Rustenberg is one of South Africa’s best known and respected winemakers. In 1941 Peter and Pamela Barlow bought Rustenberg, later acquiring Schoongezicht and reuniting the properties. Their son Simon took over the running of the farm in 1987. Simon’s son, Murray, joined in the running of the farm with his father in 2012. The Barlows have been at Rustenberg for over 80 years: the longest period any one family has owned the farm.
This wine is named in honour of a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis. He played a great role in revitalizing Rustenberg and in promoting the tourism and agricultural value of Ida’s Valley, the area close to the town of Stellenbosch in which Rustenberg is situated.
The John X Merriman wine itself is a Bordeaux-style blend, with all of the fruit coming from the Estate, and made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the greater of which depends on which varietal has a better showing over the other in any vintage. The John X Merriman is therefore a wonderful representation of the Estate, as well as the characteristics of a vintage.
The vineyards are in Simonsberg, Stellenbosch; the grapes were handpicked. The wine is a big blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Fermented in stainless steel tanks with an extended maceration to extract extra flavour and colour from the grapes. Aged in 35% New French Barriques; 65% 2nd & 3rd fill. Fined with egg white.
The John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. In its youth the wine is worth decanting and expresses cassis, black currant 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.
This wine will cellar for up to 15 years in magnum.
