Named after a former owner of Rustenberg, John Xavier Merriman, who bought the farm in 1892 in sympathy with farmers suffering from the phylloxera crisis.

The John X Merriman is a powerful wine that rewards aging. In its youth the wine is worth decanting and expresses cassis, blackcurrant and dark fruits complemented with cigar tobacco and sour cherry notes. As the wine ages and its fine grained tannins soften, a softer more savoury palate develops revealing wonderful drinkability and tertiary complexity. A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc.