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Keermont Estate Reserve Red Blend
Keermont Vineyards
South Africa - Western Cape - Coastal Region - Stellenbosch

The Keermont Estate Reserve is the winery's flagship red blend. With this blend they aim to bring to life the nuances of both the terroir at Keermont Vineyards and the particular vintage.

Venetian red in color, this wine exudes complex aromas of ripe cherry, wild berries, and dusty 'fynbos'. The palate has an array of ripe berries, cherry sherbet, crushed herbs and spices. Elegant but firm tannin affords the wine a long dry succulent finish. 

Specifications
Appellation
Coastal Region - Stellenbosch
Wine Type
Red
Varietal(s)
36% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec, 6% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot
Soil type
deep red clay derived from sandstone & granite
Vinification
Small batches of grapes are specifically selected according to ripeness, harvested by hand and vinified separately. This process is carried out gently and naturally in open top fermenters using traditional methods only. This wine spent 22 months maturing in French oak barrels (20% new) before being bottled by hand without filtration. Bottle aged for 12 to 24 months before release.
Production
1,185 (9-liter cases)

Reviews and News

2014 Keermont Red Blend - 90 PTS - WA

2014 Keermont Red Blend - 90 PTS - WA

wa"The 2014 Estate Reserve is a blend of 32% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the remainder made up of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Syrah. It begins soft and shy on the nose and the palate moves to the bolder side, with dark-fruited expression and dusty, floral minerality. Medium to full-bodied, it's focused and structured with spicy tones across the mid-palate. The wine ends with focused, grippy tannins on the long finish and it should age well. 14,229 bottles were made. - Anthony Mueller"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #245, October 2019), 90 pts

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2014 Keermont Estate Reserve Red Blend - 93 PTS - VINOUS

2014 Keermont Estate Reserve Red Blend - 93 PTS - VINOUS

vinous logo"The 2014 Estate Reserve is a blend of 37% Merlot, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Cabernet Franc, 12% Petit Verdot and 2% Syrah. It has an intense bouquet of black cherries, boysenberry, pressed iris petals and a touch of iodine, all very focused and seeming to just close up a little with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins framing crisp blackberry and bilberry fruit laced with licorice and sea salt. It feels very composed on the finish, yet I suspect that it might close up for a couple of years. Have a cellar handy. - Neal Martin"

- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (November 2019), 93 pts

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2013 Keermont Estate Reserve Red Blend - 92 PTS - VINOUS

2013 Keermont Estate Reserve Red Blend - 92 PTS - VINOUS

vinous logo"This 2013 Estate Reserve was previously known as just "Keermont" since the estate wanted to keep the wine before release. A lot of fruit was lost to wind during flowering, ergo there is a little more Cabernet in the blend. The wine spent 22 months maturing in French oak barrels (20% new) before being bottled by hand without filtration on December 22, 2014. It has a precise, detailed bouquet of blackberry, raspberry, cold stone and just a touch of iodine. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and quite strict tannin, grippy in the mouth, yet very elegant, presenting a lingering, almost Saint-Julien-like finish. Give this another year in bottle and you will have a very fine wine in your possession. - Neal Martin"

- Vinous (August 29th 2018), 92 pts

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2013 Keermont Estate Reserve Red Blend - 92 PTS - IWR

2013 Keermont Estate Reserve Red Blend - 92 PTS - IWR

i winereview logo"This is Keermont’s flagship wine, the first wine made under the label in 2007. It sees 2 years in oak and is kept in bottle another 2 years before release. Richly aromatic with spice and fynbos/herbal notes. Fabulous, layered texture of rich, dense dark red fruit seamlessly integrated with toasted oak. A blend of 36% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Fanc, 10% Malbec, 6% Syrah and 4% Petit Verdot. 14.5% alc. Alex has been gradually increasing the percent of Cabernet Franc in this wine over time."

