Meerlust

Rubicon

Red Blend from Stellenbosch, South Africa

R655

Bottle size:

750 ml

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Meerlust

The 2016 Rubicon shows great charm and drinkability even at this early stage, no doubt a result of the high Merlot and Cabernet Franc composition. We were very cautious with regards to tannic structure as some of the later Cabs exhibited astringency which we wanted to minimise in the final blend. Wonderful exotic aromas of plum, sandalwood and perfume, still with a touch of creamy vanilla. The palate is medium bodied with a forward dark fruit flavour of cassis and mulberry followed by a lithe tannic structure fleshed out with juicy fruit. The impression is one of litheness and grace rather than over-arching power.

Vanilla

Plum

Mulberry

Cassis

The vintage was generally later with some uneven ripeness showing in the later Cabernets. A decision was made to practice very gentle extraction to ensure the wines were not overly tannic or astringent. The Merlots were the star of the vintage and so extended maceration on our best Merlot tanks yielding succulent, opulent wines. The varieties were fermented separately with a combination of remontage and delistage.

The 2016 growing season was unusually cool but quite dry, presenting unique problems of fruit set and ripening. Irrigation was used strategically even on the mature vineyards to ensure slow ripening and proper flavour and tannin development. The Merlot and the Cabernets were extensively suckered from early in the season, and during veraison vendage vert was applied extensively to ensure an evenly ripe crop.

Meerlust

Eight generations of winemaking since 1756 have made Meerlust one of South Africa’s most revered estates. Cooled by False Bay breezes, the vineyards produce world-class wines, including the iconic annual Rubicon release. Today, Meerlust blends deep heritage with a quietly modern approach to fine wine.