WHAT A DIFFERENCE a year makes! Or doesn’t… Apparently some of those bidding during the timed online auction of sweet wines that concluded on 10 June ’24 regarded the 38-year-old 1986 vintage of Vin de Constance to be much better (or much more rare?) than the 37-year-old 1987: a 500ml bottle of the ever-so-slightly older vintage fetched R58 625 including commission and tax, versus R21 105 paid for the same size bottle of the younger vintage. Yet just a couple of years earlier, in 2022, the 1987 was auctioned for R58 625 to set the record high – now matched by the 1986 – for this natural sweet dessert wine from Klein Constantia, a ‘modern day’ rendition of the more venerable golden oldie, Grand Constance. Strauss & Co the South African auction house on both occasions.

And talking about Grand Constance… At the same auction, there were no bidders willing to pay the reserve price of R700 000 (over US$37K) for a 375ml bottle of 1821 Grand Constance, WO Constantia. This for some of the nectar craved by the well-to-do back in the day, i.e. some of that which had been bought and sold again and again over the centuries before, in this instance, being acquired by the Malans of Simonsig Family Vineyards of Stellenbosch. It was only three years earlier, in 2021, that a collector parted with R967 300 (US$67 659) for a similar bottle of the 1821.

For all of the South African sweet wines that fetched over R4000/750ml, see below. For the full results of the auction, which included “additional finds” and wines from elsewhere in the world, click here.

TOP PRICES FETCHED ON AUCTION

Vin de Constance 1986 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R58 625 paid for 1×500ml: R87 937/750ml

Vin de Constance 1987 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R21 105 paid for 1×500ml: R31 657/750ml

Vin de Constance 1989 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R14 070 paid for 1×500ml: R21 105/750ml

KWV Jubilee Port 1929
WO Western Cape
R15 243 paid for 1×750ml

KWV Tawny Port 1929
WO Boberg / Western Cape
R11 725 paid for 1×750ml

Vin de Constance 1995 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R7035 paid for 1×500ml: R10 552/750ml

Vin de Constance 1997 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R5863 paid for 1×500ml: R8794/750ml

Vin de Constance 1996 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R5277 paid for 1×500ml: R7915/750ml

Vin de Constance 1994 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R5277 paid for 1×500ml: R7915/750ml

Niepoort & Sadie Cape Tawny 2009
Tinta Barocca-led blend, WO Swartland
R14 070 paid for 4×375ml: R7035/750ml

Niepoort & Sadie Cape Tawny 2008
Tinta Barocca-led blend, WO Swartland
R14 070 paid for 4×375ml: R7035/750ml

KWV Tawny Port 1939
WO Boberg / Western Cape
R6449 paid for 1×750ml

KWV Muscadel 1930
Thought to be from Paarl & Wellington grapes
R5863 paid for 1×750ml

Vin de Constance 2000 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R11 725 paid for 3×500ml: R5862/750ml

Mullineux Olerasay No. 1 NV
Chenin Blanc, Solera Style Straw Wine, WO Swartland
R5628 paid for 2×375ml: R5628/750ml

Vin de Constance 2004 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R3518 paid for 1×500ml: R5277/750ml

Mullineux Olerasay No. 2 NV
Chenin Blanc, Solera Style Straw Wine, WO Swartland
R7622 paid for 3×375ml: R5081/750ml

Vin de Constance 2008 (Klein Constantia)
Muscat de Frontignan, Natural Sweet, WO Constantia
R8208 paid for 3×500ml: R4104/750ml

• Prices include buyer’s premium and VAT.