The wine is named in honour of former owner John Xavier Merriman, who bought the vineyard in 1892 in sympathy with growers suffering from the phylloxera crisis. He played a great role in revitalizing Rustenberg and in promoting the tourism and agricultural value of Ida’s valley, which is close to Stellenbosch. The wine itself is a Bourdeaux-style blend, with all of the fruit coming from the Estate. Made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the dominant grape in each bottle is whichever grape performed the best for that harvest.