2008 RUSTENBERG John X Merriman

The most famous wine estate in South Africa is Rustenberg, minutes from Stellenbosch, at the foot of the Simonsberg mountain. With a glittering portfolio of wines, including a stunning, newly released 2010 chardonnay, it is remarkable that their stalwart red blend, John X, is only a tenner a bottle for the next month at Waitrose. I conducted a vertical tasting of this impressive wine the other day and the 2008 is the finest vintage I have ever tasted. Made from cabernet sauviginon, merlot, petit verdot, cabernet franc and malbec, and using top French oak barrels, this ‘Bordeaux blend’ might just be the greatest value wine of this recipe on the planet. Just about drinking, but with a decade of glory ahead of it, winemaker Randolf Christians must be the proudest guy in the country with his current portfolio. Even Rustenberg’s top red wine cuvée – a mighty cabernet sauvignon, named Peter Barlow – gets a mention in the new James Bond book – guess what vintage? 2-007 of course! Watch out for this wine hitting our shores later this year priced around the £27 mark. It is a stunning creation. Money Week

The iconic 2008 John X. Merriman is a blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot plus a little Cabernet Franc and Malbec that was raised in 35% new oak French barrels for 21 months. It has a very ripe bouquet of blackberry, plum and a touch of tobacco that is perhaps a little disjointed and will need time to integrate. The palate is full-bodied with firm, dry, grippy tannins and a lot of tobaccotinged black fruit. It expresses commendable definition and freshness with a nice touch of austerity that should see it age over 7-10 years with ease. Drink 2013-2020.   93