Hannes Myburgh

Another Highly Collectable Rubicon Release – Tasting the New Meerlust Rubicon Cape Bordeaux Blend 2023…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

With global fine wine markets restricting and consumer consumption continuing to decline, wine connoisseurs and collectors are becoming ever more discerning when it comes to the wines they choose to buy – not only the ones for immediate consumption but also those special bottles they entrust to their wine cellars or professional storage for future drinking. Almost 30 years of industry experience tells me that when times get tough, the consumer migration back to the reliable and proven classic brand names becomes ever swifter. The marketeers call it ‘cocooning’ that features a pronounced switch to trusted comforts. In terms of iconic South African Cape Bordeaux blends, there can be none more famous and trusted than Meerlust Rubicon.

The 2023 Rubicon vintage marked the third full year of Wim Truter’s tenure as head winemaker and cellarmaster where he continues to thrive and impress with his focused winemaking style built around purity, tension, precision and freshness. The 2023 vintage saw very similar cool ripening conditions as with the much-lauded 2021 vintage (rated 96+/100 GSMW). Early phenolic ripening, which is a key attribute of this coastal section of the Stellenbosch region, allowed Meerlust to harvest intense, flavourful, and bright varietal components from the four main terroir units on the farm, with rapid flavour development evident on the majority of their vineyards harvested before the rains began in the latter part of March.

Tasting with owner Hannes Myburgh in 2025 marking this 7th generation estate’s 50th anniversary of their “Estate Bottled” wines.

The Rubicon 2023 is a classical blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot. Every parcel of each cultivar was fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 litre French oak barrels. After 8 months in barrel, the components were assembled, blended and given another 10 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling. The similarities in growing conditions between 2021 and 2023, extends in many ways to the qualitative expression found in the superb Meerlust Estate wines of 2023. The palate is still very tightly curled and opens with power and persistence with gentle decanting. This is a Rubicon that truly expresses the ageability of the style, but with elegance and balance that also allows for earlier drinkability – a characteristic of all truly great modern fine wines.

Meerlust Estate Rubicon 2023, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

The Rubicon 2023 blend shows aromatics of ripe black currants, blue berries, damson plums with a cornucopia of sweet Christmas spices, black tea and melted caramel over fresh cedar and graphite hints. There is an impressive textural presence on the palate – opulent, dense, and fleshy, layered with crème de cassis, black cherry compote, lead pencil spice, and chalky mineral tannins that smother a cool, subtle, beautifully integrated acidity. This is, once again, the complete package – deep, textured and concentrated yet effortlessly balanced, finishing with a picante brûléed brown toast complexity. A class act that is sure to be one of the standout Cape Bordeaux blends of the vintage. Drink from 2026 to 2045+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Meerlust Estate wines are imported into the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines and should be available from all discerning fine wine merchants for circa £40 to £45 per bottle inclusive.

The Iconic Meerlust Estate Impresses Yet Again with a Benchmark Rubicon 2022 Bordeaux Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

The quality of the 2021 vintage will be remembered for a long time in the Cape but winemaker and cellar master Wim Truter certainly stepped up to the plate to craft an incredibly impressive 2022 Rubicon Cape Bordeaux Blend. There are few wine brands in the Cape more iconic than Meerlust Rubicon, thus magnifying the expectations and pressures on the estate to release a benchmark expression year after year.

Since Wim Truter took over from Chris Williams with the 2020 vintage (assisted by Altus Treurnicht), Wim has attempted to utilise the full extent of his “Meerlust toolbox” to maintain but also increase the quality of the Meerlust wines. This has taken place in the form of deconstructing and segmenting all the estate’s cultivars and terroirs to the finest degree of nuance, discovering what cultivar works the best on which soils. Where necessary, vineyards have been replanted.

The Rubicon is a true expression of the Meerlust estate and draws fruit from our four distinctive terroirs. Each terroir provides a unique element to the final blend.

Compagniesdrift – The soils from this warm north facing slope are predominantly formed from weathered granite. The wines originating from this granitic hilltop are expressive and bold in structure, mainly due to the coarse gravelly texture and sufficient soil depth to promote long and even ripening.

