This Bordeaux blend from Rustenberg is made up of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon; 38% Merlot; 3% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec ; 8% Cabernet Franc. It is cask matured for 20 months and shows plums and cigar box on the nose with multi layered fruit,, which is complex but accessible with elegant fine grain tannins. Consistently awarded medals this is an excellent value red from Stellenbosch.
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 phyloxera 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.