Meerlust Rubicon
| Vintage: | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Winery: | Meerlust |
| Description: | 97+ pts Greg Sherwood Mw A mesmerizingly dark black purple colour, this youthful wine is wonderfully crystalline, focused and pure, possessing such pretty aromatics of cherry blossom, rose petals, caramelised cranberries, violets, cherry pie, raspberry infused herbal tea and a subtle creamy vanilla pod extravagance. The palate is ultra suave, opulent yet effortlessly fresh and defined, supremely balanced and concentrated. Such gorgeous depth and seamless elegance, a tantalizing brûléed buttered brown toast complexity, creamy filigree tannins and an incredibly long, spellbinding finish. This is going to be a definite future icon vintage on par with the very best Cru Classe wines produced in Bordeaux but at a fraction of the price. Get in early, get in quick, and go long. This is one of the most profound Rubicons of the modern era. Drink from 2020 to 2045+. 4 ½ Stars 2019 Platter's South African Wine Guide Cab based flagship – 61% in 15 (93 pts) – with merlot, cab franc & petit verdot. The finest, most elegant of the reds, refined & intense, full of subtle flavour, with cigarbox overtones & classic dry herbal element. Tannin & acid fully involved in the whole, promising harmony. 14.1% alcohol, 66% new oak. 92 pts Vinous Aug 2018 The 2015 Rubicon had been a source of contention prior to my visit, hailed by some respected commentators as one of the Cape's greats and then almost pilloried in a contemporaneous blind tasting. It is a blend of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, each fermented separately before blending. It was matured for 18 months in 66% new oak and the remainder second-fill. So what do I make of the wine? It is clear in color with quite a deep core. The bouquet is refined and focused, offering attractive mint- and graphite-infused black and red fruit and perhaps leaning a little more toward the latter compared to previous vintages. With aeration, subtle touches of pencil shavings emerge. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannin and quite velvety in texture, displaying very well integrated new oak. There is a satisfying sense of harmony to this Rubicon and it is certainly well constructed, but it does not possess that peacock's tail on the finish that takes a very good wine to the level of great. Perfectly enjoyable, and it demonstrates very good winemaking; however, when compared to, say, the 2015 Paul Sauer, it just falls a little short. [i tasted this sighted and then in a mini blind tasting to confirm. |
| Price: | $ 36.99 |
| Price in original currency: | None |
Available from Southern Hemisphere Wine Center
| Address: |
5973 Engineer Drive Huntington Beach, CA 92649 United States |
|---|---|
| Telephone (toll-free): | 800-504-9463 |
| Telephone (regular): | 714-892-3030 |
| Fax: | 714-892-6930 |
First added to 1000 Corks on April 30, 2023.
