, cut grass.
Dry, light bodied, medium+ acidity and a deliciously long pineapple, green apple, lime finish. I was surprised to find out that there’s a dollop of Semillon in this - 12%. Perhaps that’s where the slight softness and roundness at the back of my tongue comes from.
Viti & Vini:
Sourced from two slopes: a west facing slope with rich soils that add tropical fruits, and an east facing slope on decomposed granite and clay that lends leanness and minerality. The Sémillon is also grown on the west facing slopes. The wine was aged in, I assume to be old, oak barrels.
Conclusion:
Balance (1) + Length (1) + Intensity (1) + Complexity (½) = A good wine.
Drink now, but has potential for a further ageing.
Final Thoughts:
I tasted both the Don’s Reserve and the SB at Constantia Fresh earlier this year…I remember preferring the Don’s Reserve but I don’t have a cooking clue what the difference is! But, side by side comparison aside (erm, sorry), I really enjoyed this wine. So did my brother. It would seem that we’re both partial to room temperature white wines in the middle of a winter storm.
