Six months left until Cape Town becomes Design Capital of the world. If a liberal licensing regime can be negotiated, it would make sense to curate a Showcase Six Pack of five Cape Town wines (a bubbly, white, red, rosé, dessert) and a brandy. A Cape Town Cuvée, if you like. So I went back to my blind tasting notes last year of Constantia wines with Aníbal Coutinho, looking for possible contenders. Constantia has been the vineyard of Cape Town for 350 years now, so why change?

A Brace of Bubblies

♥♥♥♥ Groot Constantia 2008 MCC apples and pears, fine citrus, creamy palate, persistent

♥♥♥ Constantia Uitsig 2008 Toasty tropical fruit, citrus and vibrant minerality

One Blanc de Noir

♥♥♥ Groot Constantia 2012 Intense bell peppers on nose, grassy palate, crisp and tangy

Nine Sauvignon Blancs

♥♥♥♥♥ Klein Constantia Perdeblokke 2010 floral, fine, limes and quince marmalade, late harvest aromas, soft palate, icy fresh

♥♥♥♥ Buitenverwachting Hussey’s Vlei 2012 tinned peas and sweat, sweet fruit, gooseberries in a round and creamy palate

♥♥♥♥ Klein Constantia 2012 shy nose, floral palate, icy fresh limes and apples

♥♥♥ Constantia Glen 2011 Pineapples and green asparagus on the palate, sweetly fruited

♥♥♥ Buitenverwachting 2012 grass, sweet fruit, lemon pith, lime, perfumed oak moss and techno tropical

♥♥♥ Constantia Glen 2012 touch of sweat, boiled sweets, tomato leaf and fine minerality
Constantia Uitsig 2011 Asparagus, green beans, peas and gooseberries

Groot Constantia 2012 cream soda nose, khakibos, herbs, pineapples and mangoes

High Constantia 2011 Asparagus cream soup. A popular commercial style.

A Quartet of White Blends

♥♥♥♥♥ Constantia Uitsig White 2011 dusty nose, rich and ripe palate of milky peaches and spice

♥♥♥♥ Constantia Glen Two 2011 exotic perfume, rich lemon cheesecake, minty

♥♥♥♥ Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve White 2011 barrel fermented tropical fruit, toasty oak, fresh and zingy acids

Groot Constantia 2012 perfumed pastries, minerals, pear drops

A Stunning Sémillon

♥♥♥♥♥ Constantia Uitsig 2011 grassy, minty, dense flavours, long and savoury

A Brace of Chardonnays

♥♥♥♥ Groot Constantia 2011 big and buttery nose, tangy peaches and fresh herbs, creamy palate

♥♥♥ Constantia Uitsig unwooded 2011 unwooded ch floral perfume, zingy acids, milky peaches and apricots

A Pair of Viogniers

♥♥♥♥ Eagle’s Nest 2010 fresh and light, rhône-style, minerals and peach blossom with, some mint

♥♥♥ Beau Constance Cecily 2011 fat and peachy with a creamy tropical palate

A Pinotage

Groot Constantia 2010 chocolate, coffee, abundant red plums, ripe bananas and cherries

A Cabernet Sauvignon

♥♥♥ Groot Constantia 2010 sweet blackcurrant fruit, blueberries, cassis, oaky vanilla with ripe tannins

A Brace of Dry Reds

♥♥♥♥♥ Eagle’s Nest Little Eagle 2010 intense, well-defined flavours, minerals, ripe plums, leather and tobacco

♥♥♥ Constantia Rood 2010 clean, juicy berry fruit and spicy aniseed

A Trio of Bordeaux Blends

♥♥♥♥♥ Eagle’s Nest Verreaux 2009 toasty red and black berries, sweet fruit with a tang

♥♥♥♥ Constantia Glen 5 2008 liqueur cherry, sweet red fruit, chocolate raisins and dry plums

♥♥♥ Constantia Glen 3 2009 grassy, clean, with jammy red cherries

A Constantia Port

Groot Constantia Ruby 2010 Bergamot and caramelized orange peel

A Duo of Constantia Stickies

♥♥♥♥♥ Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2007 pineapple marmalade, orange peel and pith with a lively sweet and sour palate

♥♥♥♥ Groot Constantia Grand Constance 2009 sweet honey, pineapple and apricot jam with fynbos notes, fat and syrupy