Nestled at the vinous heart of the Klein Karoo, Boplaas Family
Vineyards boasts a fine heritage of crafting brandy stretching back to the very
first export of Boplaas Brandy to
London in 1880. The art of crafting fine
potstill brandies was halted in the 1920’s due to legislation forbidding
private producers to distill, but as soon as this law was repealed in 1989,
Boplaas were the first to release an “Estate
brandy” in 1994. It is quite apt in
the inaugural inclusion of brandy in the Platter’s
South African Wine Guide that Boplaas receive one of only seven 5 Star
ratings for a Cape brandy and is also the only privately owned cellar in the
list of illustrious nominees. The annual
Platter’s this year garnered 7400
entries from 900 producers.
Double distilled, by Oupa Danie Nel, in a copper potstill from the finest Colombard rabat; blended by his son, Carel; slowly matured for twenty years in limousine barrique and bottled in 2011 by winemaking grand-daughter, Margaux – the Boplaas Potstill 20 Year Brandy
completes an incredible cycle of patience, perseverance and dedication by three
generations to the crafting of small batch lots of the finest potstill
brandy. A mere 500 bottles resulted from
the two decades of barrel maturation and these rare collector’s items are
available exclusively from the Boplaas cellars at R1500 per bottle.
Platter’s recognition for Boplaas’s fine brandies comes on the back of an incredible double gold – one of only seven awarded - at the Veritas awards 2013 for the Boplaas 15 Year Reserve Brandy. Once again, Boplaas was the only private cellar to scoop one of the prestigious Veritas double gold medals & was the
most successful private cellar, at this South Africa’s largest blind assessed
wine show.
Unbeknownst to most, except those astute brandy aficionados, Boplaas
also crafts the Carel Nel 5 Years Reserve
Brandy, the potstill Boplaas 8 Years Brandy, the 15 Years Reserve Brandy & releases fine vintage potstill brandy under the Ox Wagon 1880 moniker at the Cape Winemaker’s Guild Auction.
To experience these fine brandies and the range of Boplaas wines,
visit our cellar door in Calitzdorp or alternatively the Cool Bay tasting room
in Great Brak River near Mosselbay. For
more information visit www.boplaas.co.za,
send us a mail to info@boplaas.co.za, give us a call on 044-2133326 or tweet us @Boplaas1880.
Boplaas brandy range Platter’s 2014 ratings:
5 Stars - Potstill 20 Years Brandy
4 ½ Stars - Carel Nel 15 Years Reserve
Brandy & Postill 8 Years Brandy
3 ½ Stars – Carel Nel 5 Years Reserve
Brandy
Boplaas
Family Vineyards, Calitzdorp – Tending vines & Crafting wines, since 1880