River Terraces – Sandy soils laced with rounded river stones allow for excellent root proliferation. This area of the Estate experiences the greatest shift between day and night temperatures, promoting flavour development of these delicate and fruit forward wines.

Quarry – The extremely rocky terrain consisting of greywacke with interbedded shales provides a unique substrate for vines. Shallow rooted vines on this cool and windswept foot slope leads to wines with characteristic red fruit with exceptional length, detail, and precision.

Lowlands – The remains of an ancient estuary are marked by clay-rich soils from deeply weathered greywacke and shales. The wines from this generally cool south facing, clay-rich terroir is typically smooth and silky in texture with prominent black fruit.

Heat graph illustrating how much cooler the Meerlust Estate is than the rest of Stellenbosch.

The pace of the 2022 season was slowed down by dry, warm temperatures recorded during the ripening period leading to the harvest starting slightly later. This resulted in good hang times and minimal harvesting pressures due to lower yields enabling the picking of grapes at optimal ripeness levels. The 2022 vintage was not the easiest in Stellenbosch but the results in the bottle for the Rubicon blend are once again suitably impressive after extensive focused parcel tastings for each cultivar.

Tasting parcel by parcel to choose the perfect Rubicon blend.
Winemaker and cellar master Wim Truter.

Meerlust Estate Rubicon 2022, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv. 

The 2022 Rubicon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (44%), Merlot (40%), Cabernet Franc (12%) and Petit Verdot (4%). The deep broody blue black fruit aromatics retain an enticing brambly, savoury, mellow aromatic elegance showing violets, lavender and a freshly tilled earth complexity. The warmth and dryness of the 2022 vintage shows in the wine’s rich generous mid-palate, with a plush accessible breadth but also a supple, creamy, attractively sweet fruited glycerol palate weight. This 2022 has the sweet fruit concentration of 2020 combined with the structural precision and elegance of 2017 but with perhaps an extra intensity of minerality, chalky granitic spice and pure black fruit persistence. A delicious Rubicon expression. Drink from 2026 to 2045+. 

(Wine Safari score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tasting with Wim Truter inside the dedicated Rubicon barrel cellar in July 2025.

The Meerlust Estate wines are imported into the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines.

The Meerlust Estate Reaches New Heights of Quality with Their Eye Catching 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

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).

Meerlust Estate Make the Most of the Cool 2021 Cape Vintage to Produce a Classical Merlot of Exceptional Quality…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 2 Comments

The soils from this warm Compagniesdrift north facing slope on the Meerlust Estate are predominantly formed from weathered granite. The wines originating from this granitic hilltop are expressive and bold in structure, mainly due to their coarse gravelly texture and sufficient soil depth to promote long and even ripening. The Quarry – the extremely rocky terrain consisting of greywacke with interbedded shales soils provides a unique substrate for vines. Shallow rooted vines on this cool and windswept foot slope leads to wines with characteristic red and black berry fruits with exceptional length, detail, and precision.

The 2020 post-harvest period was characterised by very hot and dry conditions, which led to early leaf fall, especially in early ripening cultivars. The winter rainfall started late, but regular cold fronts contributed almost 100 mm more precipitation than in the previous season. Soil profiles were well saturated, and farm dams returned to pre-drought levels.

Merlot grapes on the estate.

The budding period was particularly cool and wet, and low soil temperatures delayed bud break by up to 14 days. Despite sustained cool conditions, the flowering and fruit set periods were moderate and ideal. Véraison followed the seasonal trend and was generally up to 14 days later than the previous season.

The Meerlust homestead.

Ripening was consistently about 10-14 days later than the previous year, and the ripening period was very moderate. This resulted in good hang times, minimal harvesting pressure and allowed for optimum picking. Although yields are lower, the grape composition and preliminary wine quality of the 2021 vintage showed immediate promise. The wines have intensity and freshness coupled with a fine tannin structure.

Meerlust Estate Merlot 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14.28% Abv. 

