Situated in the heart of the Durbanville Wine Valley you will find our family-owned and operated wine cellar. Although not intentionally award-driven, there is no denying the status of our Wine of Origin Cape Town, boutique wines. For us, being handmade is more than just a physical process and approach, it is about perfecting the small details along the way while treating each batch of juice with respect throughout its journey from the vine to Nitida wines. It is also about working with nature and thereby ensuring that the wine embodies our attitude and brand.
Nitida embodies devotion, passion and aspiration. Stroll through our cellar, take delight in our wine tastings and dine with us at Cassia Restaurant or Tables at Nitida.
History in the making. How does a small Durbanville property running a flock of 50 sheep, 2 cows and a sheepdog consequently become one of South Africa’s most successful small wine cellars? This type of fairy tale only gets written when a few very special ingredients get blended with a number of happy coincidences. So, what was their Nitida recipe and how did they become part of the Durbanville Wine Valley?
In 1990, they found a beautiful piece of soil, just “to live on” and then started adding some magic ingredients; Peta’s mother, the wonderful “Matriarch” that helped the family finance the farm. They also found a 1971 Ford tractor which they promptly named Pufford; Klaas, who taught them how to milk a cow and chase down sheep and the final, most essential element was energy and wonderful people.
In 1992, Bernhard took a week off work so he, Klaas and Pufford could plant a couple of vineyards. The plan was to only make a few barrels. Three years later, they won their first double-gold Sauvignon Blanc and in 2001 they were recognized as a benchmark Semillon producer.
In 2014, the winemaker Daniel Keulder joined the company from Groot Constantia and became part of our Nitida family!
Now 28 years on, this family owned and run cellar is one of the most consistently awarded and loved boutique wine cellars in South Africa with a host of double gold, gold and silver medals, a few 5 star platters and countless awards and certificates.
Daniel Keulder is the unsung hero of the vineyards. Taking grapes and turning it into award-winning local and international wines. Daniel is a creative mind, that takes inspiration from the terroir, the wild critters living among the vines and the balance in the soil. Daniel prides himself on being part of a team and not the celebrity that does it all on his own. They love this about their winemaker and they believe in his instinct to keep Nitida beautiful and handmade with attitude.
Danie joined the team in December 2014. Coming from 5 years of making wine at Groot Constantia, he brings with him a great love and understanding of working with cool climate grapes. It’s a given that he will continue to make stunning wines with them and perhaps his experience in making craft beer becomes part of their future Nitida culture!
HANDMADE THE NITIDA WAY
At Nitida, “We completely believe that beautiful wines come from day to day thoughtful management in the vineyards.” During harvest at Nitida, although we don’t discount analyses, we pick on the tried and true indicators of flavour and appearance. We pick each bunch of grapes by hand, choosing only the very best for our wines. We inspect our vineyards every day to ensure the leaves, buds and bunches are healthy and to check that the spiders and ladybirds are alive and well.
THE STORY BEHIND THE LABEL
We have won numerous awards for our wine labels and have had big admiration from our friends, but behind all that recognition is an untold story. The story behind our label.
Our labels were not a quick design sketched by an agency and sent off to the printers. No, quite the opposite. We spent months thinking of the best way to incorporate everything Nitida stands for. To capture the essence of the estate, our wine’s unique characters and to give our friends far away a little bit of home.
Our label illustrations were hand drawn using inks made from our Nitida tree leaves. Inspired by protea nitidus in our garden, they also feature local Renosterveld plants and some of the creatures who share the farm with us.
West Coast Renosterveld – Estimated that only three percent of this critically endangered and hugely fragmented vegetation type remains and loss is due to agriculture having taken over these highly nutritive soil areas. Other wild critters include, Cape Eagle Owl, Cape Clawless Otter, the Golden Orb spider, Yellowbilled Duck, Cape Cobra and protea Nitida tree (waboom).
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Opulent floral top notes carry you into an opaque purple core, imparting aromas of black currants, dark red cherry coulis, cigar box, and allspice berries. Powerful yet soft tannins are balanced with a delightful freshness of acidity. The palate is silky with nuanced flavors of cassis, ripe blackberry, and Morello cherry. The long finish invites you to discover the wine’s evolving layers.
Review:
This is, as usual, a beauty, perhaps more so thanks to a great vintage. It is classically Napa Valley, and classically “house styled” by Aron Weinkauf, with black and blue fruit, supple, approachable tannin structure and great depth of aroma and flavor. That said, keep in mind that this isn’t the winery flagship offering. Even in this price range Lyndenhurst is always a solid value, and is so again – maybe even a little more than usual. Decant well if you crack into this in the near term, or age it for the long term. Contains 10.6% Merlot, 3.8% Petit Verdot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.9% Malbec. (Rich Cook)
- Wine Review Online 95 Points
A juicy red with black currants and balsamic. Bark and mushroom. Iodine, too. Medium body, creamy texture that tightens at the end. An energy and firmness in the finish.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Bastgen Kestener Paulinshofberg Riesling Kabinett is 100 percent Riesling.
Kesten is a small village right by the Mosel surrounded by steep vineyards called Paulinsberg (=hills of Saint Paul). The vines grow on bridle clay slate near the river - a classic terroir that has been cultivated with vines ever since Roman times. Riesling is the most typical grape of the Mosel region that produced a fruity Kabinett with beautiful peach aromas on the nose, rich and ripe fruits on the mouth with honeyed notes and a refreshing acidity. This is a very pleasing wine.
They meticulously tend 4.5 ha (11.11 acres) of which 80% is Riesling. The soil is made of slate. Their vineyards are located in Kesten and Brauneberg, on a steep terrace, and planted to 50-year old vines. Fortunately for Bastgen, they own part of the famous Brauneberger Juffer Sonnenuhr. The vines produce very small, ripe berries that are very tasty.
The grapes are strongly selected, only minimal amounts of botrytis are tolerated. At time of the harvest the grapes are fully ripened with a golden color and tart acidity. After a natural sedimentation process the fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks under cool conditions. The wine remains on the lees until April, then is gently filtered once, and bottled.