Whale Point Merlot
£9.99
£13.32 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Out of Stock
Here's an easy win for any weeknight. Whale Point Merlot is the kind of soft, juicy red you reach for without overthinking it: ripe plum, dark cherry and blackberry, gentle tannins, no oak getting in the way. South African sunshine in a glass at a price that makes a Tuesday feel a little more special. Delivered across the UK.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
UK wide delivery
Expert curated
Sourced direct
Our Verdict
We taste a lot of sub-tenner Merlot, and most of it is forgettable. This one isn't. What we like about Whale Point is its honesty: it doesn't pretend to be a cellar wine, it just delivers properly ripe, juicy fruit and soft tannins with real drinkability. It's the bottle we'd happily open midweek without a second thought, and the one we'd hand to someone just getting into South African reds. Stock is limited at the moment, so if you want a reliable house red that punches above £9.99, don't sit on it too long.
Tasting Notes
A round, easy-drinking Merlot that leads with juicy plum and ripe black cherry, backed by a darker note of blackberry. There's no oak to get in the way here, so the fruit stays bright and unfiltered, which makes it instantly approachable. A streak of fresh acidity keeps it lively rather than heavy, and the tannins are soft and supple, the kind that glide rather than grip. It finishes clean and fruit-driven, an honest glass that asks nothing of you except to enjoy it.
About This Wine
Some wines are for studying. This one is for pouring. Whale Point Merlot does exactly what a good everyday red should do, with none of the fuss and all of the pleasure, which is harder to get right than it sounds. Expect a glassful of juicy dark fruit: ripe plum, black cherry and a smudge of blackberry, all round and supple with a fresh lick of acidity to keep it lively. There's no oak here, and that's the point. The fruit is left to do the talking, the tannins stay soft, and the whole thing slips down with an honest, unpretentious charm. It comes from the Western Cape, where the cool Atlantic and warmer Indian Ocean meet to give South African reds that sun-ripened generosity without tipping into heaviness. This is your tomato-and-basil pasta wine, your Friday pizza wine, your wine for when the British weather finally allows a barbecue. Try it with a chargrilled burger, a bowl of spaghetti bolognese, or a wedge of mature Cheddar. There's a nice story on the label too: it's named for the whales that migrate along the South African coast each year, and the range is bottled with a genuine eye on sustainability. We ship it across the UK, usually within a few days.
Food Pairing
This is a wine built for relaxed eating. Its juicy fruit and soft tannins make short work of tomato-rich pasta and a proper margherita pizza, the acidity cutting cleanly through melted cheese and rich sauce. It's just as happy at a summer barbecue, sitting alongside grilled burgers or sticky ribs. For something quieter, pour it with a mild, mature Cheddar.
- —Spaghetti with a slow-cooked tomato and basil ragu
- —Wood-fired margherita pizza
- —Char-grilled beef burgers from the barbecue
- —Sticky barbecued pork ribs
- —A wedge of mature Cheddar with crusty bread
How to Serve
Decanting
No need to decant. This is an unoaked, ready-to-go style with soft tannins, so it shows its juicy fruit best straight from the bottle, with maybe ten minutes in the glass.
Behind the Wine
Whale Point comes from the Western Cape, where a Mediterranean-influenced climate does much of the work. Reliable winter rains build reserves, then dry, breezy summers cooled by two oceans keep disease pressure low and let the fruit ripen slowly and evenly. The wines are chosen for early-drinking charm rather than long cellaring, so the focus is on capturing bright, juicy plum and berry fruit while it is at its freshest. That is exactly what you taste: round, supple and generous, with soft tannins and a fresh seam of acidity.
Ageing Potential
Drink this one young. It's an unoaked, fruit-forward style made for early enjoyment, not the cellar, and it's at its best within two to three years of the vintage while the plum and berry fruit stays fresh and the tannins remain soft.
The Land
The Swartland sits on ancient bones: weathered shale, sandstone and granite that drain freely and force vines to dig deep. Combined with low rainfall and a constant breeze, these soils naturally rein in yields and push more flavour into every bunch, giving the fruit its rounded, juicy concentration.
The Winemaking
This is Merlot kept deliberately simple, and that is the point. There is no oak here to mask the fruit, just clean, careful winemaking that lets the grape speak for itself. The result is a medium-bodied, dry red built around juicy plums, cherries and blackberries, with tannins softened to an easy suppleness and a lift of fresh acidity to keep it lively. Nothing dressed up, nothing hidden. Just honest, fruit-forward Merlot made for pouring tonight rather than waiting on.
The Swartland Region
Swartland, 'the black land' in Afrikaans, named for the renosterbos that darkens after rain, rolls out north of Cape Town across the hills around Malmesbury and Riebeek-Kasteel. It's hot, dry, and stubbornly characterful: a place of old bush vines, granite and koffieklip soils, and a community of growers who've made it the most quietly thrilling corner of South African wine. Concentration, freshness, and a wild streak you don't find elsewhere, that's Swartland in a glass.
About the Producer
Whale Point
Whale Point takes its name from the great annual migration along South Africa's coastline, when whales travel thousands of kilometres from the icy feeding grounds of Antarctica to the warmer waters of the Cape. It's a fitting image for a range built around movement, place and respect for the natural world. The wines are put together by a team of buyers with a clear brief: capture the honest character of each grape variety without fuss or pretence. Sustainability sits at the heart of the operation, with shipping kept as light-footed as possible and bottling handled at a carbon-minus facility. The result is a range that feels grounded, wines made with intent, priced to pour generously, and built for everyday enjoyment.