Wine Dine and Play: Constantia Glen Winery

Constantia Glen Winery



Constantia, South Africa
The day was young, early afternoon, just after lunch. Mother Nature was not being my friend today. I had planned a boat trip to Duiker Island, known as the seal island, but the seas were too rough so no boats were going out. I thought that not all was lost, so I decided to drive along Chapman’s Peak, a world famous road with twists and turns where a lot of car companies’ film commercials, and it was also closed because of mud and rock slides.  The next destination on my list was going to be the Constantia Wine Route, so I thought that not all was lost, I get to start drinking and wine tasting earlier. Life is good, and it started with Constantia Glen Winery. In this review, I will focus on four wines from the tasting.
http://www.constantiavalley.com/vineyards/

Trending wines:
Silver Oak Cellars, Napa        
Napa Wine Company             
World’s Top 100 Restaurants:
Alinea, Chicago                      

Follow Wine, dine, and Play:

https://www.facebook.com/WineDineAndPlay  http://www.pinterest.com/winedineandplay/boards/https://twitter.com/WineDinePlayhttps://plus.google.com/101959252647459500827/postshttp://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1ovEUh/winedineandplay.blogspot.com/http://www.tumblr.com/blog/winedineandplaybloghttp://www.flickr.com/photos/114404072@N02/http://digg.com/submit
   http://instagram.com/winedineandplay#



Wine Dine and Play’s ratings for wine:
96 – 100
Extraordinary  
90 – 95
Outstanding 
80 – 89
above average    
70 – 79
below average                         
60 – 69
poor/appalling/ “Cac”
Review basics:
Wine, Dine, & Play’s Rating
91/100
Wines Produced

Red: Bordeaux Blend (aka Meritage), and a Summation,
White: Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, and a Sémillon blend

Grape Blends
Red: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a Summation blending of all 5 Meritage grapes
White: Sauvignon blanc, and Sémillon
Current Vintage for 2014
Reds: 2008, 2010, & 2012
Whites: 2012, & 2013
Region Map
Constantia Wine Route
 
Regulatory
W.O. 'Wine of Origin' South Africa
ABV %
13.5% - 14.5%
Barrel Types
French oak
Barrel Aging
16 months on the reds
 
South African wine Quality Standards:
Unlike some European countries, South Africa does not have any requirements for the process of making wines in a particular region—for instance, allowing only certain trellising methods or varietals. However, there are certain quality requirements.  For a wine to be labeled as a particular varietal or as coming from a particular region, estate, or vineyard, it must also not display any “unacceptable quality characteristics,” which means the wine may not be turbid, contain excess sediment or crystals, have faulty/insufficient color, or display undesirable flavor characteristics. Among the several characteristics listed as unacceptable, a wine may not be overly tannic, thin or watery, or oxidized. For a wine to be labeled as coming from a particular area, 100% of the grapes used to make the wine must have been grown there, and producers may only label their wines using officially-recognized geographic areas.  In addition to designating a particular geographic unit, region, district, or ward, a producer may also designate the wine as coming from a particular estate or may label it as a “single vineyard wine.”  However, to do so the producer must first register the area where the grapes were grown with the Wine and Spirit Board.  Single-vineyard wines must have been made from a single varietal that is produced in the area registered with the board, and the area registered may be no larger than 6 hectares.  Estate wines must be made entirely—including bottling—in the registered area where the grapes were grown.  Also, if a particular varietal—or “cultivar” as the law defines it—is listed on the bottle, at least 85% of the grapes used in making the wine must have been of that type.  This same 85% rule applies to designating a particular vintage year.

Cases Produced:                                          
Per Year:
                                                                                               
Sauvignon Blanc

Saddle Rose
 500 cases
Three

Five

                       
Price chart:
$ -                    Under $50.00 USD
$$ -                  Over   $50.00 USD
$$$ -                Over $100.00 USD
$$$$ -              Over $200.00 USD
$$$$$-             Over $400.00 USD
Bottle prices:

2012 Constantia Glen Sauvignon Blanc (750 ml)



R100.00
ZAR

$9.17
USD

£5.49
GBP

€6.69
EUR

¥56.03
CNY 
¥¥
2013 Constantia Saddle Rose (750 ml) 



R60.00
ZAR

$5.50
USD

£3.29
GBP

€4.02
EUR

¥33.62
CNY 
¥
2010 Constantia Glen Three (750 ml)



R165.00
ZAR

$15.14
USD

£9.06
GBP

€110.4
EUR

¥92.45
CNY 
¥¥
2008 Constantia Glen Five (750 ml)



R245.00
ZAR

$22.48
USD

£13.45
GBP

€16.40
EUR

¥137.27
CNY 
¥¥¥

-- Prices do not include exporting costs out of host country or taxes incoming to your country
Visit these sites to get up to date currency rates:
 www.xe.com

Or visit:



