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Klein Constantia: separating harvest and fermentation for dry and sweet wines
An estate in Constantia, South Africa. They produce the sweet ‘Vin de Constance’ made from Muscat de Frontignan as well as dry Sauvignon Blanc. Even on the same land, they select grapes and methods depending on the desired style.
Compare Sauvignon Blanc 2023 and Vin de Constance 2022. Read the harvest, fermentation, and vessel choices by product and vintage.
Questions for this course
Is the sweetness in Vin de Constance—a sweet wine—retained through fortification?
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To explanation task notes ↓Klein Constantia / Learn from producers
South Africa / Western Cape / Constantia
Aliases & spellings: Klein Constantia Estate / Klein Constantia
Update date: 2026-09-24
Two whites from the same land
For the dry style, 100% Sauvignon Blanc; for Vin de Constance, Muscat de Frontignan is used. The producer and the region, Constantia, are the same, but the grape varieties and harvest years are different. This is not a comparison of two parts of the same juice split during fermentation.
38 parcels and 18 harvests
2023 Dry ferments the material from its 38 plots separately, then combines them later. 2022 Sweet is harvested in 18 separate passes from March 9 to April 8, with lots managed individually. 38 is plot count; 18 indicates harvest rounds. Do not interpret these as a ranking for volume of raw material.
Process by which sweetness remains
The documentation for the 2022 sweet style explains that in many lots there was two weeks of skin contact before pressing, and fermentation stopped naturally. Residual sugar is 168.6g/L. There is no mention of halting fermentation with fortification. Check the quantitative sweetness separately from the process for retaining that sweetness.
Two-stage maturation involving transfer between containers
2023 Dry spends 10% of its time in 500L neutral barrels and six months on its lees. 2022 Sweet ages 18 months in 500L barrels, then 20 more in large casks. The first barrel is 50% new oak. Do not assume their shared 500L size means their usage history or aging design is the same.
What to align and what to compare.
Raw material
- Conditions to standardize
- Same producer: region
- Conditions for comparison.
- Sauvignon and Muscat
- Additional points to confirm
- Vintages also differ.
Sorting
- Conditions to standardize
- Handle each lot individually
- Conditions for comparison.
- 38 parcels and 18 harvests
- Additional points to confirm
- Confirm the unit of the number.
Aging
- Conditions to standardize
- Use of lees and barrels
- Conditions for comparison.
- Different vessels and aging periods for dry and sweet styles
- Additional points to confirm
- Volume and new barrel ratio are separate factors.
Order of reading and key points to consider in each article
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- 1↗
South Africa
Vin de Constance: Selection Harvest and Sweet Wines
Check the steps for making sweet wines.
- 2↗
South Africa
Constantia: History of sweet wines and cool-climate whites
Read about the location and history of the region.
- 3↗
South Africa
Chenin, Pinotage, and beyond
Surveying South Africa's Grape Varieties
READ · HYPOTHESIZE · RECONSIDER
Klein Constantia document analysis: separating harvest and fermentation for dry and sweet wines
Verify the ingredients and processes in the materials and consider reasons for differences.
The numbers are based on documentation from the indicated year, or the product description at the time of confirmation. Descriptions without a vintage do not guarantee specifications for all vintages.
| Comparison items | Sauvignon Blanc 2023 | Vin de Constance 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Raw material | Sauvignon Blanc 100% | Muscat de Frontignan |
| Unit of sorting | Fermenting 38 parcels separately | 18 harvests for individual lots |
| Residual sugar | 1.6g/L | 168.6g/L |
| Aging | 10% in neutral 500L barrels, 6 months on lees | 18 months in 500L barrels, then 20 months in large casks |
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Read the explanation for each question
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How was fermentation halted for the 2022 sweet style?
The official documents note natural fermentation cessation and residual sugar. From the sweetness alone, you cannot infer the same fortification process as for Port.
If you compare 38 and 18?
'38 for dry indicates a vineyard block; '18 for sweet indicates the number of harvest passes. Since the higher number refers to a smaller unit or finer selection depending on context, ranks in different units cannot be compared directly.
At which stage is 50% new oak used for sweet wines?
After explaining the use of 500L barrels, the source goes on to mention an additional 20 months in large barrels. Do not automatically extend new oak percentages to the later vessels or the total maturation period.
Basis and sources for the exercise
Practice exercises in comparison
Compare the raw materials and processes in the documentation, and explain the choices made by the producer.
Read examples of organizing comparisons
| Conditions for Comparison | Sauvignon Blanc 2023 | Vin de Constance 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Raw material | Sauvignon Blanc 100% | Muscat de Frontignan |
| Unit of sorting | Fermenting 38 parcels separately | 18 harvests for individual lots |
| Residual sugar | 1.6g/L | 168.6g/L |
| Aging | 10% in neutral 500L barrels, 6 months on lees | 18 months in 500L barrels, then 20 months in large casks |
Sources of materials used for comparison are listed in the text and exercises.
Explain in your own words
Explain the process of stopping fermentation and the two-stage maturation for sweet wines; also note any conditions that differ compared to dry styles.
Check after writing
- Was suspension of fermentation achieved by fortification rather than by natural means?
- Were the number of parcels and number of harvests counted separately?
- Did you indicate which stage the 50% new barrels applies to?
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