We ran into a series of South African wines at a recent wine tasting or two in the Raleigh area. There were several that really made an impression, and which we bought for our cellar at home. All are pretty great values. Here is a Merlot from Swartland which pushes all the buttons at a great price.
Wine: 2021 Kloovenburg Merlot
Winery Location: Swartland, South Africa
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: May 2025
Tasting Notes: the wine is a medium but rich red in color. There is a ton of red fruit on the nose which carries through to the palate. Medium tannins pair with good acid levels to keep the wine fresh. It finishes very long, and has just a wonderful core of red fruit throughout. This is really good. 14.5% alcohol but the edginess and vibrant fruit don’t give you that impression.
Price Point – Around $20
Would We Buy It? – We did, and would buy more. This is really a delicious, fruit driven Merlot with a lot to offer.
Several years ago we did a series on South African wineries. You can read the first article in that series here. We were impressed, but for some reaon haven’t been drinking much South African wine lately. I think that has just changed.
A votre santé!
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