Boplaas Family Vineyards has once again cemented its position at the pinnacle of South African fortified winemaking, with its rereleased 1996 Boplaas Cape Vintage Reserve Port named Overall Best Fortified Wine of the Year by globally influential wine critic Tim Atkin, MW, scoring an outstanding 97 points.
The recognition marks the sixth consecutive year that a Boplaas fortified wine has been selected as Atkin’s favourite fortified wine in his influential annual South Africa Report. The latest honour was announced with the unveiling of his 14th South Africa Report, following his tasting of more than 2 000 wines from almost 400 producers.
The achievement was further strengthened by the 2006 Boplaas Colheita 20 Year Old Tawny, which received an impressive 96 points.
Atkin also singled out several other Boplaas wines for outstanding scores. The Cape Vintage Reserve 2023 received 94 points, while the 2025 Boplaas Hanepoot Bin 1965 scored 93 points. The Block Hanepoot 1932 received 92 points and Family Reserve Alvarinho 90 points.
“This recognition from Tim Atkin once again highlights the extraordinary longevity of our fortified wines and the timeless character they express,” says Boplaas cellarmaster Carel Nel. “It is especially meaningful coming from such a respected UK-based critic, given the significance of the British market to Boplaas since we first sent brandy to London in 1880. To have our Cape Vintage Reserve 1996 and Colheita 2006 honoured in this way is both a celebration of our heritage and an inspiration for the future.”
Proof of ageability
The latest recognition comes at a particularly significant time for Boplaas, following another major accolade for its fortified wines at the South African National Young Wine Show, where Boplaas was awarded the SA Champion Port title.
The achievement provides a striking demonstration of the breadth and longevity of Boplaas’s fortified wine programme. While the Young Wine Show recognises the quality of younger wines, the 1996 Cape Vintage Reserve Port and 2006 Colheita demonstrate how these wines can evolve and develop extraordinary complexity over decades when carefully crafted and cellared.
Together, the accolades highlight a philosophy that has been central to Boplaas for generations: quality in the vineyard, patience in the cellar and the belief that great fortified wines should be built to last.
Quality forged through pioneering leadership
Vintage Reserve Ports and old Colheita Tawnies are internationally regarded as the pinnacle of the fortified wine category. Made from a single vintage, the finest examples can continue to develop for decades and, in exceptional cases, centuries.
In South Africa, Boplaas remains one of the leading producers of these styles.
The Boplaas Cape Tawny Colheita 2005 was the first 20-year-old Tawny released by Boplaas and was named Overall Fortified Wine of the Year for 2025.
The 2006 is the latest 20-year-old release. It is a Single Cask bottling limited to just 400 x 500ml bottles, offering collectors the opportunity to experience the evolution of Boplaas’s fortified wines over two decades.
The Colheita typically displays an elegant, nutty and spicy profile, with layers of dried fig and raisin complemented by caramel, honey, warm spice, butterscotch and orange peel. Rich and smooth on the palate, it finishes long, mellow and complex.
The 2006 Colheita 20 Year Old is available to Boplaas Wine and Whisky Club members first at R1 500 per bottle, while the rereleased 1996 Cape Vintage Reserve Port is available at R3 500 per bottle.
Quality crafted through patience and passion
Boplaas made its first Port in the 1980s, after planting Portuguese varieties on the farm a decade earlier.
While Boplaas’s fortified wines today are made exclusively from a diverse range of Portuguese varieties, their arrival at the farm was something of an accident.
The story goes that the first vineyard was originally thought to be Shiraz. Patriarch Danie Nel had ordered Shiraz vines from a nursery in the Cape and duly planted what arrived. Years later, his son Carel realised the mistake. His professor at Stellenbosch University confirmed that the variety was, in fact, Tinta Barocca.
What began as an accident proved to be a defining moment in the history of Boplaas. The Portuguese varieties thrived in the dry climate of the Klein Karoo, and the Nel family began developing a deep understanding of their potential.
Boplaas later broke away from the local industry's traditional sweeter fortified style, pioneering a drier approach more closely aligned with the wines of Portugal, the spiritual home of Port.
The awards that followed have helped establish not only the exceptional suitability of Calitzdorp for Portuguese varieties, but also the lifelong commitment of successive generations of the Nel family to producing fortified wines of world-class quality.
A family legacy across generations
The latest awards also highlight the cross-generational talent underpinning the Boplaas portfolio.
Fortified wines such as the 1996 Cape Vintage Reserve and 2006 Colheita have historically been the purview of Carel Nel, a veteran winemaker with decades of experience in crafting quality fortified wines.
Today, his daughter Margaux Nel is heading up winemaking and building on that foundation, with recognition extending across the cellar's portfolio.
The combination of experience, innovation and generational knowledge remains at the heart of Boplaas’s approach.
Bedrock of quality
According to Tim Atkin, the best South African producers are closely attuned to nature and deeply respectful of their vineyards, allowing wines to express both place and time.
The success of Boplaas in the latest Tim Atkin South Africa Special Report once again demonstrates the bedrock of quality upon which the Boplaas brand has been built.
From a SA Champion Port from a young vintage to a 97-point, 30-year-old Cape Vintage Reserve, Boplaas’s latest achievements tell a compelling story: the wines are not only capable of winning today, but are made with the potential to become even more remarkable with time.
Boplaas wines, ports and spirits are available at fine retailers across South Africa and can also be ordered online from boplaas.co.za. Shipping is free on orders over R2 000 and is available within South Africa. Wine and Whisky Club members receive access to exclusive releases and additional benefits.