Cost of wine tasting in USD (p/p):
Vineyard Tasting
$4.00

                                                                       
Scroll down below to the main review to read the tasting notes

From vineyards home page:
Perched high on the upper reaches of the Constantiaberg in the oldest wine producing region of South Africa lies the magnificent boutique wine estate, Constantia Glen. Acclaimed for bespoke wines and sweeping panoramic views, Constantia Glen is one of the gems of the Constantia Valley, the home of South African wine with a proud history of winemaking dating back to 1685.Cradled between the slopes of the Constantiaberg overlooking False Bay, Constantia Glen’s 60 hectares of undulating landscape have been under the present ownership since the 1960's. In recent times, the farm has undergone numerous transformations from rolling forest hills to an Angus cattle stud, before finally accepting the historical inevitability of a return to vineyard production.
Main review:
Enjoying my drive, I came across Constantia Glen, entering into the property, and you could not pick a better location overlooking rolling hilltops leading to Cape Point covered in green grass, and large tree’s, with the property manicured with flowers and assorted bushes.  Once parked, the tasting area was a group of patio tables overlooking the vines growing down the hill and valley and into a large cropping of hills to the north.
As an American visiting South Africa, the tastings in both Constantia and Stellenbosch were an experience within themselves, much different to the tastings in Napa and Sonoma, California. Most tastings in California, Washington State, New York, and Oregon starts at $25.00-$40.00, so when I found out the cost for the tastings in South Africa I was shocked. The average is $4.00-$6.00, Glen being $4.00 (ZAR40.00). I had a tasting of six wines as I sat enjoying the nice summer breeze, and noticed that other tables were also ordering charcuterie plates with their wine tastings, again a big difference, from the American and French Vineyards I have visited in the past. I would have ordered it as well, but I had just eaten lunch, and wanted to save room for dinner eating at La Colombe, in Constantia.
 
This or these wines remind me of:
I am more of a red wine drinker than white, but enjoy a good white when I can get it, and the Constantia Glen’s
Sauvignon Blanc is a very nice crisp wine to have on a summer day, but my favorite wine of the day was the
Constantia Glen Three, and overall from the vineyard to the quality of wines, I would compare the experience to Kamen 
Estates Vineyard in Sonoma, California.

Bouquet & Palette:

Wine & Grape:
Nose:
Palette Experience:
Hugely expressive and uplifting aromas of nettle and gooseberry, backed up by an intense tropical array of nectarine, guava and kiwi fruit. There is an underlying perfume of elderflower
The creamy richness with the citrus and yellow fruit flavors are beautifully balanced by the crisp acidity and well-defined minerality. A small portion of Semillon (10%) adds weighty texture and the mouth-coating richness are accentuated by the maturation of the wine on the lees in stainless steel tanks for 5 months.
Think strawberries, salmon hues, floral scents and berry fruit, this bone dry Constantia Saddle Rosé 2011 made in the classic style of southern France.

A complex offering with nuances of blackberries, spice and dark plum fruit. The background is accentuated with an expressive red berry perfume. The beautiful dark fruit flavors show the underpinnings of the three expressive Bordeaux varieties. The nose promises depth and concentration expected from such a remarkably cool vintage and shows good integration after decanting.
The dark fruit flavors follow seamlessly onto a mouth-filling palate with incredible texture from ripe, velvety tannins. The wine has a very good structure because of fine-grain tannins and the balance of the wine is achieved with a refreshing minerality. Full-bodied with a juicy texture, this wine has a long, soft finish making it very approachable in its youth, yet has ample structure to age beautifully.
Full ripe black fruits and spicy aromatics fill the first impression. Headily scented cigar box nuances are offset by lashings of blackcurrant and Morello cherries. The nose shows all the underpinnings of the expressive Bordeaux varieties and invites further exploration.
The aromas follow through seamlessly onto the palate and are complemented by polished yet persistent tannins that lend texture and structure to a wine of immense complexity.  This wine is both elegant and refined and exudes class in all aspects - culminating in a sophisticated finish that lingers. 

                                                                                               
Château or Vineyard Owner:
XXX

Viticulturist:
XXX

Winemaker:
Justin Van Wyk

Tasting room address:          
Constantia Main Rd,
Constantia 7806,
South Africa
 http://goo.gl/maps/To5Ve
               

Cross streets:
Hout Bay Road & Belair Drive

Contact Information:

Tasting room:
+27 21 795 5639
Fax:
+27 21 795 6101
Winery:
+27 21 795 6100
Website:
Email:
Facebook link               
https://www.facebook.com/ConstantiaGlen
https://twitter.com/ConstantiaGlen

 Hours of tastings:
Monday – Friday:        10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Weekend:                     10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
S. African Standard Time (GMT +2:00)




 https://www.facebook.com/WineDineAndPlay



Review by:
Chef Sean Overpeck (CFE)


Chef Sean cooks for soldiers in Afghanistan, 2012:



“I like cooking with wine; sometimes I even add it to the food.”
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

You may also like:

View my food journey on Zomato!

Popular Posts: