De Krans Wines

The rich and long history of the De Krans farm dates back to 1890, when it was bought by the Nel family. The estate sits in the heart of Calitzdorp, the small town between the Swartberg and Rooiberg mountains in the Klein Karoo, and has remained in unbroken Nel family ownership for more than 130 years. The Nel family is part of Calitzdorp's wider port-wine heritage, with multiple Nel branches having farmed in the district for generations; the De Krans Nels and the Boplaas Nels are cousins, and the two estates together established Calitzdorp as South Africa's port wine capital. The current cellar at De Krans was built in 1964 by Chris Nel and his brother Danie, a major investment for the era and a sign that the family intended to take wine making seriously after generations of mixed farming. Through the late 1960s and 1970s, Chris Nel ran the cellar and laid the groundwork for the modern estate, including the accidental 1973 Tinta Barocca planting that would prove to be the most consequential viticultural decision in the region's history.

• Farm purchased by the Nel family in 1890; more than 130 years of continuous Nel family ownership
• Current cellar built in 1964 by Chris Nel and his brother Danie; a major investment for the era
• De Krans Nels and Boplaas Nels are cousins; both families central to Calitzdorp's status as South Africa's port wine capital
• Chris Nel ran the cellar through the late 1960s and 1970s and laid the groundwork for the modern Portuguese-variety identity

The defining moment in De Krans's history came in 1973 when Chris Nel ordered Shiraz cuttings to plant a new block on the farm. The cuttings he received turned out to be the Portuguese variety Tinta Barocca, which Chris discovered when the vineyard started bearing grapes in 1976. Rather than uproot the vineyard, he embraced the accident and made wine from the Tinta Barocca, discovering that the variety thrived in Calitzdorp's hot, dry, Douro-like climate. This was the first Portuguese variety planted in Calitzdorp and arguably in commercial South Africa, and it opened the door for what would become the country's Portuguese varietal revolution. From 1985 onward De Krans deliberately expanded its Portuguese plantings, adding Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela and Souzao to the mix, with each variety contributing its own character to the fortified and table wine ranges. The 1973 accident has since become one of South African wine industry's most cited origin stories, and the Tinta Barocca block planted that year still produces fruit for the estate.

• 1973: Chris Nel ordered Shiraz cuttings but received Tinta Barocca; the first Portuguese variety planted in Calitzdorp
• The Tinta Barocca vineyard started bearing in 1976; Chris embraced the accident and made wine from the variety
• From 1985 onward De Krans deliberately expanded Portuguese plantings to include Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Amarela and Souzao
• First in South Africa to produce Touriga Nacional as a dry red wine; one of the country's most cited viticultural origin stories

De Krans is run today by Chris Nel's two sons, Boets and Stroebel, who together have led the estate for more than 30 years. Boets Nel is the Managing Director and cellarmaster, responsible for the wine making programme across both fortified and table wine ranges. He qualified as a Cape Wine Master in 1997, one of the highest qualifications in the South African wine industry, and has been the leading public voice for Calitzdorp's port-style and Portuguese varietal identity. Stroebel Nel, the younger brother, joined the family business in 1988 and is the viticulturist and farm manager, responsible for the vineyard programme and the day-to-day operation of the farm. Stroebel's role in identifying the right vineyard sites for each Portuguese variety has been a major contributor to De Krans's consistency across vintages. The brothers represent the most senior generation of De Krans Nels still working in the cellar; the next generation is beginning to come through but Boets and Stroebel remain the public face of the estate at industry events, on wine lists and in international media. Boets's son Stroebel Nel Jr (the Cape Vintage Reserve Stroebel) lends his name to a special-release auction Cape Vintage.

• Boets Nel: Managing Director and cellarmaster; Cape Wine Master since 1997; leading public voice for Calitzdorp port-style wine
• Stroebel Nel: viticulturist and farm manager since 1988; led the matching of Portuguese varieties to specific vineyard sites
• Brothers have led De Krans together for more than 30 years and remain the public face of the estate
• Stroebel Nel Jr Cape Vintage Reserve is a special-release auction Cape Vintage carrying the next-generation name

Calitzdorp's terroir is unusually similar to that of Portugal's Douro Valley, which is why Portuguese varieties have flourished here in a way they have not in most other South African regions. The town sits in a natural basin in the Klein Karoo, surrounded by the Swartberg to the north, the Rooiberg to the south and the Gamkaberg to the west, with elevations up to 700 metres. The climate is semi-arid with only about 200 millimetres of annual rainfall and summer temperatures regularly exceeding 35 degrees Celsius; nights are cooler because of altitude and Indian Ocean breezes that drift in through mountain passes. The soils are deep red alluvial and glacial soils with rapid drainage, often with schist and shale fragments from the surrounding mountains. These conditions concentrate the small berries of Tinta Barocca and Touriga Nacional and build the dark fruit, mineral structure and natural tannin grip that characterise great Cape Vintage wines. De Krans farms approximately 50 hectares of vineyards across multiple Calitzdorp sites, with each Portuguese variety planted on the soil and aspect that best suits it.

• Calitzdorp climate is unusually similar to Portugal's Douro Valley: 200mm annual rainfall, 35-plus degrees Celsius summers, cool altitude-driven nights
• Natural basin between the Swartberg, Rooiberg and Gamkaberg mountain ranges; elevations up to 700 metres
• Deep red alluvial and glacial soils with rapid drainage; schist and shale fragments from the surrounding mountains
• De Krans farms approximately 50 hectares across multiple Calitzdorp sites with each Portuguese variety planted on its best-suited soil and aspect

The Cape Vintage Reserve is De Krans's highly acclaimed flagship and one of the most decorated port-style wines in South Africa. The wine is built from the best blocks of Tinta Barocca, Touriga Nacional and other Portuguese varieties, fermented to retain natural fruit concentration and fortified with neutral brandy spirit in the traditional port method. The wine is then aged in seasoned oak for an extended period before release. The 2015 vintage scored 96 points from Tim Atkin MW in his 2017 South African Report and was named the Best Fortified Wine in South Africa for that year. A total of 11 Cape Vintage Reserve vintages have earned the coveted Five Star rating in the Platter's Wine Guide, an unmatched record of consistency in the South African fortified category. Tim James of Wine Magazine has written about the long-term cellar potential of the Cape Vintage Reserve, with 10-year-old bottles showing harmonious tertiary character and the underlying fruit still vivid. The wine sits alongside Boplaas's Cape Vintage Reserve as the two flagship statements of South African port-style winemaking.

• Cape Vintage Reserve: built from the best Tinta Barocca and Touriga Nacional blocks; fortified in the traditional port method and aged in seasoned oak
• 2015 vintage scored 96 points from Tim Atkin MW and named the Best Fortified Wine in South Africa in his 2017 South African Report
• 11 Cape Vintage Reserve vintages have earned the coveted Platter's Wine Guide Five Star rating, an unmatched record of consistency
• Long-term cellar potential: 10-year-old bottles show harmonious tertiary character with the underlying fruit still vivid

Tritonia is De Krans's Portuguese-style dry red blend and the flagship of the table wine range. The wine is built around 70 percent Touriga Nacional, with smaller proportions of Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barocca and Tinta Amarela making up the balance, in a Douro-style blend designed to express Calitzdorp's terroir without fortification. Tritonia is barrel-aged in French oak and shows violet, blueberry, dark plum, mineral graphite and a fine grippy tannin structure with a long savoury finish. The white version is the Tritonia Wooded Portuguese-styled white wine, a blend of Malvasia Rei and Verdelho that shows orange peel, dried apricot, almond and a savoury textured finish. Beyond Tritonia, De Krans produces a single-varietal Touriga Nacional dry red (the first commercially released in South Africa), a Tinta Roriz, a Free Run Chenin Blanc, a Wild Ferment Chardonnay, a Pinotage Dry Rose and a Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon. The range demonstrates how the Portuguese varieties planted at De Krans support a full dry table wine programme alongside the fortified range.

• Tritonia Calitzdorp Blend: 70 percent Touriga Nacional plus Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barocca and Tinta Amarela; Douro-style dry red blend
• Tritonia Wooded white: a Portuguese-styled blend of Malvasia Rei and Verdelho; orange peel, dried apricot, almond and a savoury textured finish
• Single-varietal Touriga Nacional dry red: the first commercially released Touriga Nacional dry red wine in South Africa
• Wider range includes Free Run Chenin Blanc, Wild Ferment Chardonnay, Pinotage Dry Rose, Basket Press Cabernet Sauvignon and Tinta Roriz

De Krans is recognised internationally as one of South Africa's leading port-style wine producers and one of the most consistent estates in the Klein Karoo. The Cape Vintage Reserve has won 11 Platter's Five Star ratings and the 96-point Tim Atkin MW score for the 2015 vintage. The Tritonia Calitzdorp Blend has driven recognition of South African dry Portuguese-style wines internationally. Boets Nel has been a major public figure in the Cape Port Producers Association since its founding in 1993 and serves on multiple industry bodies for the Klein Karoo wine industry. De Krans hosts the Klein Karoo Klassique Festival and the Calitzdorp Port and Wine Festival, two major events that draw thousands of visitors to the district each year and contribute to the wine tourism economy. The estate also operates self-catering accommodation on the property for travellers exploring the Route 62 wine route. The combination of long family tenure, technical sophistication and reliable quality has positioned De Krans as one of the anchors of Calitzdorp tourism and a perennial reference point in any conversation about South African port-style wine.

• Cape Vintage Reserve: 11 Platter's Five Star ratings; 2015 vintage scored 96 points from Tim Atkin MW and named Best Fortified Wine in South Africa
• Boets Nel has been a leading figure in the Cape Port Producers Association since its founding in 1993
• Hosts the Klein Karoo Klassique Festival and the Calitzdorp Port and Wine Festival; major wine tourism anchors
• Self-catering accommodation on the property serves the Route 62 wine route; perennial reference point for South African port-style wine