Cabernet Sauvignon

This structured yet elegant Cabernet Sauvignon pairs beautifully with richly flavoured dishes such as roast lamb with rosemary, aged ribeye steak, or beef Wellington. For a vegetarian option, it complements the earthy richness of mushroom risotto or the savoury depth of aubergine parmigiana. Mature cheeses, particularly hard styles like Comté or aged Cheddar, also make excellent companions, enhancing the wine’s dark fruit, savoury undertones, and refined tannins.

This Cabernet Sauvignon is crafted from three distinct terroirs on the Meerlust Estate, each contributing unique character to the final wine. The Compagniesdrift block, a warm north-facing slope, features granitic soils that are coarse and gravelly, providing excellent drainage and depth. These conditions promote even ripening and result in bold, expressive fruit with a firm structure. The Quarry block lies on cooler, windswept lower slopes with shallow soils composed of greywacke and interbedded shales. Vines here are naturally low-yielding, producing fruit that delivers wines with red fruit clarity, remarkable length, and precision. Lastly, the River Terraces are characterised by sandy soils interspersed with rounded river stones. This area experiences the greatest variation between day and night temperatures, which enhances flavour development. The result is a component known for its delicate, fruit-forward nature and aromatic lift. Together, these diverse vineyard parcels form the backbone of a wine that is both layered and balanced, reflecting the unique topography and microclimates of the Meerlust Estate.

The wine was matured in French oak barrels for 18 months – the first 6 months post-vinification in separate parcels for malolactic fermentation, followed by blending and a further 12 months of ageing. 50% of the oak used was new. This wine is built to age gracefully for 10 to 15 years if stored in ideal cellar conditions, gaining further complexity and elegance with time.

Crafted exclusively from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine blends fruit from three carefully selected blocks. Each was hand-picked, vinified separately, and racked into barrel for malolactic fermentation over six months. Following initial maturation, the components were blended and returned to barrel for a further 12 months. The wine matured in 50% new French oak.

Meerlust is a historic Stellenbosch wine estate with eight generations of family winemaking dating back to 1756. Best known for its flagship Rubicon Bordeaux-style blend, the estate also produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with vineyards shaped by the cooling influence of nearby False Bay.