GRAVITAS, the first of its kind from Constantia Uitsig, a sweet Muscat de Frontignan, vintage 2020, the fourth Constantia dessert wine on the market since Klein Constantia began the renaissance of a style adored by Europe and the UK's well-to-do in the 18th and 19th centuries. Unfortified but not natural sweet à la KC's Vin de Constance and Groot Constantia's Grand Constance. Instead, a botrytis wine (Noble Late Harvest) as per Buitenverwachting's 1769. Gloriously rich without being cloying, the top-scoring South African wine in its category at the 2025 International Wine & Spirit Competition in London!
Not that Constantia's are the only top-class unfortified sweets from the Cape winelands. Those most highly rated by the top panels of judges in 2024 and 2025 to date also include wines from Elgin and Franschhoek, Klawer, Paarl and Piekenierskloof, the Slanghoek Valley and Stellenbosch:
HIGHLY RATED SWEETS
Boschendal Vin D'Or Noble Late Harvest 2022
R600pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Franschhoek
Buitenverwachting ‘1769' 2022 & 2021 (Noble Late)
R400pb (500ml) ex-cellar, Constantia
Constantia Uitsig Gravitas 2020 (Noble Late Harvest)
R950pb (500ml) ex-cellar, Constantia
GlenWood Grand Duc Noblesse 2023 (Noble Late Harvest)
R360pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Franschhoek
Groot Constantia Grand Constance 2021 – 2019 (Natural Sweet)
R1010pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Constantia
Klein Goederust Chenin Blanc Natural Sweet 2021
R250pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Franschhoek
Miles Mossop Kika Noble Late Harvest 2023
R425pb (375ml) ex-producer, Banghoek-Stellenbosch
Nederburg Winemasters Noble Late Harvest 2023
R150pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Paarl
Neethlingshof Maria Noble Late Harvest 2024
R229pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Stellenbosch
Paul Clüver Riesling Noble Late Harvest 2021
R550pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Elgin
Perdeberg Dry Land Natural Sweet Chenin Blanc 2022
R220pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Windmeul-Paarl
Slanghoek Private Selection Crème de Chenin Natural Sweet 2023
R89pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Breedekloof
Tierhoek Straw Wine NV
R280pb (375ml) ex-cellar, Piekenierskloof
Villa Esposto Muscat d'Alexandrie Straw Wine 2023
R154pb (375ml) ex-Klawer cellar, Klawer
Vin de Constance 2021 & 2020 (Natural Sweet)
R1500pb (500ml) ex-Klein Constantia cellar, Constantia
• For details of the ratings and judging panels, click here.
