Middelvlei Estate Stellenbosch Merlot 2011 82 Points

Middelvlei Estate 

Ruby red with slight garnet rim.

Clean, ripe plums, mulberry and wild red berries, slight herbaceous note, but not green/unripe, stony earthy note, spicy oak lending tobacco note.

Dry with dash residual sugar, full bodied profile with medium acidity, fresh, juicy red fruits follows through, supporting the very high alcohol of 14.5%, slight burning farewell in back throat, best served lightly chilled to mitigate the alcohol effect, medium tannins with slight bitterness around the edges, nevertheless a well made Merlot