- Still Wines
- 75.0cl
- 13.5%
- Merlot
Guardian Peak Merlot is intensely red purple in the glass, on the nose fresh dark fruit and black cherry aromas are well integrated with smooth mocha-coffee notes that come to the fore. Dark mulberry and plum flavours are prominent on the palate, and there is a mocha undertone that is in beautiful balance with the subtle oak characters. This Merlot shows a fantastic weight of fruit in the mouth and a rounded, elegant finish.
Matured in 2nd and 3rd fill 300 litre French and American oak for 10 months, this Guardian Peak Merlot is made for young drinking but has more than enough backbone to age gracefully for a couple of years.
- ❖ ABV: 13.5%
Grapes
Merlot
Vintage report
The 2023 growing season in Stellenbosch was shaped by a relatively cool, dry summer, which gave growers the kind of measured ripening that makes viticulturalists quietly optimistic. Rainfall was well-distributed early in the season, building good vine reserves without encouraging disease pressure, and the harvest came in at a sensible pace rather than a panic. The result was fruit with genuine freshness alongside ripe tannins — the sort of balance that doesn't happen by accident.
Across the board, 2023 produced wines with real definition. Cabernet Sauvignon and the Bordeaux blends that Stellenbosch does so well have come out with firm but finely grained structure and the kind of concentrated dark fruit that rewards patience. Chenin Blanc and Syrah also performed strongly, with Syrah in particular showing the peppery, muscular character the cooler sites here do better than almost anywhere else. Most reds will drink well from now but have the architecture to develop further — we'd give the serious Cabernet-based wines until at least 2028 to 2032 before calling them truly ready.
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Our Sales Team
Speak to one of our teamJeremy Cowan
After managing his own stores and a further stint in independent retail, Jeremy has dedicated 12 years to trade sales in the North West.
Jen Neilan
Twenty years in hospitality later, after curating the wine list for Manchester’s first Neapolitan pizza restaurant, and running a natural wine bar, Jen made the move to the other side of the table.