This South African Merlot dials up the smoothness but doesn't forget about the importance of keeping a really strong fruit profile. The addition of some Cabernet and Malbec ensure that there's plenty of blueberry and blackcurrant to go along with the soft texture.

No matter how mer-little you know about wine, chances are you’ve heard of Merlot (pronounced “Mer-low”). Merlot is like a Golden Retriever; dependable (it ripens reliably well), lovable (especially for its chocolatey and soft plummy flavours), and able to get along with pretty much everyone (a champion in some of the most prized blends on the planet). Merlot is so approachable and smooth that it is often described as tasting “velvety”. Not sure when you last licked some velvet, but we did, and the Merlot definitely tasted much better than velvet. However, velvety is a fair way to describe the soft cushion-like comfort of how Merlot rolls across the palate — yum! This South African Merlot dials up the smoothness but doesn't forget about the importance of keeping a really strong fruit profile. The addition of some Cabernet and Malbec ensure that there's plenty of blueberry and blackcurrant to go along with the soft texture.