Meerkat

With the ongoing drive towards premiumisation of wine, it becomes harder and harder to find great value, authentic, high quality, unadulterated wine expressions. So the market almost relies indirectly on the “philanthropy” of people and producers like Schalk Burger Snr.

With expansive old vine vineyards, the Welbedacht Estate has been the envy of the Cape wine scene for not only growing a plethora of diverse grape varieties but also by being able to produce good volumes of high quality premium wine. The Meerkat Pinotage is already a legendary wine having featured on the Nederburg Auction in the past. But I was impressed to hear that the Meerkat Burrow Blend has now become one of their biggest selling wines in the range. But I guess wine consumers know a good thing when they taste it!

Schalk Burger & Sons Meerkat Burrow Blend 2016, WO Wellington, 13.5 Abv.

A gregarious red blend made up of mostly Pinotage and Merlot but which also includes up to 7 varieties from the Welbedacht Estate on the Groenberg in the final blend. This “value” red is a triumph of intelligent winemaking displaying an impressive vibrancy and fragrant lift with a delicious mouth watering bouquet of damson plums, mulberries, bramble berries and earthy red currants all topped with a generous dusting of mocha powder and vanilla pod spice. The texture is silky soft, beautifully weighted, generously fruited without being sweet or unctuous but always attractively fleshy and alluring. The opulent Pinotage blueberry notes are chaperoned by the plummy, milk chocolate spice of the Merlot allowing the wine to finish with an attractive accessibility and more’ish crunch. Who would have thought this could be an improvement on the delicious 2015!? Drink now to 2022+

(Wine Safari Score: 89/100 Greg Sherwood MW)

One thing having large vineyard holdings affords you is fruit selection. The Schalk Burger & Sons Welbedacht farm in Wellington in the Western Cape is a classic example of this. I’ve always enjoyed the premium wines of Schalk Burger Snr, especially the Cricket Pitch red blend and the Bohemian Syrah. But tasting today with Schalk Burger Snr and his UK shipper, it was the modest £9.99 Meerkat Burrow Blend 2015 that came up trumps.

Other than Schalk fulfilling his long term ambition to include the word “Gregarious” on the front label, he has also succeeded in creating an exceptionally delicious, quality focused, unpretentious red.

I can often be heard complaining that South Africa does not have quite enough value reds of high quality that are suitably priced or positioned for independent merchants. But this is a very impressive creation that ticks so many boxes and keeps you coming back for another sip, and another!

Schalk Burger & Sons Meerkat Burrow Red Blend 2015, Wellington, 14.5 Abv.

The nose is seductively wild, with black forest berries, oodles of bramble berry spice, black currant compote, and a sweet, cedary, vanilla pod dusting. Key to the palate is its light weight opulence, succulent texture, fleshy breadth and a juicy long mulberry fruited finish. I can’t remember what grapes go into this blend, and I suspect it changes every year anyway, but the 2015 is thoroughly delicious and impressively well made. For me, 10/10 in the drinkability stakes, this is a perfect BBQ red that will add much cheer and enjoyment to any social occasion.

(Wine Safari Score: 88+/100 Greg Sherwood MW)