Ridgeback Merlot 2021 Paarl, Western Cape, South Africa 75cl

Merlot rarely gets top billing, but Ridgeback makes a case for it. From the family estate on the northern slopes of Paarl, this is a generous, fruit forward red made with the same care as the estate’s more celebrated Cabernets, and it rewards the attention.

Made entirely from Merlot, the fruit is picked ripe but with an eye to structure, so the wine has flesh without going soft. Time in French oak adds spice and grip. This is Merlot with backbone, the sort that reminds you why the grape earns its place on the Right Bank, and a versatile red for the table.

2021 was an outstanding South African vintage, cooler and later than usual, with a long, gentle ripening that built colour and flavour while holding freshness. For Merlot, a grape that can turn flat in the heat, that cool season was a gift, giving this wine both its depth and its lift.

Dark plum and mulberry lead the nose, with liquorice and a hint of mint. The midpalate is juicy and full, cradled by ripe tannins, with a lingering note of pepper and wood spice on a long finish. It is bold and structured rather than soft. Serve it at cellar temperature with game, ostrich in particular, or a rich beef stew. It will hold to around 2028.

This is Merlot for people who think they do not like Merlot, structured and savoury rather than sweet and simple. If you enjoy a firm Right Bank red or a fuller Cape Cabernet, it will win you over. A versatile wine for a hearty dinner, and one to pour with confidence in its depth and grip.