Technical Analysis
Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis.
Tasting note
The 2022 blend consists of Cabernet Sauvignon 63%, Merlot 20%, Malbec 11% and Petit Verdot 6%. Cassis, black currant and dark fruits complemented with cigar tobacco and sour cherry notes.
(Magnums & Half bottles available - enquire for vintages)
Vintage conditions
The winter of 2021 was very cold and wet following a warm autumn. Bud burst was late and the cold, wet weather continued into Spring, requiring careful disease and canopy management. The cool, wet weather extended until the middle of December, delaying the growing season for the red varietals in Stellenbosch. From the middle of December onwards the weather warmed up considerably with three heatwaves being experienced in January and one in February. Despite this warmer weather the red wine harvest required patience as the tannins took some time to fully ripen. March and April were moderate temperature-wise and we experienced the odd shower. Our decision to delay harvesting was rewarded with excellent concentration and ripeness in the red wines. The marathon vintage ended in late April and was the biggest and longest vintage in Rustenberg’s history.
Vinification details
Grapes were hand-picked and crushed and de-stemmed on arriving at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs and an extended maceration of up to seven days. After primary fermentation the wine was transferred to oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months’ maturation.
AWARDS
Platter: 94 pts
IWC: Silver
Tim Atkin MW: 92 pts
James Suckling: 91 pts
Vinous: 90 pts
Technical Analysis
Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis.
Tasting note
The John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. The 2021 blend consists of Cabernet Sauvignon 63%, Merlot 20%, Malbec 11% and Petit Verdot 6%. 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.
(Magnums & Half bottles available)
Vintage conditions
The 2021 vintage was produced with the challenges of COVID-19 ever present. The winter of 2020 started late after a warm autumn and was cold with plenty of rain. The cool and wet conditions extended well into spring, through summer and much of the harvest season. The result of these conditions was slow, steady, stress-free vineyard growth and fruit development. Yields were higher than average in red varietals and the slow ripening season saw excellent flavour and tannin development. These well-structured wines with moderate alcohols and good acidity should show plenty of potential to age.
Vinification details
Grapes were hand-picked and crushed and de-stemmed on arriving at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs and an extended maceration of up to seven days. After primary fermentation the wine was transferred to oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months’ maturation.
AWARDS
DWWA: Silver
Tim Atkin MW: 92 pts
Platter: 90 pts
Technical Analysis
Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis.
Tasting note
The John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. The 2020 blend consists of Cabernet Sauvignon 43%, Merlot 36%, Petit Verdot 14% and Malbec 7%. 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.
(Magnums & Half bottles available)
Vintage conditions
The 2020 vintage will be remembered as a good vintage produced under the spectre of the COVID-19 pandemic impacting the globe. Fortunately the Rustenberg harvest was not affected by the government-sanctioned lockdowns, allowing all fruit to be picked and processed when ripe. A good winter in 2019 saw a return to average rainfall for the year. Two unusual weather events in the growing season, a large rainstorm and a heat wave, impacted some varietals flowering and berry set, however, in the context of the entire vintage these had a minor impact. Crop levels were up by 15% from the 2019 vintage, which saw a return to yields being average to slightly above average for most varietals. Quality wise, the white wines have superb acids and more moderate alcohols with wonderful fruit concentration.
Vinification details
Grapes were hand-picked and crushed and de-stemmed on arriving at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs and an extended maceration of up to seven days. After primary fermentation the wine was transferred to oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months’ maturation.
Technical Analysis
Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis.
Tasting note
John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. 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. A blend of 43.5% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Malbec and 7.5% Petit Verdot.
Vintage conditions
The 2019 vintage was a challenging one for the Rustenberg team. While the winter of 2018 was a welcome break from the previous four winters of drought, most vineyards had not fully recovered and produced below average yields. A warm snap in June and a wet spring, coupled with a wetter than average summer harvesting season made 2019 a challenge, with some late harvest thinning or multiple harvests of the same vineyard required to achieve uniformity. Early and mid-season ripening varieties performed well, all achieving flavour ripeness at lower alcohol levels, while late ripening varieties required patience and extended time on the vines, again achieving lower alcohols overall, but creating ripe, structured wines.
Vinification details
Grapes were hand-picked and crushed and de-stemmed on arriving at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs and an extended maceration of up to seven days. After primary fermentation the wine was transferred to oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months’ maturation.
Technical Analysis
Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis.
Tasting note
John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. 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. A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec.
Vintage conditions
This vintage was impacted by the fourth year of the ongoing drought in the region. The 2017 winter was cold and dry, followed by a dry spring and summer, with bouts of unusual weather. A number of thunderstorms resulted in a late onset of additional vigour in the vineyards. Unsettled weather and wind during flowering, along with a freak hail storm and low levels of soil moisture decreased yields by 20% to 50%. The harvest began closer to its average start date and the smaller berries and bunches yielded lower juice volumes per ton. The lower yields resulted in the wines showing excellent concentration and body, producing rich, robust reds.
Vinification details
Grapes were hand-picked and crushed and de-stemmed on arriving at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs and an extended maceration of up to seven days. After primary fermentation the wine was transferred to oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months’ maturation.
Technical Analysis
Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis.
Tasting note
John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. 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. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Vintage conditions
The winter of 2016 was dry but cold as drought conditions persisted in the Western Cape. Despite the drought, a warm, dry spring and little wind meant that there was little disease pressure and little stress on the vineyards beyond the heat. Harvest started slightly earlier than usual but was 10 days later than the record early start of the 2016 vintage. Careful use of irrigation to offset the dry drought conditions and cold nights experienced during the first four months of the year resulted in superb quality, and wonderful acidity, colour and flavour concentration in the wines. Indications are that 2017 will be an excellent vintage with plenty of potential to age well.
Vinification details
Grapes were hand-picked and crushed and de-stemmed on arriving at the winery. Fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks with regular pump overs and an extended maceration of up to seven days. After primary fermentation the wine was transferred to oak barriques (35% new French; 65% second- and third-fill) for 20 months’ maturation.
