Cape Heritage, Sweets & Fortifieds
Timed Online Auction, 5 - 17 June 2025
Sweets
About the SessionA rich offering of vintage wines that have stood the test of time.
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
The re-creation of the legendary Constantia wine made in the 18th and 19th centuries, sought after by Napoleon, the aristocracy of Europe, King George IV and King Louis Philippe and praised by Charles Dickens, Jane Austen and Baudelaire! The property was restored in 1983 and this was the 2nd vintage produced under Ross Gower and the first to ever be commercially released.
1986 is regarded as one of the finest vintages produced in the 80s and 90s. According to current cellar master, Matt Day, the 1986 bottles are bullet proof, and so it seems. All bottles opened for recorking, even poor ullage ones, showing life and structure. Topped up (with the same vintage) and re-corked, sealed and documented at the source for the purpose of this auction, in partnership with Amorim & Klein Constantia. Seal code MJ-206842 can be traced on Amorim Recorking Directory
Provenance
6 bottles were bought by a Private Collector from Christies Auction House in the UK. The Avery Family Cellar Sale took place in October 2016. For three decades the bottles were stored in the Avery family cellar in the UK. When the bottles were purchased in 2016, they were transferred and stored in professional storage at LCB´s Vinotheque in London. The 6 bottles were delivered to Strauss & Co by Seabrook Export Services and then recorked at Klein Constantia on 21 May 2024.
Critics Ratings
'This is truly one of the best VDC bottles I have ever tasted. Perfect condition, pale golden colour super complex. Slight Pineapple tart, fudge, sandalwood and Mango with a lovely spice on the nose. Intense, lifted, fresh honey and lemon bouquet. Racy, minerally acid lends vivid clarity to the rich fruit, silky texture.' - Matthew Day (Klein Constantia winemaker) (May 2024 tasted at recorking)
'Excellent balance. Incisively clean, long. Amazingly youthful.' - Angela Lloyd
'Startling caramelised orange nose, smoky, a touch of rancio, vivid. Medium bodied, moderate concentration, good acidity, a trace of oxidation, yet vibrant, with some tropical fruit. Peppery finish, fine length.' - Stephen Brook, Decanter magazine.
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