great acidity . This is new world viognier at its best . Cost : £ 20 - £ 23 a 75cl bottle .
Wildeberg Stellenbosch Sauvignon Blanc [ 2018 ] – lovely tropical nose ; a silky smooth wine with hints of citrus / lime on the palate ; great acidity . This would match well with fish and seafood , as well as Thai food . Cost : £ 13 - £ 15 a bottle .
Crystallum ‘ The Agnes ’ Chardonnay [ 2019 ] – again a tropical nose with hints of pineapple and even toffee here ; on the palate citrus and sweet toffee / butterscotch again . Another rich , but crisp , wine with great acidity . Cost : £ 25 - £ 30 a 75cl bottle .
Constantina ‘ Royale ’ Sauvignon Blanc [ 2020 ] – slightly leaner than the last few wines , but a wine with lovely notes of pineapple and lime ; elegant wine with great minerality ; refreshing and rounded . Cost : £ 11.92 a 75cl bottle .
Percheron Chenin Blanc Viognier [ 2019 ] – whilst this wine is made from 75 % chenin blanc ( and 25 % viognier ) it qualifies for this article as it is not 100 % chenin ! It also qualifies as it is yet another deliciously aromatic and perfumed wine on the nose ; with stone fruit and apricots on the palate ; almost alive in the glass , with vibrant acidity . Cost : £ 7.99 a 75cl bottle .
Thorne & Daughters ‘ Rocking Horse ’ White [ 2016 ] – this is the wineries ‘ cornerstone ’ wine and takes its name from a wooden rocking horse that was constructed out of old oak barrel staves . It is as blend of Semillon Blanc , Chardonnay , Roussanne , Clairette Blanche , Chenin Blanc and Viura . Limes , herbs and peaches on the nose ; rich and textured on the palate . Cost £ 24 a 75 cl bottle .
False Bay ‘ Windswept ’ Sauvignon Blanc [ 2019 ] – what you would typically expect on the nose from a glass of sauvignon ; zesty and grassy ; great minerality on the palate , with citrus and grass notes . Cost : £ 7.99 a 75cl bottle .
Duncan Sauvage ‘ Dirt Track ’ Sauvignon Blanc [ 2020 ] – this is what I would call a fresh and easy drinking glass of sauvignon . Described as an ‘ easy to please ’ sauvignon , this is a simple , yet great , glass of wine . Cost : £ 7.95 a 75cl bottle .
The above are all available online , more often than not from more than one retailer . South Africa , today , produces a wide variety of excellent white wines and seems to go from strength to strength in such regard .
There , however , remains one white wine , one sweet wine , that is not only iconic in terms of South African wine production , but is iconic the world over . Some of you may remember that I introduced you , in an article towards the end of last year , to the legendary wine that is Klein Constantia ‘ Vin de Constance ’. This month I can do no better than to finish off by giving a little more detail about this iconic wine . One quote sums it up perfectly : “ Uniqueness is an overused term , but there is no other wine like Klein Constantia ’ s Vin de Constance ”.
It was as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries that the sweet , luscious and outstanding wine of Constantia was recognised as one of the world ’ s greatest wines . In fact , the story of this great wine begins in 1685 with Simon van der Stel , the then governor of the Cape of Good Hope , when he created the Constantia estate . It has lasted the test of many hundreds of years and , today , this great wine , Vin de Constance , is still made in the style of old Constantia from vineyards that only produce the grapes that are responsible for making this legendary wine .
This winery has an amazing history and is famed throughout the world for its sweet wines . Its Vin de Constance is rightly praised , on a consistent basis , by wine critics from around the world . It has been enjoyed , for centuries , around the world - George Washington ordered it , John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were fans , Jane Austen mentions Constantia , as does Charles Dickens , and it was a favourite tipple of Napoleon . This amazing , complex , wine is produced from muscat de frontignan grapes on the Cape Peninsula . My current crop comes from the 2013 vintage . Citrus , apricots , honey / honeysuckle , orange marmalade , toffee , lychee .
Gold in a glass . This will likely set you back , depending on vintage , somewhere between £ 50 - £ 60 a 50cl bottle . But worth every penny . Each bottle even comes in its own little presentation case ! The lesson here – a classic example of ‘ you get what you pay for ’ in life ! wirrallife . com 31