ALMOST as newsworthy as the record-breaking price of over R58K fetched for a 500ml Vin de Constance 1987 at the ‘Cape Heritage Wine’ Auction by Strauss & Co end-August 2022, was the ‘bargain’ price that the 1957 Chateau Libertas went for. A 750ml bottle of this old Chateau Lib blend from Cinsaut and Cabernet Sauvignon that came out of the Winshaw’s cellar in Stellenbosch sold for over R18K – the second-highest price paid on the day but way lower than the R91K that somebody bid at a Strauss auction just less than a year before. Interestingly, prior to the sale, again conducted online only, the South African auction house had estimated the bottle would fetch between R17K and R20K, so presumably whoever paid over five times as much in 2021 must have rued the day.

The star of the show on this occasion was the second vintage and first commercial release of Klein Constantia’s sweet wine made from Muscat du Frontignan, a ‘renaissance’ in the style of the Grand Constance adored by the royals and nobility of Europe and Britain in the 18th and 19th centuries – and for which the highest price paid prior to the August 22 purchase was R34 140 for a bottle bought at the same auction that a bidder went big for the Chateau Lib. KC’s 1987 Vin de Constance bore the words Noble Late Harvest on the front label, and in recent years the wording has proclaimed Natural Sweet, a descriptor dropped from the 2017 vintage. On sale at the time of writing was the 2018 at R1295 a bottle, and when the 2019 is released the front of the packaging (pictured above) will dispense with the name of the producer… A story for another day!

The third-highest price paid was R16 415 for a bottle of 1929 KWV Jubilee Port (Tawny). See below for all the highlights.

 

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REDS IN HIGH DEMAND

Chateau Libertas 1957 (Red Blend, Stellenbosch, Distell)
R18 760 paid for 1×750ml

Zonnebloem Cabernet Sauvignon 1945 (Distell)
R15 243 paid for 2×750ml: R7621pb

Chateau Libertas 1970 (Red Blend, Stellenbosch, Distell)
R12 898 paid for 3×750ml: R4229pb

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2006 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R21 105 paid for 6×750ml: R3517pb

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2007 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R18 760 paid for 6×750ml: R3127pb

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2010 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R18 760 paid for 6×750ml: R3127pb

Sadie Pofadder 2015 (Cinsaut, Swartland)
R18 760 paid for 6×750ml: R3127pb

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2012 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R17 588 paid for 6×750ml: R2931pb

Kanonkop Black Label Pinotage 2013 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R16 415 paid for 6×750ml: R2736pb

Sadie Pofadder 2013 (Cinsaut, Swartland)
R15 243 paid for 6×750ml: R2540pb

Kanonkop Pinotage 1998 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R8794 paid for 2×1.5L: R2198 / 750ml

Kaapzicht Steytler Vision 2012 (Pinotage-led blend, Bottelary-Stellenbosch)
R3752 paid for 2×750ml: R1876pb

Kanonkop Pinotage 1991 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R5628 paid for 3×750ml: R1876

Sadie Treinspoor 2013 (Tinta Barocca, Swartland)
R10 553 paid for 6×750ml: R1759pb

Sadie Treinspoor 2015 (Tinta Barocca, Swartland)
R9967 paid for 6×750ml: R1661pb

Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage 2014 (Stellenbosch)
R9380 paid for 6×750ml: R1563pb

Kanonkop Pinotage 2007 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R9380 paid for 3×1.5L: R1563 / 750ml

Beyerskloof Faith 2015 (Pinotage-led Blend, Stellenbosch)
R8208 paid for 6×750ml: R1368pb

Alto Rouge 1980, 1989 (Red Blend, Stellenbosch)
R2580 paid for 2×750ml: R1290pb

Kanonkop Pinotage 2015 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R7622 paid for 6×750ml: R1270pb

Kanonkop Pinotage 2001 (Simonsberg-Stellenbosch)
R3752 paid for 3×750ml: R1251pb

Beeslaar Pinotage 2016 (Stellenbosch)
R6449 paid for 6×750ml: R1075pb

Kaapzicht Steytler Pinotage 2006 (Bottelary-Stellenbosch)
R6449 paid for 6×750ml: R1075pb

