Oldenburg Vineyards Merlot 2018

The Oldenburg Merlot is on of South Africa’s iconic Merlots, influenced by the eight natural elements of the farm. The label is fascinating and hints towards the strong influence of terroir and less than 5000 bottles of this wine is made per vintage.

This wine has a deep ruby red colour and is forthcoming on the nose. On the nose you get some ripe red berries, forest floor, pepper spices and a slight floral hint. Your first sip will convince you that this is not your average Merlot. For me, it was strikingly fresh upon entry, delivering the berries, some blackberry, plums, green peppercorns and coffee chocolate. It is a complex wine but nothing in a way that prevents one from having just a casual sip. The finish of this wine is their characteristic tomato leaf aftertaste, an herbaceous element that develops from the floral elements in the wine.

The 2018 vintage presented challenging conditions to the winemakers and smaller berries were delivered, resulting in a more concentrated flavour. The tomato leaf finish of this wine is a dead give-away of the producer and I was impressed to see how many people could identify this wine, based on the finish, in a blind tasting.

This is a really good wine that should be on the shelves of any serious wine drinker. I highly recommend this wine.