The newly released Boplaas Colheita 2005 Tawny has been named Overall Best Fortified Wine of the Year by globally influential connoisseur Tim Atkin, MW. Atkin made the award at the unveiling of his 13th South Africa Special Report, declaring a Boplaas fortified wine as his favourite for the fifth consecutive year.
Atkin also singled out two other Boplaas wines for outstanding scores. These were the Cape Vintage Reserve 2015, which rated 94 points, and the 2022 Touriga Nacional Family Reserve, 92 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 Colheita 2005 Tawny honoured in this way is both a celebration of our heritage and an inspiration for the future.”
The awards also highlight the cross-generational talent that underscores the quality of the Boplaas portfolio. Its fortified wines, including the Colheita 2005, have historically been the purview of Carel Nel, a veteran winemaker with the widest experience of quality fortifieds. His daughter, Margaux Nel, today heads up winemaking with aplomb as showcased by the recognition given not only to the Family Reserve, but across the cellar’s full range.
Quality forged through pioneering leadership
Old Colheita Tawny Ports are internationally regarded as the pinnacle of the category. They are made from a single vintage and only the best of them continue to develop for decades and occasionally centuries. In South Africa, Boplaas remains a leader of this style.
The Boplaas Cape Tawny Colheita 2005 is the first 20-year-old Tawny to be released by Boplaas.
The wine typically exhibits an elegant, nutty, and spicy profile with notes of dried fruit like figs and raisins, along with caramel and honey. Its aroma is complex, combining warm spice, butterscotch, and notes of orange peel. The flavour is rich, sweet, and smooth with a velvety texture and a long, mellow, and satisfying finish.
After years of evaporation in the casks, just enough of the wine remained to fill 600 bottles. It was first launched to members of the Boplaas Wine and Whisky Club, but is now available for general purchase at R1 600/bottle.
Quality crafted through patience and passion
Boplaas made its first port in the 1980s having planted Portuguese varieties on the farm a decade earlier.
While the fortifieds at Boplaas are made exclusively made from a diverse range of Portuguese varieties these days, their arrival happened by chance. They stayed, in large part because it was found they thrived in the climate of the Klein Karoo.
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 he 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.
Later, Boplaas was to break away from the local industry’s traditional sweeter fortifieds. The cellar pioneered a drier style more in line with the wines from their spiritual home of Portugal. Soon after, the awards began piling up, which has showcased not only the outstanding suitability of Calitzdorp for Portuguese varieties, but also the lifelong study the Nels have invested in crafting wines of world-class standard.
Bedrock of quality
According to Tim Atkin, “The majority of [South Africa’s] best winegrowers and winemakers are closely attuned to nature and deeply respectful of their vineyards. Acknowledging that the land, the vines and the vintage have the final say is letting winemakers create wines that express a place and a time, as much as their own personalities. Place is arguably more important than style or grape variety. Producers are telling the story of the land, guiding it carefully into bottle. They are also happy to express different growing vintages, whatever the challenges. In fact, flexibility is a vital feature of the new post-modern Cape wine scene.”
The success of Boplaas wines in his latest report, for which he tasted 2 000 wines from close to 400 producers, once again exposes the bedrock of quality upon which Boplaas brands reside.
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 all orders over R2 000, and only available in South Africa. Get maximum benefits on Boplaas releases when you sign up via the website as a member of its wine and whisky club.