Few tawny ports have become as entrenched as the go-to choice for South Africans, as the expression produced by Boplaas, the family-owned winery in Calitzdorp.
Tawny port is characterised by a golden-brown colour and nutty, fruitcake flavours imparted by their maturation in barrels. In these vessels, gradual oxidation and evaporation both define and concentrate its flavours and aromas.
The popularity and esteem of Boplaas tawnies, however, can be directly linked to a combination of unique factors.
The right grapes in the right place
Each wine grape cultivar has a set of circumstances related to climate, topography and soils in which it thrives. With Calitzdorp conditions being like those of the Douro Valley in Portugal, it was discovered in the 1970s how well varieties from that country did here.
Boplaas planted Touriga Nacional, Souzão and Tinta Barocca grapes with the latter emerging as being best for making fine Cape Tawny Port wine. Among its benefits, the grape’s tannin structure helps for optimal ageing. The Boplaas grapes are selected from the top vineyards and handpicked at optimal ripeness (25-26°B).
Furthermore, the quality of Boplaas Cape Tawny Port is underscored by a commitment to port winemaking traditions that go back centuries. It uses open lagars for the extraction of colour, a method that is less intense than producing the Cape Vintage Reserve Port where Touriga Nacional plays a major role.
Staying current and pursuing innovation
While tradition drives the winemaking of Boplaas’s port style wines, the Nel Family make a point of tracking the latest innovations and trends. For this, cellarmaster Carel Nel and his daughter, Boplaas winemaker Margaux, go to the heart of the industry. They make regular study visits to look at the latest cellar and vineyard developments.
“Over the years we also made friends with the great port families like the Symingtons and Guimarães,” says Margaux. “ We also do benchmark tasting with not only South African Cape Ports but with international fortified and port wines too.”
She notes that older ports are attracting considerable investment. “Several cellars in the Douro are releasing older vintages of tawny – or Colheita’s – as well as and older, 30 to 50-year-old tawnies at very high prices.”
The importance of barrel quality
Boplaas uses old Portuguese pipes (500L barrels) and old 300 and 225L French oak barrels for the ageing of the Cape Port wines. “Although Tinta Barocca is the main variety for the Cape Tawny, we also have Touriga Nacional, Souzão and Touriga Franca in barrels that range from a few months to 20 years old,” says Margaux.
Boplaas also uses old brandy barrels that enhance the flavour profile of tawny port. The final blend for the Boplaas Cape Tawny N/V is made of Cape Port that is aged between 8 and 15 years, with an average age of 10 years.
Significantly, the dry climate in Calitzdorp helps to define the excellence of Boplaas port, as does the extreme variance between day and night temperatures. Dryness aids the slow evaporation of water from the wine through the barrel wall, and concentrates flavours and aromas.
Mix and match
Every batch of tawny port is in fact a blend of several barrels. Selecting the right barrels for every blend is crucial.
“With around 400 barrels and counting, we have great components to make world class blend,” says Margaux. “You want some of that nutty, caramel fruitcake flavour but also liveliness in the wine. Although we want a consistency every year in the blend we do strive to make the blend better every year. We add a small amount of our Colheita Cape Tawny, which is aged 16 to 20 years in the N/V blend of our Boplaas Cape Tawny,” she says.
The tawny of tawnies
One of the success stories of Boplaas of the past few years has been the release of Colheita (Single Vintage) Tawny Port. This style of wine is among the pinnacle styles of the world’s port category.
The Boplaas Colheita Cape Tawny 2005 was rated Best Port in South Africa by UK Master of Wine Tim Atkin; achieved five stars in the Platter’s Wine Guide; and received Double Gold at the Veritas Awards.
The 2007 vintage of the Boplaas Colheita Cape Tawny was named Best South African Port at the SA Terrior Awards as well as best overall at the National Wine Challenge. The tawny also received Gold at Veritas Awards.
A consistent top-achiever
Boplaas tawny port has consistently been in the headlines thanks to accolades from authoritative reviewers and competitions, locally and internationally. In addition to five star ratings from Platter’s, votes of confidence from connoisseurs like Tim Atkin and top echelon medals at Veritas, Boplaas has been named amongst others, maker of the best port at the Michelangelo International Wine and Spirit Awards.
Its range of ports is available from the Boplaas cellar door in Calitzdorp, its online shop and tasting rooms at the Redberry Farm in George and Hart en Bosch Village in Hartenbos on the Garden Route. They’re also available from discerning fine wine retailers nationwide.
Imminent new release
Also look out for the Boplaas Colheita Cape Tawny 2007 coming out soon. The single harvest wine spent 16 years in barrel before it was bottled in 2023. The result is a wine showing nutty, butterscotch aromas that roll onto the palate, ending on a lingering to a delicious, coffee-like finish.
For more information, email admin@boplaas.co.za, call 044 213 3326 or visit boplaas.co.za.