Journey’s End Kendal Lodge
A South African merlot and cabernet red blend.
South African wine has grown significantly in popularity in recent years, and it’s increasingly common to see bottles of Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon appearing on supermarket shelves, as well as restaurant and bar wine lists. While bold, structured reds like Cabernet Sauvignon are often associated with Bordeaux, France, South Africa has firmly established itself as a region producing its own impressive expressions of the variety.
A strong example of this is Journey’s End Kendal Lodge – a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc that delivers a well-balanced, structured red wine at an accessible price point.
About Journey’s End
Based in Stellenbosch, South Africa, Journey’s End was founded in 1995 by the Gabb family, who originally came from Shropshire in the UK. It’s a producer with a clear focus on quality, making wines that feel carefully crafted without being overworked or over-manipulated.
The winery describes its approach as relatively “hands-off”, with an emphasis on letting the character of the vineyard come through in the wine itself. In simple terms, it’s about expressing terroir — the environmental conditions, soil and climate that shape the grapes.
Alongside winemaking, Journey’s End has also placed a strong emphasis on sustainability and conservation. The estate has received WWF Conservation Champion status, an accolade held by only a small number of South African wineries, and was also named Ethical Company of the Year at The Drinks Business Green Awards in 2020.
These commitments extend beyond the vineyard through the Journey’s End Foundation, which supports local community initiatives in the region.
Kendal Lodge by Journey’s End
Kendal Lodge is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc. Aged in French oak barrels, it sits firmly in the richer, more structured end of the spectrum for a red blend of this style.
Journey’s End describes it as having a fine texture with aromas of blackberry and roasted herbs, with oak, richness and savoury character as the defining traits of the wine.
On the nose, the oak is immediately noticeable, bringing a clear sense of structure from the outset. On the palate, it opens up into darker fruit, mainly blackberry, alongside herbal notes and a subtle roasted coffee character that develops as it sits in the glass.
What stands out most is the balance between richness and smoothness. It has a full-bodied feel, but not in an overpowering way, with a texture that stays rounded and easy to drink. Towards the finish, there’s a gentle lift of spice that lingers without dominating the palate.
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This is easily one of the most affordable red wines I have come across, and I absolutely love it delivers in taste and smell! That it combines berries and herbs makes it sound delicious, but I am intrigued also by the mix of three wines that go into this.
Thanks for sharing!
It’s definitely a great price! The combination of three different grapes was definitely something that intrigued me as well – a totally new experience for me x
As someone who enjoys oaky red wines, I definitely want to give this a try. Thanks for sharing!
Glad you like the sound of it! 🙂 x
This sounds delicious! I was curious as to what the blend would taste like but I love fuller bodied reds and those notes you described sound like something I’d love. £8 a bottle is great too. Definitely need to try this one x
Sophie
It’s such a great value wine that really delivers! I hope you enjoy giving it a try 🙂 x
I must say, I am not an avid wine drinker but this was described superbly and sounds worthy of a try!
Glad you like the sound of it even if you aren’t a big fan of wine 🙂 x
I love red wines, my favorite. This combination of grapes with herbs will be a new experience. Would love to try it out
So glad you like the sound of it! X
I’m not a big drinker but this does sound lovely! Thanks for sharing!
Glad you like sound of it, despite not being much of a drinker! 🙂 x
Oooh I have a friend that’s from Stellenbosch – I should just go ahead and try the wine!
Ana, http://www.adreamersland.com
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Haha the perfect excuse to treat yourself to a bottle! x
I love reading about wine, I always found it fascinating! This one sounds great, even though I am more of a white-wine kind of girl x
Glad you like the sound of it despite being more of a white wine drinker! 🙂 x
This sounds like a great wine and I like the fact it is packed with fruity flavours! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
It’s a fab wine, and such a great price too! 🙂 x
Affordable and delicious! I love that lol I’m finally at the point of my life where I can enjoy a little time cracking open a new bottle of wine and I love it more than I expected to. From learning about types all across the world to the differences between white wines and red, it’s been quite the journey.
I find your posts very helpful and i’m super excited to try some new wines…might have to do a special post in honor of you soon!
Hahaha the perfect combination! Awww thank you, I’m so glad that my wine reviews are helpful 🙂 x
This wine sounds delightful! I love that the business also practices sustainability initiatives. Full bodied reds are my fav. xx
Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com
It’s a lovely wine! 🙂 x
I haven’t tried red wine yet, and the way you describe this one has me wanting to rush over to my local food market and try and pick up whatever the equivalent to this one would be :’) x
Oooh I hope you like it when you do try it because the wine reviews aren’t ending anytime soon haha! 🙂 x
Kendal Lodge looks so sophisticated. My dad and uncles love drinking wines every week so I’m thinking of letting them try this one now that you mentioned about a unique blackberry flavor and coffee with a certain spice in the end. This has 5-star resto vibes haha. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you like the sound of it! I hope they enjoy trying it out 🙂 x