- International Wine Review (January 2019), 92 pts

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2012 Keermont Red Blend - 89+ PTS - TA

2012 Keermont Red Blend - 89+ PTS - TA

vinous logo 250"(14.5% alcohol; the estate's flagship red; 37% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 8% Malbec and 1% Syrah; aged in 20% new oak): Red-ruby. Blueberry, licorice and mint on the nose, with some leafy notes from the Cabernets and a touch of violet from the Shiraz. Quite firm and backward, displaying juicy flavors of dark berries, herbs and spices. Finishes broad, firmly tannic and classically dry but not hard, with an attractive light touch. This may ultimately merit an outstanding rating.- Stephen Tanzer"

- Vinous (January 2015), 89+ pts

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2012 Keermont Red Blend - 89 PTS - WA

2012 Keermont Red Blend - 89 PTS - WA

wa89"The 2012 Keermont comes from the older blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot augmented by a selection of barrels for newer sites. It sees 22 months in French oak, 20% new. It has a sedate bouquet: well-defined, conservative at first, but unfolding with blackberry, tobacco and mint aromas that remain very linear. The palate is medium-bodied with a chewy entry. There is decent weight in the mouth, although it does not quite flow toward the compact finish like the 2011. Still, this is a fine wine from winemaker Alex Starey. - Neal Martin"

- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #215, October 2014), 89 pts

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2011 Keermont Red Blend - 93 PTS - eRobertparker.com

2011 Keermont Red Blend - 93 PTS - eRobertparker.com

"Alex felt that the 2010 Keermont did not reach the standard required and so declassified the crop. The 2011 Keermont is a blend of 49% Merlot, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc and 6% Syrah matured for 24 months in French barrels of which 20% is new. It offers lovely brambly black fruit on the nose with touches of black currant pastilles emerging with time. The oak is very well-integrated and complements rather than dominates the fruit and with time, there is just a suggestion of cocoa emerging. The palate is succulent on the entry with lavish spicy black fruit. It is very harmonious and suave with a caressing, voluminous finish that lingers long in the mouth, with white pepper and fennel notes lending complexity. Lovely! Drink now-2018. .- NM"

eRobertParker.com (Issue# 209, October 2013), 93 pts

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2009 Keermont Red Blend - 93 PTS - eRobertParker.com

2009 Keermont Red Blend - 93 PTS - eRobertParker.com

"The 2009 Keermont is a blend of 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah and for the first time, 5% Petit Verdot raised for 24 months in 2nd and 3rd fill oak. It has a ripe, voluptuous bouquet of kirsch, mulberry, singed leather and truffle that gain definition with aeration. The palate is very well balanced with supple red berries, balsamic, dried tobacco and undergrowth. It is brimming with character and offers wonderful focus and composure towards the sensual finish. This is a worthy follow-up to the outstanding 2008 and 2007. Drink now-2018. Keermont was one of the most impressive Stellenbosch wines that I encountered during my trip last year – once I could entice winemaker Alex Starey away from his surfboard. Fortunately, when not riding waves he continues to find time making his superb wines."

eRobertParker.com (Neil Martin, Issue# 204, December 2012), 93 pts

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2009 Keermont Red Blend - 91 PTS - IWC

2009 Keermont Red Blend - 91 PTS - IWC

Tanzer International Wine Cellar 91 Pts"Good full red-ruby. Crushed blue- and blackberry, raspberry, menthol and licorice on the complex, vibrant nose, along with hints of tobacco and herbs. Silky on entry, then dry, spicy, vinous and uncompromising, with excellent definition to the dark fruit and spice flavors. A step up in depth and refinement from the 2010 syrah bottling. Builds nicely on the lingering, spicy finish, which leaves behind a fine dusting of tannins. A lovely representative of this excellent vintage."

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Issue #168, May/June 2013), 91+ pts

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2009 Keermont Red Blend - 90 PTS - WS

2009 Keermont Red Blend - 90 PTS - WS

Wine Spectator 90 Pts"This fleshy red shows a roasted edge to the mix of tobacco, currant, blackberry and alder notes, melding through the slightly grainy, mature finish, where a backdrop of sage and savory awaits. Displays fine range and character, though this is a bit burly overall. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2015. 112 cases made. –JM"

Wine Spectator (June 2013), 90 pts

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2009 Keermont Red Blend - 90 PTS - WE

2009 Keermont Red Blend - 90 PTS - WE

"Earthy aromas of forest floor, tobacco leaf and leather mingle harmoniously with the black-fruit core of this Merlot-based blend, with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Syrah and 7% Petit Verdot. The medium-weight palate boasts fruit-skin flavors of plum, cassis and berry, while accents of tobacco, balsamic herbs and pepper unfold on thelingering finish. Drink now–2016. - Lauren Buzzeo"

- Wine Enthusiast (July 2014), 90 pts

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Producer Information: Keermont Vineyards

Keermont Vineyards is a family-owned farm located in a back valley outside of Stellenbosch, ZA. The name comes from Keerweder, which is the name of the former farm. A keerweder ...
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