Rustenberg John X Merriman 2004
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A great vintage following the excellent 2003. There is more restraint in this vintage and the wine is very complex all around. Typical Rustenberg aromas of cellar spices, dark cherries & fynbos. The palate is richly layered with fruit tannin and well-balanced.
"John X. Merriman purchased part of the Rustenberg farm in 1892 (it was subsequently bought by the current owners, the Barlow family, in 1940) and this Cabernet-dominated blend is named after him. As with all Rustenberg wines, this is a fine, structured bottling that's more than New World. Offers smoky fruit, a mineral character, and dry tannins. This has potential to age for at least five years."
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The renaissance began with a large scale replanting of the vineyards using virus-free clones imported from France, followed by sweeping renovations to the winery and the hiring of new viticultural and winemaking teams. As Wine Spectator recently observed, "Rustenberg has all the qualifications of a world-class wine estate: a long history of winemaking…and ideal terroir, with deep-red, clay-rich granite soils that are located on a variety of slopes and elevations." Rustenberg has achieved tremendous critical and commercial success, and today the celebrated estate’s bottlings are among South Africa’s most iconic and sought-after wines.