Meerlust Rubicon 2020

Accolades

2023 Tim Atkin SA Special Report - 96 Points 

Tasting Notes

Very youthful colour, deep and dense with almost purple hue. Quintessential Rubicon nose with violets, ripe plum, cedar wood, fennel, liquorice notes and intense spiciness. Still young and intense, the palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh dark fruit and rounded tannins and seamlessly integrated oak.

Ageing Potential

Ageing potential of 10 - 20 years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.

Blend Information

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot

In The Vineyard

Good rainfall during the winter and long uninterrupted cold spells meant reserves where adequately replenished and cold requirement easily met. A very dry and hot spring followed by a moderate growing season resulted in even budding and slower than normal, even ripening – especially beneficial for our late ripening varieties.

In The Cellar

The 2020 Rubicon is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, every parcel of each variety was fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 L barrels and large Foudré. After 8 months in barrel, the components were blended and given another 10 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling. The 2020 sees the more mature Merlot vineyards coming more to the fore with almost equal part Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the final blend.

Additional Information

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.

“Die Kop” - 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.

Technical Analysis

Winemaker - Wim Truter

Alcohol - 14.55 %vol

pH - 3.63

RS - 2.6 g/l

Total Acid - 5.54 g/l

Appellation - Stellenbosch