2020 Meerlust - Cabernet blend Rubicon (750ml)

Meerlust Estate sits fifteen kilometers south of Stellenbosch on land the Myburgh family has farmed since 1756, making it one of South Africa's oldest working wine farms. Hannes Myburgh, the eighth generation to steward the property, oversees a winery whose graceful Cape Dutch manor and vineyards are cooled by breezes rolling in from nearby False Bay. Rubicon, first released in 1980, was among the country's earliest Bordeaux-style blends and helped establish Stellenbosch as a serious rival to the Old World.

The 2020 vintage blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, with maturing merlot blocks giving that variety a larger share than in past years, bringing it nearly level with the Cabernet Sauvignon. A dry, hot spring followed by a moderate growing season slowed ripening and favored even development across the later-ripening varieties. Each parcel fermented separately before completing malolactic fermentation in small barrels and large foudres, then the blended wine spent a further ten months in oak to harmonize before bottling.

Violets, ripe plum, cedar, fennel, and a touch of liquorice define the nose, carrying through to a full-bodied palate of dark fruit, rounded tannins, and well-integrated oak. Still youthful and firmly structured, it has the depth to reward extended cellaring. Pour it alongside braised lamb, roast game, or a well-aged farmhouse cheese.