Classic and expressive with seductive aromas of marmalade and honeysuckle, the 2020 Vin de Constance Natural Sweet Wine is fresh, balanced and complex, offering a delightful lift from 60% new oak. Clocking in at 13.5% alcohol, the palate displays a harmonious balance between fruit sweetness and energetic acidity. It has layers of complexity with impeccable breadth and depth. It may be one of the finest expressions of Vin de Constance to date, and it ends with succulent flavors of apricots, saffron, quince paste and sweet candied citrus tones over the long, ever-evolving finish. Aged for a year and a half in 50% new Hungarian and French oak barrels, followed by an additional year and a half of large format wooden foudre, only the best lots end up being selected for the final blend. Bravo! Run, don’t walk to buy this world-class sweet wine to put in your cellar!

Highly floral and concentrated nose full of marmalade, orange zest, toasted caramel patisserie, orange blossom, a Tutti Fruitti element and some soft oak touches too. Thick and viscous, comforting and deep with a weighty, sugary texture offset by serious spiced and toasted edges that give this angles and a taut frame. Serious, not so easy and generous, more dense and concentrated, this feels well built and purposeful. The sweetness (butterscotch, thick creamy lemon and apricot yoghurt and hints of honey) is countered by a delicious citrus zestiness and bitter orange touches. I adore the combination of flavours and this feels expertly made with precision, freshness and clarity. Lots to enjoy and think about here with a satisfying, long, mineral grip on the finish. (Georgie Hindle)

The 2020 Vin De Constance is 100% Muscat de Frontignan. Fragrant notes of rose oil, allspice, candied ginger, and sultanas jump from the glass, with touches of pear tart and aniseed. The palate is fantastically pure and sweet, with a racy line to balance and an epically long, perfumed finish. (Lisa Perrotti-Brown)

Bright medium-gold hue with a focused and intense nose layered with honeysuckle, apricot, citrus, honey and marmalade. A hint of mineral, too. Really pure and tangy with a luscious palate balanced by intense citrusy flavors and natural acidity that is beautifully chiselled to the palate. Long and effortless. Consistently great muscat here. Drinkable now if you love the vibrancy of it, but one could keep this for a decade or two.

You can read all about this wine and its history on this website because I have written it up a good number of times, so I will not rehash Vin de Constance’s elite customer list this time. Suffice it to say that when this sample arrived, my heart quickened, and I tasted it at my first opportunity. Why? Because it doesn’t matter what vintage you manage to track down, this wine is always celestial. In 2020, alongside the trademark beeswax, honeycomb, pineapple, peach, pear and countless other descriptors, you will find an acid structure that defies belief. Then one notices the colour or lack thereof. This is a painfully pale wine for such an all-singing and dancing flavour. I have seen these rare characteristics several times over the years, and they signal a Vin de Constance of uncommon longevity. Pale, taut and yet explosive = an epic vintage. And suppose you are tempted to open a bottle when it arrives this autumn. In that case, you do not have to feel guilty because it tastes incredible, but I think you might be able to forget about this wine for three or more decades, and it will still knock you over with its complexity and grace. Drink now to 2050.

100% Muscat de Frontignan. ‘An ideal build up to harvest created exceptional conditions for the raisining of the Muscat fruit. The result was a very compressed harvest that started in early March and was completed within 3 weeks, unlike typical harvests where it can take up to 2 months.’ Fermentation stopped naturally. The wine was aged for 1.5 years in 50% new 500-litre Hungarian and French oak barrels, followed by a further 1.5 years in a large-format wooden foudre. The final blend is a cask selection. TA 6.3 g/l, pH 3.92, RS 172 g/l. Pale gold in colour with a sweet, grapey, floral nose. The palate is silky, pristine and sweet. Crystallised ginger, honeysuckle and maple come through. A generous but perfectly balanced vintage. Long, and very youthful. Should age well. (TP)