Buying guide: Merlot

The Merlot grape ripens early, typically adding flesh and roundness to a blend, thus complementing Cabernet Sauvignon which is later ripening and usually more austere.

In the rest of the world, Merlot competes only with Cabernet Sauvignon as the most planted dark-skinned grape variety. It has a huge popular following, most likely due to its reputation for being smooth textured rather than possessing any particular flavour; its detractors, meanwhile, accuse it of making safe but dull wine.

 

In South Africa, it is the seventh most widely planted variety, making up 6.53% of the total area under vineyard.

Key findings: While most local wine categories feature a fairly regularly spaced range of wine quality, Merlot seems to be the exception with it divided into two tiers – a few very good and the vast majority average to ordinary with not much in between.

Put differently, the category seems to be undergoing a polarisation with producers either attempting a highquality, ultra-premium offering or focusing on the commodity end of the market by making wines in a light and fruity style but lacking in substance and complexity. As a result, very few mid-range wines.

Merlot has copped a lot of flak critically over the last five years or so but retains huge popular appeal, and there is a sense that some producers are being rather pragmatic about the variety, accepting that it is never going to reach any great heights of quality but compelled to have it in their range for commercial reasons.

The best examples are generally rich, round and smooth-textured, not terribly far away from the benchmark provided by Right Bank Bordeaux. These wines typically seemed hand-crafted, the product of much attention to detail in both the vineyard and cellar.

The lesser wines are at best light and plummy and “drinkable with lunch”, as one panellist put it. The worst are either green and astringent or jammy and overdone.

As panel discussion drew to a close, the question was posed once again: South Africa makes some excellent Bordeaux-style red blends where Merlot features prominently, so can we conclude that our best Merlot typically does not appear as a single-variety wine?

★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Eikendal 2008
CELLAR PRICE: R80
Alc 14.2% RS 2.9g/l TA 6.7g/l pH 3.55
Complex nose showing dark berries, violets and pencil shavings. The palate is full bodied but balanced. Plenty of concentrated fruit, fresh acidity and firm but fine tannins. Very well structured. Drink now – 2013.
CE 17.5 | CR 17 | HJ 16.5 | FvZ 16.5 | GdF 16.5

Creation 2009
CELLAR PRICE: R135
Alc 14.8% RS 2.5g/l TA 5.6g/l pH 3.66
Ripe dark fruit and attractive oak on the nose. The palate is big in structure and intensely flavoured. Juicy on entry before very dry finish. Powerful but balanced. Drink 2012 – 2014.
CE 17 | CR 17 | HJ 17 | FvZ 16 | GdF 17

★ ★ ★ ★
Dieu Donné 2008
CELLAR PRICE: R95
Alc 14.4% RS 1.9g/l TA 6.8g/l pH 3.63
Notes of vanilla and chocolate as well as red berries on the nose. The palate is medium bodied with good fruit expression, pleasantly tart acidity and firm but fine tannins. A dry, almost savoury finish. Drink 2013 – 2015.
CE 17 | CR 16 | HJ 17 | FvZ 16 | GdF 16

Laibach Claypot 2009
CELLAR PRICE: R200
Alc 14.5% RS 2.4g/l TA 5.5g/l pH 3.74
Complex nose showing red and black fruit, attractive oak and a savoury note. The palate is classically styled with layers of flavour. Good fruit expression, well-judged oak. Drink 2012 – 2014.
CE 17 | CR 16 | HJ 16.5 | FvZ 16 | GdF 16.5

Thelema Reserve 2008
CELLAR PRICE: R225
Alc 15.06% RS 1.8g/l TA 5.3g/l pH 3.72
Attractive oak on otherwise shy nose. The palate shows great balance with red and black fruit, fresh acidity and relatively soft tannins. An elegant, well-balanced wine. Drink now – 2013.
CE 16 | CR 16 | HJ 17 | FvZ 17.5 | GdF 16

