Variety: Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot
Tasting notes:
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.
Reviews:
Tim Atkin MW - 93 points.
The John X Merriman is Rustenberg’s Estate wine, a blend of Bordeaux varietals that illustrate the ageability and true expression of Rustenberg’s finest vineyards. 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.
Platter 93 points
53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc.
A powerful wine with great potential for maturation. Harmonious and already showing complexity, it expresses cassis, blackcurrant and dark fruits complemented with cigar tobacco and sour cherry notes. As the wine ages, its fine grained tannins soften and a more savoury palate develops, revealing wonderful drinkability and tertiary complexity. Aging Potential 10 to 15 years from vintage under ideal cellaring conditions. 4.5* Platter 2010, 93P.