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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2016 and 2021 (based on 19 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.1 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 70 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by NickBurwood on 8/14/2021 & rated 90 points: Much as per my 2019 note. An excellent quality and very good value fully mature Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch.
For drinking over the next couple of years. (809 views) | | | Tasted by Vinterest Angus on 1/5/2021 & rated 93 points: Very good (1013 views) | | | Tasted by ragtop on 10/4/2020 & rated 92 points: This held up surprisingly well and drank a week later after having been vacuumed and chilled. Very good value. (983 views) | | | Tasted by ragtop on 7/7/2020 & rated 88 points: Past it’s prime at this point. (1116 views) | | | Tasted by papabluez on 5/21/2020 & rated 93 points: Perfect drinking window. Dark color with minimal fading. Dark fruit, green pepper, toast, spice. Should last a couple more years. Very Bordeaux like!
Considering the price point, this is a terrific Bordeaux blend! (1171 views) | | | Tasted by Angle Gold on 4/20/2020 & rated 91 points: Lots of green pepper, still integrated and balanced. Definitely my style. (664 views) | | | Tasted by Axelpeter on 3/7/2020 & rated 91 points: Zh) (CS,M,PV,CF,Malb) leicht grasige, unauffällige Nase. Weiche Säure, etwas zurückgenommener Extrakt und Würze, sehr angenehm, wird im Alter milder... (626 views) | | | Tasted by Christian von Dresky on 12/8/2019 & rated 87 points: Well made but it is not getting my attention. No real focus or character here but enjoyable. (728 views) | | | Tasted by NickBurwood on 9/21/2019 & rated 90 points: My first from this case. 2hr decant (heavy sediment).
A fully mature wine of elegance. Gently cooked damson and juicy black cherry, some desert spice and smooth integrated tannins and lightly toasted oak. Concentrated albeit in a medium bodied framework. Excellent.
Will be transferring to my everyday section for drinking over the next year or two. (677 views) | | | Tasted by johnrm on 4/20/2019 & rated 89 points: I think Pintag catches this wine well. First John X for me in quite a few years but it opens well and provides an interesting Southern Hemisphere take on Bordeaux. Good cherry fruit, spice, a touch of 'orange' acidity soon after opening. Quite soft at this stage with good balance and length. Very good next day, too. Nice wine. (743 views) | | | Tasted by Axelpeter on 10/20/2018 & rated 91 points: (ZH) Warme Alkoholtöne zunächst im Vordergrund, angenehm und dicht. Dann eine deutliche, aber schon etwas entspannte Säure. Finesse aus Würze mit etwas Lakritz, altem Balsamico und herb-weichen Tanninen mit ein wenig Süsholztönen im Abgang. Vielleicht noch 2-3 Jahre auf diesem schönen Höhepunkt... (1034 views) | | | Tasted by cab blends on 8/17/2018 & rated 91 points: Lovely light chalk and tree bark on the nose. N7
Medium bodied B6 and dry in the mid palate through the finish. Probably drink within the next two years. Acidity comes through in the finish.
F7 (1168 views) | | | Tasted by stayhappy21 on 1/30/2018 & rated 90 points: Brought this to a wine dinner last night with my wine mates at Song Garden. Theme of the evening: South African wines.
Purple in colour with a tinge of redness. Dark red fruits were present on the nose and palate, with some graphite, tar, spices and tobacco. Firm tannins with a sound structure, this flagship wine from the Rustenburg Estate is a reliable and balanced wine from nose to finish.
Decanted to 30 minutes prior to serving, the wine is made up of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon; 37% Merlot; 4% Petit Verdot;
2% Malbec; and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Very Left Bank (Bordeaux) in nature, very impressive in the bottle. (1516 views) | | | Tasted by Millennial Drinkers on 1/27/2018 & rated 91 points: Deep garnet and ruby red. Layered nose with notes of black fruits, pepper, woody and a little herby. Medium tannins (6/10) and well rounded medium plus body. Black cherries and fruit on the palate with some earthiness and light sweet spices. Long and lingering finish. Drink till 2023. (1406 views) | | | Tasted by Krassens on 1/6/2018 & rated 90 points: Pintag lays it down well below. On the mature side yet with firm tannins, overly ripe red fruit, tobacco. Earthy in an expected SA way. In a good state right now, very compatible with food, but can probably be held for 2-4 years more or so. (1264 views) | | | Tasted by mats13 on 1/5/2018 & rated 91 points: Decent Cab that needed at least 30-45 min to show its potential. Unmistakeable varietal characteristics and a little hint of something green that leads me to believe that I may have had this too early, but obv this has a decade or more to go. At $25 this is a solid qpr choice. (1135 views) | | | Tasted by rgawlowski on 10/7/2017 & rated 90 points: Very nice, if surprising. Bordeaux style, color, nose, mellow with smooth finish. (1335 views) | | | Tasted by PIntag on 9/10/2017 & rated 89 points: Lots going on with this red. Overall, reminiscent of left bank Bordeaux but with very slight new world leanings. Was tight and somewhat thin on the pop 'n pour, so gave it a half-hour or so of air in the glass, which seem to open it up and allow it to pick up some weight. More on the elegant, medium-weight side, with lots of cigar-like tobacco and smoky notes with some woody tones as well. There is a sweet component as well, someone below suggested "sweet cedar" which I think is a good descriptor - I didn't really care much for it and thought it to be too prominent. A little herbal Cab note as well, which I enjoyed. A fair bit of dusty tannin. Nice silky mouthfeel.
