Greg Sherwood MW: Celebrating a resurgent Constantia Wine Route

Situated on the breathtaking Cape Peninsula, framed by the dramatic coastline of the Cape of Good Hope and the cold, stormy seas that once carried early settlers—and with them, the first winemaking knowledge – to South African shores, the Constantia ward is the country’s oldest premium wine region. Just a stone’s throw from Cape Town, one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, Constantia has, over the years, faced subtle but persistent questions about the true quality potential of its wines – white, red, and sweet alike.

With the resurrection of the great Vin de Constance at Klein Constantia by the late Ross Gower in the late 1980s, many of the questions surrounding the modern-day quality potential of the area’s sweet wines finally seemed to have be answered. Ssubsequent winemakers Adam Mason and Matt Day both celevated the Vin de Constance ever higher, back to a global fine wine standing not seen since the late 1800s. However, the success of Sauvignon Blanc in the valley is a slightly more complicated, nuanced story.

With the global success of the Sauvignon Blanc cultivar in the late 1980s and early 1990s, undoubtedly this rising tide floated many boats from wine regions all around the world, none more so than Marlborough in New Zealand. Nevertheless, back in South Africa, some awkward questions surrounding the specific cool climate style of Constantia Sauvignon Blanc seemed to remain.

For me, the Constantia Valley sits very close to my heart and remains intricately interwoven into my own personal wine journey, with some of my earliest memories in the late 1970s coming from me accompanying my parents to wine tastings and summer parties at the grand old estates like Groot Constantia and Klein Constantia when I was still in primary school. Fortunately, there were plenty of sprawling gardens to amuse oneself in.

More latterly, after working short stints as a cellar rat at David Van Niekerk’s High Constantia in the mid noughties while I was studying my Master of Wine, my interest in the region seemed to grow ever more intimate, culminating in my MW dissertation topic, Method Cap Classique Production in Constantia Valley. It was during my numerous dissertation visits and winemaker interviews that I started to really understand the unique winemaking and unique winemaker culture that existed in the Valley.

In one sense, there was certainly an incredible respect and admiration for the history of the Valley’s winemaking dating back to 1685 and the original land grants, but on the other hand, there was also a slightly simplistic, common denominator, commercial feel to most of the wines being produced, white and red, all of which were easy to sell to the ever increasing hordes of international and local tourists, many of which only had a very limited amount of “wine routing” time available, thus excluding visits to Stellenbosch and Paarl wineries lying slightly further afield.

Don’t get me wrong, the winemakers were passionate and focused on the task at hand, but perhaps the whole region found its wines too easy to sell, thus never really pushing any of the wineries to reach real quality heights, especially with regards to their red wines.

From the connoisseur’s perspective, there was a growing appreciation for the slightly tart, green, and herbaceous styles of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon—wines that revealed remarkable ageworthiness and, dare I say, only began to show their true quality and complexity after three to five years (or more) in bottle. But in a market already clamouring for very young, very fresh Sauvignon Blanc, this presented something of a challenge.

Fortunately, progress in the Cape winelands seems almost unstoppable and after spending a full day with numerous new(ish) young winemakers last week at an event presented under the Constantia Wine Route auspices, attending some fascinating tasting masterclasses, vertical tastings and a wine lunch with older vintages, I have to say my general mindset about where Constantia’s top wines currently find themselves both stylistically and qualitatively, has most definitely changed and been elevated in stature.

The first flight of Sauvignon Blancs from the likes of Eagles’ Nest, Klein Constantia, Buitenverwachting, Steenberg and Groot Constantia illustrated not only the diversity of wine styles being made in the Valley, but more importantly, showcased the classical elegance and pristine cool climate purity of the wines without being tart, green, overly grassy or laden with herbaceous pyrazines. There was an overriding sophistication and elegance to all the wines that was incredibly pleasing to taste, especially when most of the cuvees were simply the winery’s “entry level” offering. Undoubtedly great value for money for the consumer.

