Opened 6h early after our previous bottle improved a great deal over many hours after opening. Drinking beautifully now - nothing to add to my earlier comment. As a Bordeaux blend, it was served alongside a favourite 2005 Cru Bourgeois Claret with the beef course at a dinner party and was preferred by many. Later, the Bordeaux overtook this for complexity and character but this excellent classic from S. Africa is remarkable value (half the price of the Bordeaux). John X M is a firm favourite for us and we always give it at least a decade to develop. Open early and give it time to show its quality. Years ahead for this vintage IMO.
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This took a while to show at first but, given an hour or more, the nose opened beautifully developing ripe berry fruits with spicy notes. Good colour with only a trace of brown at the rim. The palate seemed slightly lean at first but soon began to show attractive, rich, soft, mainly berry and dark cherry fruit with fragrant blackberries prominent. There were hints of strawberry on the late palate after a couple of hours. Dark plum skin and spice developed with time in the glass. Good balance and acidity. Forward (but soft) tannins and very good length. Superb with roast duck legs when the soft tannic backbone was a perfect foil. Well worth keeping until this point and it still has ageing potential if well stored.
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Deep red. More red than dark fruit with pencil lead and a hint of mint on the nose. Beautiful red fruited palate with a nice bead of fine acidity running through the middle, good length. This is really in the zone right now and based on this bottle has at least another 5+ years of prime drinking ahead. I really enjoyed with aged cheeses and smoked deli meats. Fantastic QPR.
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This was a nice surprise that exceeded my expectations. Deep brick in colour, with a nice nose of blackfruits, chocolate, black plums, cedar, tar and scorched earth. Similar flavours on the medium to full bodied palate; a New World, ripe wine, but nicely balanced with good tannins, some complexity and not overdone. Still not at peak yet (B+/A-).
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The SA funk has matured into a chocolate character. Lively on the palate, still fresh, pretty tannic backbone. Bill notes that I used to say "in the pocket."
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Nose: Medium(+) primary aromas of black fruit (black cherry blackberry), tobacco, tar and toast. Wine is developing.
Palate: Dry, medium(+) acidity, high tannin, high alcohol and full body. Medium(+) flavors of black fruit (black cherry blackberry), tobacco, tar and toast. Finish is medium( +).
Conclusions: Wine is very good. Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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Surprise wine. Actually quite nice. Initial taste would have led me to believe an aged wine but as it danced with taste buds, tannic finish convinced me of young partner. Finish is longer than expected. This is really nice wine for price point.
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Very drinkable Cab. Up front and a little sweet. A bit richer than other Stellenbosch tried previously, but still impressive. More new world than old. Drinking well now, but will improve over the next 5 years.
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Deep ruby color. Nose is of medium plus intensity with black cherry blackberry, cigar, decaying wet leaves, tar, toast. On the palate the wine is dry with medium plus acidity and green tannins. The palate demonstrates flavors of black cherry and plum, toast, savory tomato leaf and vegetal tones. Finish is medium with some bitter stemminess. Wine is very good based on the complexity of the palate and intensity on the nose/palate. Needs a few more years (3-7) in bottle to settle out.
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Ruby. Blueberry and blackberry plus menthol and exotic spices. The palate is rich with ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit, spicy mid palate, good acidity and a lovey balance and long finish. Really enjoyed this wine, good on its own or with food, great value too. Rustenberg are a consistent producer of great value, quality wines, I’ve tasted nothing but excellence from this producer.
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South African Tasting (Embassy of South Africa - Washington, DC): Super spicy! Currants, pepper and leather. Dry tannins on the palate with a suave feel, plush and juicy. Cherries and currants laced with pepper, leather and black tea. Could age nicely. A Merlot-based Bordeaux bend.
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Retailer Tasting. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour and offered dark fruit, dark cherry, blackberry, black currant, bell pepper, vegetal notes, mocha, cigar box and mint on the nose. On the palate, the wine showed cherry, black currant, bell pepper, mocha, tobacco and some mint, with medium- to medium-plus acidity and tannin and good length. The medium-bodied wine had solid complexity and average concentration. A good wine, but I liked the 2012 a little better. 88+
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Thick burgundy tones. Roasted red and black fruits on the nose. A soft bordeaux nose, but with some additional sour cherry; a little blackberry, cloves and pepper. Soft and mellow but with nevertheless good structure. Some sweet red fruits. blackberry and gentle spiciness. Good, silky tannins. Some acid on the finish.
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1/28/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened 6h early after our previous bottle improved a great deal over many hours after opening. Drinking beautifully now - nothing to add to my earlier comment. As a Bordeaux blend, it was served alongside a favourite 2005 Cru Bourgeois Claret with the beef course at a dinner party and was preferred by many. Later, the Bordeaux overtook this for complexity and character but this excellent classic from S. Africa is remarkable value (half the price of the Bordeaux). John X M is a firm favourite for us and we always give it at least a decade to develop. Open early and give it time to show its quality. Years ahead for this vintage IMO.
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12/10/2022 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
This took a while to show at first but, given an hour or more, the nose opened beautifully developing ripe berry fruits with spicy notes. Good colour with only a trace of brown at the rim. The palate seemed slightly lean at first but soon began to show attractive, rich, soft, mainly berry and dark cherry fruit with fragrant blackberries prominent. There were hints of strawberry on the late palate after a couple of hours. Dark plum skin and spice developed with time in the glass. Good balance and acidity. Forward (but soft) tannins and very good length.
Superb with roast duck legs when the soft tannic backbone was a perfect foil.
Well worth keeping until this point and it still has ageing potential if well stored.
