MEERLUST RUBICON 2023

Winery notes (2023 Vintage)
"First vintage produced was 1980. 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.

The 2023 Rubicon leads with intense dark fruit, slight savoury nori notes followed by graphite and cool herbal tones. The palate is still very tightly curled, and opens with power and persistence with decanting. A Rubicon that truly expresses the ageability of the sites, but with elegance and balance that allows for earlier drinkability.

The 2023 Rubicon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (46%), Merlot (36%), Cabernet Franc (11%) and Petit Verdot (7%) every parcel of each variety was fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 L barrels. After 8 months in barrel, the components were blended and given another 10 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling."

96+/100 Greg Sherwood MW, Wine Safari (SA) (2023 Vintage)
"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+."

17/20 Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinsom.com, March 2026 (2023 Vintage)
"Beautiful red-plum, sage and brick-dust nose. Refined, ripe but not voluptuous, understated dignity. Very finely knit tannins running parallel with a long, graphite-and-loam, mineral-and-earth backbone. Silky finish."