I picked this up recently for $25 after really digging the 2012 Glenelly Glass Collection Cab ($13) - my first taste of a South African Cab. I really found this Rustenberg to be more complex for sure, but is "complex" necessarily better? Not in this case. I found the Glenelly to be much more enjoyable with less wood influence and more purity of fruit. At half the price of this Rustenberg, a real no-brainer. (958 views) | | | Tasted by pgb67 on 7/25/2017 & rated 88 points: A bit of a disappointment - seemed too California to me - flavorful but not distinctive. (1159 views) | | | Tasted by Shay.Aldriedge on 1/25/2017 & rated 91 points: This 2011 is drinking excellent right now, and I found it to drink just as well on the first day as it did the second. For the price, this is an awesome value. This is all red fruit like boysenberries and raspberries mixed with vegetal notes on the nose. The finish is full of herbs, red licorice and earthy undertones. (1620 views) | | | Tasted by ChickenNoodle on 1/10/2017 & rated 91 points: Deep black fruit nose with some graphite but initial tasting was lean/thin and finished with a red fruit undertone. The wine developed into a deep brooding wine heavy with mineral and anise. Long finish with nice balance. (1653 views) | | | Tasted by Millennial Drinkers on 12/16/2016 & rated 91 points: Deep ruby red. Tons of earthiness on the nose with bell peppers, almost jalapenos and cherries. Moderate tannins (6.5/10) and full bodied. Similar notes on the palate with earthiness, cherries and greenery. Long and lingering finish. This is an insane QPR and delicious SA Bordeaux blend. Drink till 2024. (1286 views) | | | Tasted by JTeeSmith on 7/28/2016 & rated 94 points: BIG CAB with subtle backends - really nice tobacco, chocolate, and dark fruit flavors on this all-time favorite. (1654 views) | | | Tasted by dissler on 3/7/2016 & rated 90 points: Not your typical SA wine (since a cab rather than pinotage). Refined and subtle nose. Really like it, more interesting than a CS and more diverse than a SA. Body a bit too subtle, good structure but coud use more body. In short: elegant, pleasant but a bit too subtle (2030 views) | | | Tasted by Imagnu on 2/13/2016 & rated 90 points: Developed very nicely. Rich black berry fruit nose. Ripe fruit palate. Softening tannins. Long finish. Delivers at its price point. (1638 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Michael Godel
WineAlign (10/21/2014)
(Rustenberg John X Merriman, Simonsberg Stellenbosch red) Subscribe to see review text. | By David Lawrason
WineAlign (10/2/2014)
(Rustenberg John X Merriman, Simonsberg Stellenbosch red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign. (manage subscription channels) |
| Rustenberg Producer website2011 Rustenberg John X Merriman55% Cabernet Sauvignon; 37% Merlot; 4% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec; 2% Cabernet Franc.
Alc v/v: 14.33% (14% on label) TA 5.6g/L pH 3.6 RS 2.9g/L
Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.South Africa Wines of South AfricaStellenbosch Stellenbosch Wine RoutesStellenboschThe historical town of Stellenbosch boasts a winemaking tradition which stretches back to the end of the 17th-century.
Stellenbosch is the educational and research centre of the winelands. Stellenbosch University is the only one in South Africa with a viticultural and oenological department, and many of the country's most successful winemakers studied there. The Nietvoorbij Institute of Viticulture and Oenology is also in Stellenbosch and this organisation has one of the most modern experimental wineries in the world and, at its experimental farms (situated in several wine growing districts), important research into new varietals, clones and rootstocks is undertaken.
The mountainous terrain, good rainfall, deep well-drained soils and diversity of terroirs make this a sought-after viticultural area. The rapidly increasing number of wine estates includes some of the most famous names in Cape wine. The district, with its mix of historic estates and contemporary wineries, produces excellent examples of almost all the noble grape varieties.
The intensively farmed Stellenbosch district has been divided up into several smaller viticultural pockets including Jonkershoek Valley, Papegaaiberg, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch, Bottelary, Devon Valley and Banghoek. |
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