Flight 1: Pure Sauvignon Blanc

Eagle’s Nest Reserve 2024

From three vineyards at 100 metres altitude on north and northeast facing slopes. Fermented in mostly old oak. Rich, intense, pungent aromatics show gooseberry, mango leaf, and guava notes. Palate shows intensity and richness, fruit concentration and a pithy, energetic vibrancy. Super complex, masterful expression. 94+/100 GSMW

Klein Constantia 2023

A blend of up to 38 different blocks, blended together after six months. 80% wild yeast portion with 5%-barrel ageing and the rest stainless steel. Beautifully elegant, perfumed aromatics with black currant leaf, crushed gravel, gooseberry and green waxy citrus. Zippy concentration, a linear steely polished texture with a crystalline purity. Very sophisticated wine. 93+/100 GSMW

Buitenverwachting Husseys Vlei 2024

High altitude decomposed granite soils, fermented in stainless steel and then kept on the lees for nine months. Shows subtle grassy hints with enveloping notes of tangerine, black currant leaf, orange peel and green citrus. Deliciously sweet, tangy fruited palate, fleshy and opulent with a fabulous accessibility. 93/100 GSMW

Steenberg Black Swan 2024

Ocean facing cooler vineyards. Employs 18 hours of skin contact, then aged in stainless steel. Intense grassy dusty mineral aromatics. Plenty of green citrus, subtle complexifying pyrazines, dusty gravel notes with a savoury gooseberry finish. One of the more cooler climate styles. 92/100 GSMW

Groot Constantia 2024

High altitude vineyards blended from 12 different components. Skin contact for 12 to 18 hours, 10% fermented in old and new barrels. On the lees for circa six months. Shows plenty of wet stone, granitic, grey slate minerality over white citrus and green apple fruits. Plush, sleek textured, elegant and overall a very subtle, classy, restrained expression. 92+/100 GSMW

The second of the masterclass flights featured some incredibly exciting wines. Again, the vintages were young, but all winemakers emphasized the ageability of their wines. As with the Sauvignon Blanc flight, Constantia’s winemakers have all but banished the harsher, green, pyrazine notes, and where they do feature, like on some of the cooler aspect wines, they merely feature as part of the intricate salt and pepper complexity of the aromatics and not in a pungent spine-tingling way. Some real highlights again.

 Flight 2: Sauvignon Blanc Blends

Beau Constantia Pierre 2024

Grapes grown at 240 to 360 metres altitude. North facing slopes. 0.8 tons per hectare yields. 5 blocks: 4 x Sauvignon Blanc, 1 x Semillon (4%). Delightfully peachy and tropical with guava and yellow apple fruits. Rich and tangy, incredibly complex in the mouth. Wonderfully textured with richness, intensity and an impressive persistence. A real beauty showing beautifully already. 95+/100 GSMW

Klein Constantia Clara Sauvignon Blanc 2023

The only pure Sauvignon Blanc in the second flight. Grapes from 170 to 340 metres. Stainless steel fermented then aged 9 months in barrel before a selection is made. Fairly subtle retrained aromatics to begin showing greengage plum, grassy gooseberry, green citrus and tangy white peaches. Impressive concentration, focus and purity. Deliciously elegant wine once again. 94+/100 GSMW

Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve White 2023

Sourced from 2 blocks: 1 x Sauvignon Blanc and 1 x Semillon, next to each other on granitic soils. Fresher Sauvignon Blanc styling but riper Semillon expression. 10 months total in oak for a 60/40 final blend. A rich peachy gently savoury expression, enticing dusty granitic spice, green apple puree and tangerine fruit kiss on the finish. 93/100 GSMW

Constantia Glen Two 2023

A blend of 64% Sauvignon Blanc and 36% Semillon with 10% new oak portion and some clay pot fermented portion (from Yogi de Beer in Hout Bay). 12 months on the lees. Dusty, smoky, mineral expression with leafy aromatic notes. Palate is sleek and stony, quite taut and linear with fresh pure glassy acids and a subtle cut grass nuance on the finish. 92/100 GSMW

Steenberg Magna Carta White Blend 2021

A 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon blend. Semillon was barrel fermented in 500 litre oak barrels. Beautiful stony steely aromatics, vibrantly fresh with green apple pastille and pear puree. Savoury leesy complexity with hints of sweet black currant leaf, gooseberry, honied peaches and a long, fresh textural finish with a sea spray note. Very sophisticated. 94/100 GSMW

To be fair to Constantia Valley’s producers, they have made significant quality strides with their white wines in the past few years, making the Chardonnays grown on lower slopes a little fresher, more mineral and tighter and the Sauvignon Blancs and Sauvignon / Semillon blends grown on higher slopes more refined, texturally more elegant and generally just more sophisticated in style.