 2.71g/l | RS 6.33g/l TA | 3.48pH

This stunning 2021 vintage is a pure 100% Merlot (some years can include snippets of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc) made up of several select parcels that were fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 litre oak barrels. After six months in barrel, the final components were carefully selected and blended before being put back into barrel for a further 12 months in 40% new French oak before bottling. This long cool vintage really lends itself to the more classically leaning old world style of Meerlust’s wines, and this Merlot is beautifully distinguished revealing aromatics of dusty granite, damson plums, black currants, black tea, wet tobacco, and sweet herbs that offer a subtle sapidity to the plush alluring nose. Delicately saline reductive black cherry notes follow on to the palate that is broad, luxurious, and creamy with a medium bodied density but also the most seductively elegant fine-grained tannins. This seamlessly complete expression of Merlot must rank among the finest the winery has produced to date with a notably fresh vein of acidity wonderfully integrated into the plush, chocolatety, Pomerol-styled finish. Drink now until 2035+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The wines of Meerlust Estate are imported into the UK by Maison Marques et Domaines (MMD) and retails for circa £26pb.

The Iconic Meerlust Estate in Stellenbosch is Back on Top Form with the Release of their Rubicon 2021 Cape Bordeaux Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

Change does not come a knocking too often at iconic estates like Meerlust or Kanonkop. Indeed, these iconic South African heritage estates could fit all their past and present winemakers around one small table in the corner of a good Stellenbosch steak house restaurant and still have a few spare seats. So with the iconic 2021 vintage, we see a bold wine that Meerlust winemaker Wim Truter was solely in charge of without any influence from predecessors.

When I last visited Meerlust a few years ago, I was driven around the expansive property which boasts 65 hectares under vines but I also saw some of the 20 hectares of new plantings that will be coming on stream in the next few years. The Meerlust Estate, held in trust, certainly is not letting the grass grow under its feet.

While winemaker Wim Truter surely knew what he was taking on by applying to be the successor to Chris Williams, he seems to have settled in very nicely thank you… and most people I have spoken to in the fine wine trade feel he is more than adequately equipped and resourced to produce some very exciting wines from this iconic estate. Look out for the Rubicon 2021, which looks set to be release in the UK later in the year but which is already available in the local market.

Meerlust Rubicon Cape Bordeaux Blend 2021, WO Stellenbosch, 14% Abv.

A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in 300-litre barrels, 60% new, this impressive 2021 represents one of the most exciting Rubicon releases since the 2015 and 2017 vintages. The aromatics are mineral and spicy underpinned by layers of blueberry and black berry fruits, salty black liquorice, graphite pencil and sweet sappy cedar, sandalwood and a subtle tobacco leaf spice. Beautifully constructed, the palate is taut but tensile, tightly wound, tight knit and polished, displaying impressive stony polished marble tannins but also a great core of energy. The textural precision is notable showing power, focus and a piercing black cherry and saline black currant intensity with a kiss of nori kelp, grilled herbs and iodine on the long finish. This is a fine wine collectors will want to bury away in their cellars for 5 to 8 years to allow the wine to unfurl further and put on a bit more palate weight. But all the requisite components for another truly classic Rubicon are present. I’ve not been this excited about a new Rubicon release for a long time! Congrats to the whole Meerlust team. (21,000 cases of 6 produced)

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

South Africa’s Iconic Cape Bordeaux Blend Brand Meerlust Estate Releases Their 2018 Rubicon…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ Leave a comment

In November 2019, winemaker Wim Truter joined Meerlust, taking over from Chris Williams to become only the third winemaker to take the reins at this historic estate. Chris had finally followed his own calling and decided to move on to the next chapter of his winemaking career to further grow his own Foundry Winery brand. So, while technically the 2018 vintage is still regarded as the fruits of Chris’s labours, Wim Truter has done a fine job overseeing not only the release of this new Rubicon blend but also the declassification of the 2019 Rubicon vintage into the Meerlust Red 2019 for the first time since 2011. Meerlust Red 2019 reviewed here… https://gregsherwoodmw.com/2021/10/17/the-resurrection-of-the-meerlust-red-blend-tasting-the-2019-vintage-release/

