Rustenberg John X Merriman 2013

INTRODUCTION

This wine is 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. 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 is Rustenberg's Estate wine, a blend of Bordeaux varietals that illustrate the ageability and true expression of Rustenberg's finest vineyards. We recommend decanting this wine before serving.

VINTAGE

The vines emerged from a cold, wet Winter and enjoyed even budding in the Spring of 2012. Strong winds in early Summer affected the yields and canopies of some varieties but cool and consistent weather in early 2013 resulted in later than usual ripening. The cool growing season meant the grapes reaching their flavour ripeness with low sugars resulting in medium-bodied, elegant wines being produced.

Tasting Notes

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.