Here's a Merlot that does what good Merlot is supposed to do: charm you, feed you, and slip back into the glass without making a fuss. The grapes come from the Schapenberg, a windswept ridge in coastal Stellenbosch where the Atlantic cools things down, yields stay low, and ripening takes its time. The result is a wine with edge as well as warmth.
Expect a deep, youthful colour and a nose of cassis, red cherry and a leafy, herbal lift that keeps things lively. On the palate it's fresh and supple: bright red berry fruit at the front, fine-grained tannins through the middle, and a savoury, almost graphite-like finish that quietly asks for food.
This is the work of Nadia Barnard, cellarmaster at Waterkloof, with fruit from Schapenberg vineyards (and a slice from Waterkloof's own biodynamic blocks) hand-harvested, fermented spontaneously with wild yeast in open wooden vats, and aged in old barrels before a light filter and bottling. No additions beyond a touch of sulphur. Vegan friendly, sustainably farmed, and very much a wine of its place.
Pour it with beef stew, lamb cobbler, a proper cottage pie, or, if you want to go full Cape, a spiced bobotie. Delivered across the UK, usually within 2-3 days, and a thoughtful, easy gift for any South African friend missing the Helderberg.
