Good straight Merlot isn't easy to come even if the South African oenologists give the impression with some smooth recent vintages. Thelema easily takes the mantle with this expressive signature, produced at its winery in Helshoogte Pass in Stellenbosch. The vineyards in proximity are rooted in sandstone rich soils that impart the grape with depth of flavour which is further elevated by malolactic fermentation in barrel and 18 months of oak ageing. The Thelema Merlot is a sumptuous odyssey of elegance and intensity in a bottle.