Constantia Glen, FIVE 2022

Description

Located below Constantia Nek, Constantia Glen is a picturesque wine estate producing ultra-premium, cool climate white and red wines. The 60-hectare property, situated 103-2790 meters above sea level, has a mere 29 hectares under vine with product of wines limited to 120,000 bottles per annum. Although winemaking began in 1685, recent history begins with the Waibel family, who purchased the land in 1960. Although this land is difficult to farm, the dedication, patience and passion of the Waibel family has resulted in high-quality wines, reflective of the terroir.

HARVEST SUMMARY BY CELLAR MASTER, JUSTIN VAN WYK
The 2022 vintage gave us yet another fantastic crop at Constantia Glen. We would characterise 2022 as a cool vintage with a lot of opulence and abundant fruit. Due to a cold winter in 2021 and a cool growing season preceding the harvest, the picking kicked off extremely late; on 28 February 2022 for the white grapes, and on 21 March 2022 for the reds. The red wine harvest commenced on this date with some Malbec grapes directly beside the winery building. Harvesting of red grapes continued for four weeks, as each vineyard block achieved optimal ripeness. The harvest came to a close on 19 April 2022 when the final blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon were picked and processed into the winery. A cool growing season such as this results in slow and even ripening, which is beneficial to the development of complex flavour precursors in the grapes. Thanks to well established vineyards with excellent root systems, the dryland vineyards on the estate ripened the fruit with ease and the 2022 vintage has delivered elegant and refined wines with fantastic richness, structure, and delicious flavour concentration. The freshness and persistent fine-grain tannins evident on the wines in their youth provide me with a lot of confidence that this vintage will be one with excellent ageing potential.

TASTING NOTE
This wine has a vibrant and youthful dark ruby colour. On the nose, pronounced aromas of Morello cherries, ripe blackcurrant, and plums are elevated by a delicate fragrance of violets and dried herbs. Underlying savoury notes of tobacco pouch, cedar, and graphite add complexity and intrigue.

On the palate, the wine is rich and concentrated, with bold dark fruit flavours that are beautifully balanced by this blend’s inherent freshness. The fine-grained tannins provide a mouth-coating texture and wonderful persistence that creates a lingering finish. This wine is beautifully structured, showcasing a harmonious blend of dark fruit, elegance, and finesse. The wine comes across as tightly wound in its youth, but with all the potential for incredible ageing potential.

TECHNICAL DATA
A carefully crafted blend of 28% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 14% Petit Verdot and 9% Malbec, matured for 19 months in 80% new and 20% secondfill 225 litre French oak barrels. Following barrel maturation, the wine received a very light filtration before making its way into bottle on 12 December 2023. With no fining agents used during the production of this wine, a harmless sediment may occur during maturation in the bottle. This is a classic and bold vintage of the Constantia Glen FIVE, which will continue to age and develop admirably in bottle for up to 10 to 15 years from harvest, under correct cellaring conditions.

Alcohol 14.5%
Residual Sugar 2.90 g/L
pH 3.54
Titratable Acidity 5.50 g/L
VA 0.72 g/L

FOOD PAIRING
Seared dry-aged beef Rib-eye served on potato rosti with seasonal vegetables and jus.

Additional information

Seared dry-aged beef Rib-eye served on potato rosti with seasonal vegetables and jus.