★ ★ ★ ✩
D’Aria 2009 R64
Kaapzicht 2008 R85
Remhoogte Reserve 2007 ARP R185
Dieu Donné
The Cross Collection 2008 R210
Shannon Mount Bullet 2008 R250.96

★ ★ ★
Swartland Winery 2010* R37
Bovlei Winery
Centenary Collection 2007 R35
Fish Hoek 2009*
(Constellation Wines) R35
Fortress Hill 2009
(Fort Simon) R44
Koelenbosch 2008
(Koelenhof) R42
MAN Vintners 2009* R45
Flat Roof Manor 2009* ARP R47.84
Franschhoek Cellar
The Old Museum 2009* R45
A Few Good Men 2008
(Riebeek Cellars) R55
Bellpost 2007 ARP R59
Jason’s Hill 2009 R59
Viljoensdrift River Grandeur 2009 R60
Slayley 2007 R79
Elgin Vintners Third Edition 2007 R80
De Grendel 2008 R85
Remhoogte 2008 ARP R96
Overgaauw 2009 R94
Beau Joubert 2007 R99
Thelema 2008 R110
Groot Constantia 2009 R118
De Trafford 2007 R150
Meerendal Reserve 2007 R187.50

★ ★ ✩
Bottelary Winery 2009* R25
Riebeek Cellars 2009* R31
The Guru 2008 (Hoopenburg) R34
Indaba 2010*
(Cape Classics) R34.99
Openers Dinner
Opener 2008* (Waterstone Wines) R36.34
Du Toitskloof Cellar 2010* R38
Douglas Green 2009 ARP R42
Landskroon 2009 R45
Porcupine Ridge 2009*
(Boekenhoutskloof) R50
Mont du Toit Les Coteaux 2009 R55
Bellingham Merlot
with a dash of Malbec 2008 ARP R59
Fort Simon 2008 R63
Havana Hills 2008 R60
DeWaal 2009 R65
Ernst Gouws & Co 2008 R70
Rickety Bridge 2008 R75
Signatures of Doolhof 2007 R81
Laibach 2008 R84
Sumaridge 2007 R90
La Bri 2008 R90
Anura Reserve 2006 R95
Lomond Cape Agulhas 2008 ARP R97.56
Marianne 2007 R118
Saxenburg Private Collection 2008 R120
Hartenberg 2008 R125
Radford Dale 2008*
(The Winery of Good Hope) R125
Ernie Els 2009 R135
Spier Private Collection 2008 R148
Hillcrest Quarry 2008 R150

★ ★
Obikwa 2010* R27.10
Perdeberg Winery 2010* R31.50
Arniston Bay 2009
(the company of wine people) ARP R32.99
Ayama 2010 (Slent Farms) R35
Welmoed 2009*
(the company of wine people) ARP R35.99
Van Loveren 2010 R35.33
Alexanderfontein 2008* R46
L’Avenir 2009 R50
Zonnebloem 2009 R54.99
Hoopenburg Bush Vine 2007 R55
Backsberg 2008 R59
Ondine 2008 (Ormonde) R59
Blaauwklippen 2006 R60
Nederburg
The Winemaster’s Reserve2009 R64
Mooiplaas 2007 R65
Glenelly The Glass Collection 2009* R70
Slayley 2006 R79
Slayley 2004 R79
Whalehaven 2008 R90
Hillcrest 2007 R95
Jordan 2008* R103
Hartenberg 2007 R125
Creation 2008 R135

★
Footprint The Long Walk 2010 ARP
(African Pride Wines) R27
Africa Five 2008
(Waterstone Wines) R36.34
Bain’s Kloof Pioneer’s Reserve
Limited Release 2007 (Bergsig) R57
Glenwood 2008 R70

Four Merlot wines tasted did not receive a Star rating.

PRICES: wines in each quality grouping are listed in order of ascending price – all ex-cellar unless otherwise stipulated.
ARP – Approximate retail price
* – Bottled under screwcap