KWV Roodeberg 1990 (Red Blend)
R3518 paid for 3×750ml: R1173pb

 

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WHITES IN HIGH DEMAND

Sadie Skurfberg 2012 (Chenin, Swartland)
R14 070 paid for 3×750ml: R4690pb

Sadie Mev Kirsten 2015 (Chenin, Stellenbosch)
R12 898 paid for 3×750ml: R4299pb

Sadie Skurfberg 2013 (Chenin, Swartland)
R11 725 paid for 3×750ml: R3908pb

Sadie Mev Kirsten 2016 (Chenin, Stellenbosch)
R11 139 paid for 3×750ml: R3713pb

Sadie Palladius 2011 (White Blend, Swartland)
R22 278 paid for 6×750ml: R3713pb

Ken Forrester Dirty Little Secret 2015 (Chenin, Piekenierskloof)
R10 553 paid for 3×750ml: R3518pb

Sadie Palladius 2015 (White Blend, Swartland)
R19 933 paid for 6×750ml: R3322pb

Sadie Kokerboom 2015 (Semillon, Swartland)
R18 760 paid for 6×750ml: R3127pb

Sadie ‘T Voetpad 2013 (White Blend, Swartland)
R9380 paid for 3×750ml: R3127pb

Sadie ‘T Voetpad 2012 (White Blend, Swartland)
R8794 paid for 3×750ml: R2931pb

Alheit Magnetic North 2017 (Chenin & Semillon, W Cape)
R11 725 paid for 6×750ml: R1954pb

Sadie Kokerboom 2013 (Semillon, Swartland)
R11 725 paid for 6×750ml: R1954pb

Ken Forrester FMC 2013 (Chenn, Stellenbosch)
R7622 paid for 2×1.5L: R1905 / 750ml

Alheit Nautical Dawn 2017 (Chenin, Stellenbosch)
R11 139 paid for 6×750ml: R1856pb

Ken Forrester FMC 2013 (Chenn, Stellenbosch)
R3518 paid for 1×1.5L: R1759 / 750ml

Sadie Skerpioen 2015 (Chenin & Palomino, Swartland)
R10 553 paid for 6×750ml: R1759pb

Raats Eden Chenin Blanc 2018 (Stellenbosch)
R9967 paid for 6×750ml: R1661pb

Mullineux Quartz Chenin Blanc 2013 (Swartland)
R3283 paid for 2×750ml: R1641pb

Ken Forrester FMC 2013 (Chenn, Stellenbosch)
R7622 paid for 6×750ml: R1270pb

Sadie Skerpioen 2012 (Chenin & Palomino, Swartland)
R5628 paid for 5×750ml: R1126pb

Alheit Cartology 2017 (Chenin, Citrusdal Mtn)
R6449 paid for 6×750ml: R1075pb

 

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SWEETS IN HIGH DEMAND

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 1987 (Muscat, Constantia)
R58 625 paid for 1×500ml: R87 937 / 750ml

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 1989 (Muscat, Constantia)
R25 795 paid for 1×500ml: R38 692 / 750ml

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 1993 (Muscat, Constantia)
R11 725 paid for 1×500ml: R17 587 / 750ml

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2000 (Muscat, Constantia)
R7035 paid for 1×500ml: R10 552 / 750ml

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 1998 (Muscat, Constantia)
R18 760 paid for 3×500ml: R9380 / 750ml

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 1996 (Muscat, Constantia)
R10 553 paid for 2×500ml: R7915 / 750ml

Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2001 (Muscat, Constantia)
R4690 paid for 1×500ml: R7035 / 750ml

 

KWV Jubilee Port 1929 (Tawny, Paarl)
R16 415 paid for 1×750ml

KWV Tawny Port 1939 (Paarl)
R12 898 paid for 3×750ml: R4299pb

 

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