En primeur: Stellenbosch 2025

Drink from 2034 to 2053. 14.5%

The 2025 is the fifth vintage under cellarmaster Wim Truter of this hugely popular Estate Red from South African royalty, Meerlust – a long-time member favourite which represents some of the best-value drinking not just in the Western Cape, but in the world – particularly so with this special en primeur price! The Estate Red is made up of the components that don’t quite make it into Rubicon, as well as from some of the younger vineyards on the property and in 2025 it comprises 69% cabernet sauvignon and 31% cabernet franc. Intense with cassis, damson and liquorice aromatics, this has Meerlust’s characteristic brightness and precision on the palate and a lovely supple texture. Fresh and vibrant acidity combines with beautifully sweet, concentrated fruit in this charming rendition of the Estate Red with well-integrated spice and toast from 50% new French oak. Drink from 2028 to 2040. 14%

Meerlust Rubicon really needs no introduction. It is South Africa’s oldest Bordeaux blend still in production, debuting with the 1980 vintage, and a true Cape classic. And we have a feeling that the 2025 vintage is going to go down as one of the great Rubicons of our time. You can hear cellarmaster Wim Truter himself talk about the 2025 vintage in the recording of the online event we held live from Stellenbosch last month, but the topline summary is that it was a ‘textbook’ season for the Meerlust estate in the Eerste River Valley – ‘so moderate, no stress’ – without heat spikes, which enabled him to pick when he wanted to pick (two weeks later than usual, in fact). Rubicon is one of a handful of wines in this en primeur selection which is blended early so that it ages in barrel as a complete blend and has plenty of time to integrate and harmonise with the oak. Wim feels this is important for the overall integrity and balance and indeed tasting this wine at just under one year old it was already showing an incredible coherence and togetherness on both the nose and the palate. An incredibly accomplished blend of 47% cabernet sauvignon, 38% merlot, 9% cabernet franc and 6% petit verdot, which is all about elegance and length on the palate, with remarkable density and depth of black-plum and blackcurrant fruit. The tannins are supremely elegant and fine grained; they glide across the palate without friction and there is a perfect combination of fruit ripeness from the long hang time and bright freshness on the finish. All winemakers have their own parallels when they talk about this vintage, but for Wim ‘it is almost a combination of 2021 and 2024: the tension of 2021 and the fruit of 2024.’ Drink from 2032 to 2050. 14.5%

Drink from 2030 to 2043. 14%

This is an export exclusive, otherwise only available at the Meerlust Cellar Door. Drink from 2035 to 2053. 14.5%