Boplaas Wines

The ancestry of the Nel family dates back to the first of the French Huguenots who settled in the Cape having fled religious persecution from King Louis XV in 1688. Boplaas, owned by the Nel family, is located amidst the splendour of the Rooiberg and the Swartberg overlooking the Gamka valley. Located approximately 450 km from Cape Town, in the quaint village of Calitzdorp. Boplaas is home to 70 hectares planted under vine. Directly translated as “Top-Farm”, the orchids and vineyards at Boplaas are planted on nutrient rich, red, alluvial soils fed by the Olifants and Gamka rivers.

Estabished in 1980, Boplaas has since been decorated with an abundance of accolades. The family mission is set around honouring grandfather Danie’s assertion, “We are wine people”, through the production of premium quality wines. Today Boplaas is world renowned for exceptional quality, fortified wines. The terroir of Calitzdorp presents major viticultural challenges given the volatile inland climate combined with a multitude of soil stypes and varying aspects. The near hourly changes in weather each day allow for the production of vibrant, complex and elegant wines. The remote location of the farm allows for the vines to thrive free from pests. Some of the vines at Boplaas are still planted on their orginal rootstocks.

In addition to the fruit harvested at the site of Boplaas each year, a small amount of terroir driven, hand harvested grapes are sourced annually from several, prime vineyards located in the Cape. Traditional winemaking processes are practiced such as the use of open cement fermenters, regular, manual punch-downs of fruit ensuring optimum colour and flavour of wines and the avoidance of harsh tannins. A variety of small and large oak barrels are incorporated in the oaking regime at Boplaas all of which result in the delivery of elegant structure and suppleness in the wines.