Description
Rustenberg John X Merriman Red, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2022
Grapes: A classic Bordeaux style blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Malbec. Hand picked. Aged in oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months.
Producer Tasting Note:
This classic South African red wine is produced from low-yielding, mature vines on the South-West slopes of the Simonsberg mountain. John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards ageing for 10-15 years from the vintage. In its youth, the wine is worth decanting and expresses cassis, blackcurrant and dark fruits complemented with cigar tobacco and sour cherry notes. As the wine ages, and its fine-grained tannins soften, a softer, more savoury palate develops revealing wonderful drinkability and tertiary complexity.
Critics' Tasting Notes:
"A dark-fruited red blend that has notes of blueberries, black plums, violets and black tea. It’s full-bodied, youthful and fresh, with chalky tannins. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and petit verdot. Try from 2025."
91/100 points, James Suckling, August 2024
"Fudge-tinged red berries and cassis pastilles meld with spearmint, violets and graphite, underpinned by seamless charred oak and youthful tannins."
93/100 points (SILVER MEDAL), Decanter World Wine Awards, 2025
"A maturing, traditional style wine. Soft jammy black fruit with warm coconut notes from the oak."
90/100 points (SILVER MEDAL), International Wine Challenge, 2025
Also awarded 94 Points (4.5 Stars), 2025 Platter Wine Guide, 92/100 points, Tim Atkin MW, 2024 and DOUBLE GOLD at South Africa's Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards, 2024
Food Match: Drink with roasted red meats.
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Additional Details
- SKU:
- AF20AR22
- Size:
- 75Cl
- Appellation:
- Stellenbosch
- Closure:
- Screw Cap
- Primary Grape/Blend:
- Bordeaux Blend (Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot)
- Drink:
- Drinking well now
- Influence of Oak:
- High
- ABV:
- 14%
- Vintage:
- 2022
- Vegan or Vegetarian:
- Vegetarian
- Country:
- South Africa