The reds from Constantia have however always been far more variable from this cooler climate region. Based on the selection of reds tasted here, one can only conclude that the winemakers are slowly but surely trying to build a more unique identity for the reds wines of Constantia focusing on freshness, crunchy cool-climate brightness but also pristine purity of fruit.

Flight 3: Red Blends

Beau Constantia Lucca Red Blend 2021

A 58% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Franc blend with 28-day soak on the skin. 18 months in oak, 80% new. Cool, elegant, restrained wine with great minerality, subtlety and elegance but also a fleshy expansive mouthfeel. Beautiful concentration, fabulously tangy acids with a punchy energetic concentration. A real beauty with only a touch of youthful rawness that adds extra vigour. 96/100 GSMW

Eagles’ Nest Reserve Shiraz 2022

Their highest planted vineyards. Three days cold soak before fermentation, then aged 14 months in French oak with further time in tank afterwards. Deep dark broody black fruits with a cool creamy texture, tight knit polished mineral tannins and an intense spicy finish. Very sophisticated. 94/100 GSMW

Constantia Glen Three 2022

A blend of 54% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 18% Cabernet Franc. Shows a rich, intense aromatics, savoury blue – black fruits, saline oyster shell hints, creamy blueberry fruits and a long spicy granitic finish. Quite delicious. 94+/100 GSMW

Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve Red Blend 2021

Special pre-allocated vineyard blocks used for this Cuvee. Malo in barrel then 15 months ageing in barrel before blending. 75% new oak. A blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon with 22% Merlot and the remainder Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Earthy savoury aromatics, Damson plum, spice and black berry fruits. Tangy, taut, bright and incredibly crunchy. A very complete wine showing the pedigree of the 2021 vintage. 95/100 GSMW

Constantia Glen Five 2022

A blend of 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Cabernet Franc, 21% Merlot, 14% Petit Verdot and 9% Malbec. Shows seductive dark broody black fruits, cool taut and delicately sappy with bright crunchy acids. Displays impressive complexity and vibrancy, black berry fruits focus and striking textural depth. Very impressive indeed. 96/100 GSMW

Buitenverwachting Double Cab 2017

A blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 26 months in 100% new French oak barrels. Deep rich and intense aromatics that are also quite earthy and sappy with layers of sweet cedar, tilled earth, black currant leaf and a subtle saline maritime nuance on the finish. Incredibly youthful still, but deliciously vibrant, energetic and focused. 95/100 GSMW

All the winemakers involved are, at least in my mind, a newer, younger, fresher generation of Constantia Valley producers who all seem intent on elevating the wines of their respective wineries to a higher quality nouveau – and Lord knows they need to considering the ever-pervasive urban encroachment and related spiralling costs of doing business in such a high-density location. They are all encouragingly on the right track.

Many thanks to Matt Day from Klein Constantia, Brad Paton from Buitenverwachting, Megan van der Merwe from Beau Constantia, Craig Barnard from Eagles’ Nest, Justin van Wyk from Constantia Glen, Elunda Basson from Steenberg and Daniel Keulder from Groot Constantia.

• Greg Sherwood was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and as the son of a career diplomat, spent his first 21 years traveling the globe with his parents. With a Business Management and Marketing degree from Webster University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA, Sherwood began his working career as a commodity trader. In 2000, he decided to make more of a long-held interest in wine taking a position at Handford Wines in South Kensington, London, working his way up to the position of Senior Wine Buyer over 22 years. Sherwood currently consults to a number of top fine wine merchants in London while always keeping one eye firmly on the South African wine industry. He qualified as the 303rd Master of Wine in 2007.