AIDAN

Enjoy with an earthy leek and wild mushroom risotto, or a simple springbok carpaccio topped with arugula, parmesan, pine nuts and a splash of local olive oil.

The 2019 harvest was an extremely challenging one with high degrees of uncertainty. We hit a record low in production, going down by 40% in tonnages from the year prior, but we are confident about the quality of the vintage. Although we received enough rainfall during the growth season, we still felt the after-effects of the preceding four year drought and our vines and soils have taken some time to recover. During bud break and flowering we faced severe weather fluctuations, followed by cool windy conditions during fruit set. This lead to the vines producing fewer bunches and smaller berries - which ironically, in terms of quality, was a great thing, as the stressed vines were able to ripen their smaller crop load optimally. In addition to that, the smaller the berries, the higher the skin to juice ratio, and the greater the concentration of flavour. So, what to expect from our reds from this year: Elegance, Austerity, Incredible acid concentrations and insane tannins. 2019 was a pivotal year for Beau Constantia. Our terroir faced a massive shift in climate, and I was honoured enough to take over the entire winemaking process from ground to glass. Fearful? Be not. Change is the basic law of nature, and remaining in sync with our ever-changing environment is a way of life we find humbling, exciting and rewarding.

The bunches were hand harvested at early morning hours and spent the night in a 4 degree Celsius room before being hand sorted to berry level on its way to tank. The batches all fermented in their own, small vessels before being gravity drained and basket pressed to barrel. The wine was inoculated for Malolactic fermentation, and post the secondary fermentation spent a further 18 months in 79% New French oak and 21% 2nd-fill French oak barrels.

A mere 20 minutes from Cape Town City’s center lies Beau Constantia, a well-curated escarp of rolling vineyards, floating concrete, and rocky mountainside. In a shy kloof, steep North East facing slopes summit the Vlakkenberg, from where both the Indian and the Atlantic oceans become visible. From the outset, the unique site called for a masterful eye and design approach that respects its terroir – a wine term that refers to a place’s character.