There are few premium brands in South Africa who produce the high quantity of quality wine that Meerlust Estate does, and so it was inevitable that the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lock-down would have a disproportionately negative effect on sales of this world-famous brand that is listed by almost every leading hotel, restaurant and bar in South Africa as well as in a never-ending list of top restaurants and 5 Star hotels around the world. As a result, consumers have had a longer run of availability with the exceptional 2017 Rubicon that was rated 96+/100 on the Fine Wine Safari. But the time has finally come for the 2017 Rubicon to pass the baton over to the highly anticipated 2018 vintage. Meerlust Rubicon is undoubtedly one of South Africa’s greatest wine ambassadors. If you have not tasted it yet, you are indeed missing out on one of the great Bordeaux blends produced in the Cape.

The higher altitude and close proximity to the sea helped cool the vineyards during the hot and dry vintage of 2018.

Meerlust Estate Rubicon 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 14.3% Abv.

2.6 g/l RS | 5.54 g/l TA | 3.63 pH

The 2018 Rubicon is a classical blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, with every parcel of each variety fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 litre barrels and large foudré. After 8 months in barrel, the components were blended and given another 10 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling. Wonderfully deep in colour, the nose is splendidly expressive showing quintessential Cabernet Sauvignon notes of pressed violets, black plum, sun raisin black currants, black salty liquorice, black chai tea, sweet cedar spice and layers of graphite and spearmint. While the aromatics are dominated by rich, dark berry fruits, the palate is classically proportioned with plenty of overt elegance and textural finesse – a great feat considering the heat and drought of the 2018 vintage. The extra bottle age before release has undoubtedly been a positive for this powerful, structured blend, helping to further round out the suave creamy tannins and harmonise the earthy black berry fruit layers, making the acids polished, glassy and fresh rather than taut and crunchy like many other 2018 reds. Unexpectedly approachable in its youth, I would have no hesitancy to cellar this super smart blend for another 10 to 15+ years.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Wines available to the UK trade from Maisons Marques et Domaines Ltd and should retail for circa £30pb.

The Resurrection of the Meerlust Red Blend – Tasting the 2019 Vintage Release…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 1 Comment

I have made no secret over the years that I love the concept of premium second wines, whether from Bordeaux, Napa Valley or Cape Town. The Meerlust Estate Red Blend last made a local South African market appearance back in 2011, when the Meerlust Estate declassified their Rubicon flagship wine. To avoid confusion, a ‘Meerlust Red’ is made every vintage but only for the international export market where second wines are well entrenched as viable alternatives for mid-week drinking or for less serious occasions but do not cannibalise the sales of the premium cuvee. However, this wine is not normally sold in the home market unless a specific vintage of Rubicon is declassified into the Red Blend like in 2011, 2002, 1990 and 1985.

Inevitably, when the wider market realises that the premium Rubicon Red Blend has not been released, the Meerlust Red acquires a massive and immediate following, such is the pedigree and reputation of the Meerlust Estate. Sold in the local home market for half the price of the Rubicon, the Red Blend is always an exceptional value wine and drinkers would be well advised to fill their cellars to pad out their drinking of the more age worthy vintages of Meerlust Rubicon.

Meerlust Red 2019, WO Stellenbosch

The 2019 Meerlust Red is a blend of 43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot. Initially a little reticent on opening, this wine quickly sheds its broody, sulky, spicy veil to reveal a wonderfully complex aromatic array of black plum, black berry compote, orange peel, Christmas pudding over hints of pressed violets, sweet cedar spice and graphite nuances. The palate is plush and fleshy from the word go, showing an open knit, expressive opulence of red currant, bramble berry, black currant, sweet oak spice, black tea and a sleek texture that simply embraces the palate and makes you go back again and again for another sip. Refreshingly vibrant and impressively generous, I suspect this wine will age surprisingly well for over 10+ years even though it’s simply a cracking drinker right now on release. Hats off to the entire Meerlust crew.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

The Meerlust Estate Prepares For Another Momentous New Release – Tasting the Meerlust Rubicon 2017 Red Blend…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 3 Comments

The 2017 release of the Meerlust Rubicon represents another classical expression of this fabulous Cape Icon wine. The high critical praise heaped upon the 2015 vintage helped it to become the fastest selling Rubicon release on record. Indeed, one cannot even begin to imagine a South African fine wine landscape that does not feature this wine prominently. Great expectations are placed on every new release and year after year, this Cape heritage estate delivers.

