Stellenbosch is Cabernet country and while much of the focus of the Meerlust Estate inevitably revolves around their flagship Meerlust Rubicon icon Cape Bordeaux Blend, this 2021 red is undoubtedly the finest expression of pure Cabernet Sauvignon I have ever tasted from the Meerlust winery. Perhaps produced somewhat as an almost after thought decades ago, this new release Cabernet Sauvignon is every bit as chiselled, refined and considered as the Meerlust Rubicon itself.
Produced from grapes coming from vineyards on mostly shale soils near to the river, this incredibly pure, intense wine was aged in 50% new French oak barriques adding the perfect gloss to this stunning single cultivar wine. The Meerlust single cultivar Merlot was often highly hyped by followers in the past partly because this wine became previous winemaker Giorgio Dalla Cia’s own pet project for many years in the 1990s. Finally, it seems Cabernet Sauvignon’s time has arrived. The “Kingdom of Cabernet” triumphs once again.
Meerlust Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 13.7% Abv.
The colour in the glass is dark and inky with an alluring opaque black plum core and the aromatics are intricately perfumed and lifted with notes of sweet violets, salty crème de cassis, tart black cherry, spicy black plum and warm buttered brown breakfast toast over hints of dried baking herbs, graphite, chai tea and delicately sappy, leafy nuances. While incredibly focused, taut, and fresh on the palate, the fruit ripeness is simply pitch perfect, combining intensely concentrated notes of black currant and damson plum fruits with an electrically charged acidity that adds verve and vigour to the mouthfeel while remaining classically structured, linear, and mineral driven in essence. This is an incredibly accomplished pure Cabernet Sauvignon that firmly tips its hat to a ripe yet fresh vintage that stylistically you could easily see in top Bordeaux left bank Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines. What energy, focus and intensity! Wim Truter has certainly made the most of this superb, slightly atypically cool, fresh Cape vintage. Incredibly good value, this is a mesmerising wine to drink from 2025 to 2040+, so don’t miss out!
(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)
The Meerlust Estate wines are imported exclusively into the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines (MMD).