Constantia Glen, the acclaimed family-owned producer of world-class Bordeaux-style wines, has released a new vintage of the award-winning flagship blend, Constantia Glen FIVE.

A sequel to the 2015 vintage which was hailed the world’s best blended red wine at the 2019 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC), the new 2016 vintage released just before the Covid-19 lockdown, is another sure winner for this boutique wine estate.

This refined, yet powerful blend was crafted from Constantia Glen’s dryland vines of all five classic Bordeaux red grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (30%) Cabernet Franc (29%), Merlot (23%), Petit Verdot (12%) and Malbec (6%). The result is an accomplished wine of great complexity, defined by a vibrant core of dark fruit.

“The first impression shows bold, dark fruit, but with time to breathe, the wine unfurls into a multitude of layers. Aromas of graphite and pencil shavings start emerging from the glass, and finally, as the whirling liquid comes to rest, hints of violet, cassis and wild fynbos are released,’’ is how winemaker Justin van Wyk describes a first encounter with the wine.

The experience becomes more dramatic as it starts to unfold on the palate, showing excellent freshness and depth.

“The palate shows great balance between refinement and power, with the delicious fine-grain tannins providing a structured backbone and incredible mouth-coating texture. Vibrant acidity and a long, lingering finish will have you beckoning for another sip,” shares van Wyk.

Describing the 2016 harvest as excellent with textbook ripening conditions, he believes the drier conditions during the growing season worked in Constantia Glen’s favour with their cool micro-climate, resulting in smaller berries with increased flavour concentration.

“Our 2016 red wines have a very good texture, ripe fruit concentration and refreshing, crunchy tannins,” he adds.

The FIVE matured for 18 months in 70% new and 30% second-fill French oak barrels with the promise of developing further for 10 to 15 years from vintage. Its freshness and compelling structure is the perfect foil for richly flavoured comfort food such as Constantia Glen’s famous Austrian goulash soup.

Constantia Glen FIVE 2016 can be purchased directly from the tasting room at the cellar door price of R465 on Mondays to Thursdays between 09h00 and 17h00, or online for delivery HERE…