Klein Constantia is one of the Cape’s most historic and admired estates, a producer whose name is inseparable from the story of South African fine wine. Set on the upper slopes of Constantiaberg above False Bay, the estate traces its roots back to 1685, when Simon van der Stel established the original Constantia property. After the estate was divided in 1712, one section became Klein Constantia, giving the winery a direct link to one of the oldest and most storied names in New World wine.
Its reputation rests above all on Vin de Constance, the legendary sweet wine that made Constantia famous far beyond the Cape. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was poured in royal courts and celebrated by figures ranging from Napoleon to Jane Austen, a level of historical cachet that very few wineries anywhere can match. That legacy still shapes the estate today, not as a museum piece, but as a living part of its identity.
The modern estate was revived in the 1980s, when Duggie Jooste bought Klein Constantia and began a major restoration that returned the property to the front rank of South African wine. The first modern-era vintage was released in 1986, marking the beginning of a new chapter for the estate and the rebirth of Vin de Constance as one of the Cape’s defining wines.
Klein Constantia is not only about history, though. The estate’s position on decomposed granite slopes, cooled by maritime influence from False Bay, gives it a distinctive terroir that suits both aromatic whites and its famous sweet wine. Sauvignon Blanc has become another important part of the estate’s reputation, with the best bottlings showing the sort of tension, precision and site expression that have helped define modern fine wine from Constantia.
Ownership has evolved in the modern era, with the estate sold in 2011 to Zdeněk Bakala and Charles Harman, followed by the arrival of Hubert de Boüard and Bruno Prats as shareholders after the 2012 merger with Anwilka. That brought further international attention and investment, but the estate’s appeal still comes back to the same thing: a rare combination of historical significance, beautiful terroir and wines that genuinely justify the weight of their reputation.
For collectors and wine lovers, Klein Constantia occupies a very particular place. It is one of the few estates in the southern hemisphere that can speak with both a sense of antiquity and a thoroughly modern fine wine voice. That combination gives it unusual stature, and helps explain why it remains one of the Cape’s most compelling producers.