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5/22/2022 - wdlohr wrote: 89 Points
dark and thick texture, slight velvet tone, soft, long blended finish
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5/5/2022 - hkbob Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep red. More red than dark fruit with pencil lead and a hint of mint on the nose. Beautiful red fruited palate with a nice bead of fine acidity running through the middle, good length. This is really in the zone right now and based on this bottle has at least another 5+ years of prime drinking ahead. I really enjoyed with aged cheeses and smoked deli meats. Fantastic QPR.
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12/23/2021 - jamesdoeser wrote:
Tasting perfectly right now.
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11/29/2021 - MartinH1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Gorgeous plum jam notes.
Was a stunning accompaniment to Sunday roast lamb.
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10/20/2021 - JohnSh wrote: 91 Points
This was a nice surprise that exceeded my expectations. Deep brick in colour, with a nice nose of blackfruits, chocolate, black plums, cedar, tar and scorched earth. Similar flavours on the medium to full bodied palate; a New World, ripe wine, but nicely balanced with good tannins, some complexity and not overdone. Still not at peak yet (B+/A-).
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5/3/2021 - MartinH1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose: cherries and strawberries!
Mouth: plums, black currants
Full depth of fruit flavours; possibly almost at its best.
Superb.
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8/21/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
The SA funk has matured into a chocolate character. Lively on the palate, still fresh, pretty tannic backbone. Bill notes that I used to say "in the pocket."
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5/29/2020 - AdamHitchcock wrote: 89 Points
Appearance: Deep ruby color
Nose: Medium(+) primary aromas of black fruit (black cherry blackberry), tobacco, tar and toast. Wine is developing.
Palate: Dry, medium(+) acidity, high tannin, high alcohol and full body. Medium(+) flavors of black fruit (black cherry blackberry), tobacco, tar and toast. Finish is medium( +).
Conclusions: Wine is very good. Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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11/8/2019 - chuckos77 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Surprise wine. Actually quite nice. Initial taste would have led me to believe an aged wine but as it danced with taste buds, tannic finish convinced me of young partner. Finish is longer than expected. This is really nice wine for price point.
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8/27/2019 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Pretty serious stuff actually. Good structure. Touch of SA funk.
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6/22/2019 - jamesdoeser wrote:
Left in the old flat. Sadness brought about by a further enhancement of the asymmetry of the relationship between landlord and tenant :(
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4/23/2019 - jdrago wrote: 90 Points
Woody aromas off putting at first but surprisingly soft wood on the palate. Cherries, licorice, tar, menthol flavors. Opens in 20 to 30 mins.
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2/2/2019 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very drinkable Cab. Up front and a little sweet. A bit richer than other Stellenbosch tried previously, but still impressive. More new world than old. Drinking well now, but will improve over the next 5 years.
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10/3/2018 - dbay Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep ruby color. Nose is of medium plus intensity with black cherry blackberry, cigar, decaying wet leaves, tar, toast. On the palate the wine is dry with medium plus acidity and green tannins. The palate demonstrates flavors of black cherry and plum, toast, savory tomato leaf and vegetal tones. Finish is medium with some bitter stemminess. Wine is very good based on the complexity of the palate and intensity on the nose/palate. Needs a few more years (3-7) in bottle to settle out.
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5/24/2018 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 90 Points
Ruby. Blueberry and blackberry plus menthol and exotic spices. The palate is rich with ripe blueberry and blackberry fruit, spicy mid palate, good acidity and a lovey balance and long finish. Really enjoyed this wine, good on its own or with food, great value too. Rustenberg are a consistent producer of great value, quality wines, I’ve tasted nothing but excellence from this producer.
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3/13/2018 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 89 Points
South African Tasting (Embassy of South Africa - Washington, DC): Super spicy! Currants, pepper and leather. Dry tannins on the palate with a suave feel, plush and juicy. Cherries and currants laced with pepper, leather and black tea. Could age nicely. A Merlot-based Bordeaux bend.
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11/22/2017 - PSPatrick wrote: 88 Points
Retailer Tasting. The wine was medium to dark ruby in colour and offered dark fruit, dark cherry, blackberry, black currant, bell pepper, vegetal notes, mocha, cigar box and mint on the nose. On the palate, the wine showed cherry, black currant, bell pepper, mocha, tobacco and some mint, with medium- to medium-plus acidity and tannin and good length. The medium-bodied wine had solid complexity and average concentration. A good wine, but I liked the 2012 a little better. 88+
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10/21/2017 - Robowino Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent. Super notes. Deserves it 90...maybe 92.
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10/4/2017 - jps3@columbia.edu Likes this wine: 89 Points
This has developed beautifully. Well balanced with easy drinking tannins - no food needed. Great QPR.
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9/2/2017 - whme Likes this wine: 92 Points
Would love to see how this will keep. Very smooth and well balanced blend.
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11/17/2016 - GTFreek wrote:
52/38/rest Merlot/Cabernet/rest. Tasted at winery.
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6/9/2016 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 89 Points
No detailed note. Great balance - good fruit, decent structure.
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5/14/2016 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 88 Points
Thick burgundy tones. Roasted red and black fruits on the nose. A soft bordeaux nose, but with some additional sour cherry; a little blackberry, cloves and pepper. Soft and mellow but with nevertheless good structure. Some sweet red fruits. blackberry and gentle spiciness. Good, silky tannins. Some acid on the finish.
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5/1/2016 - Jonny616 wrote: 85 Points
Pop and pour. Found it quite hard and unyielding. Maybe with decanting and time it would open up and have more fruit. Not sure if I will try.
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