The 2017 vintage was surprising in that from the very beginning, the estate felt that the wines were very similar to the excellent 2015 reds. A cold winter in 2016 followed by a warm spring ensured early and even bud break. Although comparatively dry, as the Cape was still experiencing a drought, the 2017 crop was greatly enhanced by the estate’s ability to irrigate strategically, ensuring steady ripening and eventual phenolic ripeness across all varieties.

Tasting at Meerlust in March 2018 with Hannes Myburgh, Chris Williams and viticulturalist Roelie Joubert who sadly passed away in April 2020 from a sudden heart attack.

The 2017 is again a Cabernet Sauvignon dominated four grape blend with each of the varieties fermented separately before being aged in 300 litre French Nevers oak barrels, 60% new and 40% second fill. After 8 months in barrel, the components were blended and given another 10 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling. I first tasted this wine in its component parts back in March 2018 with the then winemaker, Chris Williams. I knew instantly that we were in for another exceptional release of Rubicon. Then in January 2020, I met up with owner Hannes Myburgh in London and got my first taste of the Meerlust Red 2017, the second wine made up of components not used in the Rubicon blend. I was bowled over by the beauty of this wine and while it is only really sold in export markets, it served to raise my quality expectations for the Rubicon 2017 even higher.

In November 2019, winemaker Wim Truter joined Meerlust, taking over from Chris Williams to become only the third winemaker to take the reins at this historic estate. Chris finally followed his calling and agonisingly decided to move on to the next chapter of his winemaking career, to pursue his own Foundry wine project full time.

The old Meerlust farmstead with some of Hannes’s beloved dogs.

Meerlust Estate Rubicon 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 13.6% Abv.

The 2017 Rubicon is a classical blend of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot, each vinified separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 litre French Nevers oak barrels, 60% new and 40% second fill. Deep purple-black in colour, the intensity and gravitas of this vintage is highlighted by the tight, dense, dark broody aromatics that require more than a little coaxing out the glass before revealing a very focused, slightly introverted bouquet of complex, tightly interwoven notes of violets, black currant preserve, black plum, Black Forest gateaux and hoisin sauce with backing notes of dried fennel, salty black liquorice, spicy cedar and an exotic Asian 5 spice nuance. While 2017 certainly stands out as another classical year of exceptional quality, the vintage will surely be remembered for its stand-out elegance, seamless palate textures and its signature weightless intensity and concentration. This Rubicon does of course possess plenty of stuffing and dazzles with gentle waves of blackberry crumble, crème de cassis, macerated black cherries, freshly tilled earth, unsmoked cigars and a finely textured, powdery tannin frame that dries the palate on the finish and reminds the drinker that this wine, however enjoyable in its youth, is also built for extended ageing. This really is another exquisite vintage with charm and poise, Grand Vin potency and an overt, unbridled determination to deliver long-term drinking pleasure. Drink from 2022 to 2040+

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Tasting a Mixed Meerlust Vintage Line Up in London With Hannes Myburgh…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 6 Comments

After the 2015 vintage, which Meerlust maintains was its fastest selling Rubicon release in the history of the brand, 2016 was always going to be up against it in outright quality terms. But this warm hot and dry drought vintage was tough on everyone but in the end, yielded soft, plush, forward, earlier drinking reds of excellent quality.

I reviewed the Rubicon 2016 recently but was certainly pleased to taste the entire Meerlust range again in London with owner Hannes Myburgh. What really struck me was the uniformity of quality and style and an overall opulence and accessibility that makes this a vintage ready to start cracking open now.

