1685 Merlot
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 3–8 years from vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, grilled lamb chops, creamy mushroom risotto
✨ Technical Specifications
The Boschendal 1685 Merlot is a tribute to the estate's founding year, when French Huguenot Jean le Long was granted land in the Groot Drakenstein Valley. This wine showcases the exceptional quality of Merlot grown in the diverse terroirs of the Western Cape, where cool maritime breezes and ancient decomposed granite and clay soils yield grapes with intense flavor concentration and refined structure. The winemaking process typically involves careful sorting, gentle fermentation, and maturation in French oak barrels to seamlessly integrate the plush dark fruit characters with subtle oak spice and earthy complexity. This bottling captures the historic estate's dedication to crafting elegant, structured, and deeply expressive wines.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1685 by French Huguenot Jean le Long, Boschendal is one of South Africa's oldest and most prestigious wine estates, set against the dramatic backdrop of the Groot Drakenstein and Simonsberg mountains between Franschhoek and Stellenbosch. Steeped in Cape Dutch architectural heritage, the estate champions regenerative agriculture, biodiversity, and sustainable vineyard management across diverse soils and microclimates. Renowned for pioneering Méthode Cap Classique sparkling wines alongside its celebrated 1685 range, Boschendal excels in crafting crisp Sauvignon Blancs, layered Chardonnays, and elegant, structure-driven reds such as Shiraz and Cabernet blends. Each bottling captures the vibrant terroir and historical depth of the Western Cape with balance, sophistication, and timeless longevity.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Merlot
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
13.5-14.5%