MEERLUST ESTATE RUBICON 2018

Appearance: Very deep, youthful colour, and intense almost purple hue

Nose: Quintessential Rubicon nose with violets, ripe plum, cedar wood, fennel and intense spiciness. A typical liquorice note also evident on the nose

Palate: Still young and intense, promising further maturation potential. The palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh dark fruit and rounded, linear tannins promising long beneficial maturation. A stand out vintage of Rubicon displaying all the charm of a perfect vintage from mature vines

Food Pairing: Venison, game, pot roast and noble cheese

About the wine: The 2017 vintage was surprising in that from the very beginning it was similar to the superb 2015. A cold winter in 2016 followed but a warm spring ensured early and evening bud break. Although comparatively dry, as the Cape was still experiencing a drought, the 2017 crop was greatly enhanced by our ability to irrigate strategically, ensuring steady ripening and eventual phenolic development of even the later ripening vineyards. Strict green harvesting and exposure of the fruit to gentle morning sun yielded perfectly healthy and ripe fruit across all the varieties.

Ideally served at 18°C - 20°C. 15 – 30 years, provided wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.

Country: Stellenbosch, South Africa

Grape Variety: 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot

ABV: 13.6%

2017 SAWi Awards – Platinum