Aromatic, sweet, elegant and lush. WS 95.
WINE DETAILS:
Grape: Muscat de Frontignan
Alcohol: 14%
Wine: Vin De Constance
Vintage: 2009
Winery: Klein Constantia
Country/Region: Constantia, South Africa
Date: 6/19/20
Distributor: Total Wines
Notes: Aromatic, sweet, elegant and lush. WS 95.
Nerd Alert: Better known as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains. Its name comes from its characteristic small berry size and tight clusters. Its viticultural characteristics makes it prone to producing low yields and a susceptibility to mildew and the grape berry moth. Ampelographers have identified the grape with the Anathelicon moschaton grape used by the Ancient Greeks and the Apiane vines planted by the Romans (so named because of the fondness that insects, such as bees (Latin apis), have for devouring the flesh of the grapes). It was probably first introduced to France by the Greeks through their trading port at Marseille and later spread to the Narbonne region by Romans in their conquest of Gaul. It was a chief export of Frontignan by the time of Charlemagne and plantings were recorded in Germany by the 12th century.
Personal Note: I’m going to start my personal note with an admission. I started this list on Twitter and wine #21 was a Muscat Blanc and this one was, as it remains, #22. I did not do a good enough research and it wasn’t until a week ago I realized, Muscat Blanc a Petits Grains is the same grape as Muscat Frontignan. I have this long excel list where I have the grapes by row and the second field is all the synonyms. Before trying a new wine, I check that I don’t duplicate an entry. Somehow I made that mistake. Then I started researching and about 90% of the Muscat wines that arrive in Puerto Rico are either Blanc or go by a synonym. I did find a different one, Muscat of Alexandria. I will add it to the list as soon as I acquire it. As per this particular wine, I was very much impressed with it’s quality. South Africa is truly making excellent wines. We should not ignore them.
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