Tasting in London with Hannes Myburgh

I’ll be in the Cape again soon and look forward to getting a sneak peek at the already bottled 2017 Meerlust Rubicon who’s component parts I last tasted with Chris Williams in early 2019. Since then, Chris has of course decided to move on to his Foundry Winery project full time while still lending a stylistic ‘guiding hand’ to new wine maker Wim Truter while he settles in and learns the ins and outs of this historic Stellenbosch estate.

Meerlust Chardonnay 2018, WO Stellenbosch, 13 Abv

Classic youthful Chardonnay nose of lemon cream biscuits, puppy’s breath, vanilla pod and hints of oatmeal cookies. Fabulously cool, restrained and balanced, this has an incredible smokey Puligny meats Chassagne Montrachet nuttiness and minerality. Lovely freshness, definition and purity. Wow! This has Burgundy written all over it!!

(Wine Safari Score: 95+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Pinot Noir 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 12.5 Abv

Spicy and intense with delicious foresty bramble berry notes, earthy sappy piquant red cherry and wild strawberry with hints of cedar and sappy spice. Palate is cool, sleek and light footed in a style built to accompany fine dining.

(Wine Safari Score: 91/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Red 2017, WO Stellenbosch, 14 Abv.

Heavily orientated towards Cabernet Franc in this vintage with 55% supported by 33% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon to lend extra back bone. As expected this wine embraces the aromatic cedar and clove spices of Franc together with red berry fruited elegance, wild bramble berries and a saline Cabernet cassis intensity that carries the finish and turbo charges the concentration. Fabulous value for money! Fill your cellar!!

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Merlot 2015, WO Stellenbosch, 14 Abv.

Dark, broody, exotic nose of brûléed coffee beans, black currant, earthy black plum and sandalwood spice. Texturally this is spot on with fabulous freshness, textural elegance and sleek creamy sweet tannins. One of the finer single varietal Merlots produced in SA.

(Wine Safari Score: 92+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, WO Stellenbosch, 14 Abv.

Dark and richly black fruited Cabernet with nuances of graphite, sweet tobacco, violets and earthy black currant fruits. Tannins are sweet and sappy and the palate weight creamy and fleshly with a really friendly accessibility. A fine earlier drinking effort in this drought vintage.

(Wine Safari Score: 92/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Rubicon 2016, WO Stellenbosch, 14 Abv.

Revisiting this classic wine after extra time in bottle helps it shine ever so brighter. There is sleek textural elegance, plush sweet polished tannins and earthy red and black currant fruit notes. Seamlessly assembled, this is a triumph for the vintage and shows a very agreeable early drinking opulence combined with palate breadth and depth. The cream always rises to the top. Ready to enjoy now!

(Wine Safari Score: 93+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Estate Previews Probably the Greatest Expression of Their Rubicon Red Blend in 38 Years of Production – Tasting the Meerlust Rubicon 2015 with Hannes Myburgh…

~ Greg Sherwood MW ~ 4 Comments

“Alea iacta est. The die is cast,” Julius Caesar is supposed to have said as he led his troops towards Rome in 49BC. The crucial border of the ancient capital was the Rubicon River, and the decision to cross it marked an irrevocable point in history. It would profoundly shift the course of Roman politics – there could be no turning back. On Wednesday the 24th January, Hannes Myburgh and the Meerlust Estate might just have crossed another epic Rubicon with the unveiling of their 2015 Meerlust Rubicon Bordeaux Blend in London.

Not due for release in the South African market for several more months, this is a wine that both owner Hannes Myburgh and winemaker Chris Williams believe could be the greatest expression of Rubicon ever made. As a long time follower of this wine, having tasted every vintage back to the maiden 1980 multiple times, I have to agree with them. Many great vintages of Rubicon have been produced over the past 38 years, but the 2015 vintage release coincides with what is almost certainly the greatest vintage for South African red and white wines in the modern winemaking era.

As if just to cast out any doubts, Hannes Myburgh unveiled the as yet unlabeled 2015 vintage at the end of a fascinating Rubicon vertical masterclass at their UK importer’s 2018 portfolio tasting.

