Rustenberg John X Merriman Red 2021

Cabernet Sauvignon 63%, Merlot 20%, Malbec 11% and Petit Verdot 6%

Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892.   It is aged for 20 months in barrel using one-third new oak.  The intense nose offers plush blackberry and boysenberry fruit, quite lush and heady, though it manages to maintain delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins. I appreciate the harmony and judicious soupçon of cracked black pepper mixed with graphite, enlivening the finish.  14% ABV