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! - Anthony Mueller

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 taught 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. From a challenging 2020 vintage with small, concentrated berries and a reduced crop. 174g/l residual sugar. 3.92pH. 6.3g/l total acidity. Ageing one and a half years in 50% new, 500l Hungarian and French oak barrels followed by the same time in large-format wooden foudre. Barrels are then selected with the best being chosen for the final blend. Winemaker Matthew Day.

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.

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.

A gorgeous dessert wine, with a fine, creamy nappe to the texture as it lightly coats the palate, carrying flavors of ripe apricot, passion fruit coulis and candied pink grapefruit peel, with an array of aromatic accents, including bergamot, orange blossoms, warm peach skin, candied ginger, cardamom and tea rose. Vibrant acidity creates a mouthwatering frame, while the panoply of aromas and flavors echo on the finish. Muscat de Frontignan. Drink now through 2039. — A.N.

The 2020 Vin de Constance, the usual Muscat de Frontignan, is matured 50% in Hungarian and French oak barrels for 18 months and then 18 months in foudres. There is 172g/L residual sugar this vintage, which is a little higher than usual. It has a pure bouquet with scents of wild honey, white peaches, nectarine, pressed white flowers and yuzu. Wonderful delineation, but you get the sense that it is holding itself back. The medium-bodied palate has a gorgeous, mellifluous texture coating the mouth without excessively imposing itself, thanks to the countervailing acidity. There’s pineapple, peach skin, aniseed, lime and stem ginger, the latter more pronounced than previous recent vintages and lending spiciness towards the finish as it fans out. Lingering candied orange peel on the aftertaste with the gingerbread theme continuing. -- Neal Martin