Meerlust Rubicon Bordeaux Blend Vertical Tasting

Meerlust Rubicon 1986, 12.19 Abv.

A really traditional expression, the colour is still dark opaque brick red brown. The nose is classically proportioned revealing English breakfast tea, cedar spice, earthy bramble berries, lactic creamy milk chocolate and sweet tannery leather notes. Palate is super fresh, vibrant, almost tart, with a delicious earthy melange of red currants, tertiary sous bois, bruised red orchard fruits and bruised red plum. So fresh still, incredible purity, classical sweet cedary tannins and a very long brûléed coffee bean finish. Leaves you speechless. Drink now to 2030+.

(Wine Safari Score: 95/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Rubicon 1991, 13 Abv.

Very fine wet earth complexity to begin, this wine is perfumed and intense showing saline cassis, iodine, briney oyster shell, sweet boxwood notes and complex hints of grilled herbs. The palate still shows such rich vibrancy, sweet black tea intensity, black current coulis and a suave, creamy sweet tannin finish. So fresh, bright, pure, dense and utterly youthful! Lovely structure balanced by big concentration. Utterly spellbinding. Drink now to 2035+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Rubicon 2001, 13.5 Abv.

One of the all time greats from Meerlust, this was one of Giorgio dalla Cia’s last great vintages which won the Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande Best Bordeaux Blend Trophy in 2006. Still beautifully vital and intensely coloured showing a crystalline ruby red hue. The nose is jam packed full of black cassis fruit, brûléed coffee beans, violets and sweet dried baking spices. Plush, lush and almost weightless in the mouth, the palate is so broad, concentrated, vibrant and intense, with the most harmonious youthful balance and seamless silky balance with just a hint of salinity and mineral graphite on the finish. So suave, so regal, this is a wine that defines elegance. A true South African icon. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Rubicon 2005, 13.94 Abv.

So very classical on the nose, you could be sitting on the banks of the Grionde in Bordeaux drinking a classical Pauillac when you taste this wine. Chris Williams’ second solo vintage, he considers this wine possibly one of the best Meerlusts ever made. Still starkly youthful, the nose is packed with black tea, cedar spice, violets, dried herbs and pot pourri complexity with an underlay of saline cassis, oyster shell and slightly drying, powdery grippy tannins. At this embryonic stage, it has all the power, grip and intensity to justify long term aging. Very classy, slightly showy and deliciously fresh with a great long future ahead of it. Drink now to 2045+.

(Wine Safari Score: 94+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Rubicon 2010, 14.5 Abv.

A blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot that was matured for 24 months in 60% new oak from Nevers. The 2010 Rubicon has a well defined smokey bouquet showing sweet blackberry mixed with blueberry fruit opulence. Another very classical expression, this wine also has Bordeaux left bank written all over it. Quite dense and youthful, showing grilled herbs, graphite, bold sweet tannins and an elegant, balanced acidity. This is going to continue improving for a good 15+ years. Not quite as eye catching yet as some Rubicon vintages, but you can expect this wine to blossom further and improve in bottle. Drink now to 2040+.

(Wine Safari Score: 93/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

Meerlust Rubicon 2015, 14 Abv.

(Bottled in November 2017)

A mesmerizingly dark black purple colour, this youthful wine is wonderfully crystalline, focused and pure, possessing such pretty aromatics of cherry blossom, rose petals, caramelised cranberries, violets, cherry pie, raspberry infused herbal tea and a subtle creamy vanilla pod extravagance. The palate is ultra suave, opulent yet effortlessly fresh and defined, supremely balanced and concentrated. Such gorgeous depth and seamless elegance, a tantalizing brûléed buttered brown toast complexity, creamy filigree tannins and an incredibly long, spellbinding finish. This is going to be a definite future icon vintage on par with the very best Cru Classe wines produced in Bordeaux but at a fraction of the price. Get in early, get in quick, and go long. This is one of the most profound Rubicons of the modern era. Drink from 2020 to 2045+.

(Wine Safari Score: 97+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)