South Africa is still experiencing the harsh coldness of winter, but if there is one thing I can trust to thoroughly warm me up is a glass of red wine, and I am so glad to have this merlot as my June wine of the month!
This is the first time I’ve come across Jacques Mouton. Perhaps it is my lack of travel experiences to the Western Cape wine lands, and I still need to explore more of Franschhoek, but I discovered this bottle of red at a local Pick ‘n Pay and currently retails for R100.
With my unfamiliarity of the wine farm, or the name Jacques Mouton, I was left to make my own impressions of this wine based purely on the what I could see and taste. This isn’t a bad thing, but for me personally, I like being able to do some digging on wine farms that I’m not so familiar with. I was slightly disappointed with the lack of online information there is about Jacques Mouton (other than social media pages and wine blogs). Then again, this doesn’t necessarily impact the taste of the actual merlot, which is what we are here to talk about.
Right off the bat, I love the deep, red colour that this wine exudes. There is an aesthetic that I am instantly drawn to whenever I see red wine in a clear wine glass. Blame it on watching too many Olivia Pope scenes.
For those who are a lover of a more berry flavour in their red wine, you’ll be pleased to know that this merlot has a rich berry finish to it, accompanied by some spicy oak flavours as well.
As a bold and dry red wine, this Jacques Mouton Marguerite, pairs beautifully with classic red meat dishes – or basically anything that contains some beef and lamb. I personally also loved this wine with some ostrich.
Does this wine get a thumbs up from me? Sure, especially with the added touch that this Jacques Mouton merlot scored gold at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge 2020. It is truly a quality wine, and for its price point, it isn’t too bad to help keep you warm this winter. Are there better wines that exist? Of course, but if you’re looking for a decent wine that packs a beautiful punch, this Merlot can certainly do that.
Khalipha Ntloko 