Long recognized for producing world-class wines, Meerlust Estate has been the pride of the Myburgh family since 1756. From its historic manor house to its classic wine cellar, Meerlust embodies the rich cultural heritage of South Africa’s 350-year-old wine industry.
Meerlust (meaning ‘pleasure of the sea’) has been in the Myburgh family hands since 1756. This beautiful estate has it all, being blessed with attractive Cape Dutch architecture, beautiful vineyards & an enviable pedigree.
Cape Dutch architecture
A Historic Estate
Dating back to 1693, Meerlust is more than just a wine estate; it’s a national monument. The first owner of the property, a German immigrant named Henning Huising, recognised the beauty and potential of the farm and settled here in 1693. On the 3rd July 1693, the Governor of the Cape, Simon van der Stel, granted the land to Henning Hüsing, who named the farm Meerlust, describing the sense of pleasure he obtained from the sea breezes that blew inland from False Bay.
Johannes Albertus Myburgh bought Meerlust in January 1757. Meerlust is the oldest surviving grand farmhouse in the Stellenbosch district. The gabled white facade and historic Cape Dutch Manor House welcomes visitors from far and wide as they passed through the gates and along the palm and oak tree-lined drive.
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Meerlust, with its historic manor house, classic wine cellar, family cemetery, dovecote and bird sanctuary is situated fifteen kilometers south of Stellenbosch, with the blue crescent of False Bay a mere five kilometers away.
Unique Terroir
Geographically speaking, Meerlust is situated 15 kilometres south of Stellenbosch, with the blue crescent of False Bay just five kilometres away, a unique location for the production of wines with exceptional complexity and character.
Here at Meerlust, the Atlantic Ocean is a mere five kilometers away, creating a maritime climate that exposes the vineyards to the fierce southeasterly winds in summer and the full brunt of the north-westerlies in winter. In the summertime, ocean breezes and evening mists roll in from the coast to cool the vineyards. The grapes ripen slowly, thus achieving full, concentrated varietal aromas and flavours.
There are no slopes, peaks, or shelter: the vineyards stand between roughly 10 meters above sea level, with the highest point being the 120-meter granite hill just beyond Compagniesdrift. The soil diversity here is enough to make a geologist weak at the knees - and not just geologists.
The soil consists of predominantly deep, well drained Hutton and Clovelly soil types, affording the vines excellent drought resistance and an ideal substrata for producing concentrated, complex wines. The estate is blessed with very particular and suitable soils. The sub-soils are predominantly clay, from an ancient alluvial deposit, while the topsoil and intermingling layers are of progressively weathered granite gravel, originating from majestic granite mountains thrust up by volcanic activity some 160 million years ago.
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Meerlust Vineyards
The Winemaking Philosophy
Both time-honoured and modern techniques are applied to achieve the potential of the vineyards and soils, ensuring that each bottle bears the hallmark of Meerlust Estate wine. One of the unique things about Meerlust is that they operate more like a Bordeaux Chateau than a new world producer.
A new world producer typically makes small quantities of their premium or 'reserve' wine, allowing for lots of selection, thereby offering a smaller but wider range. Meerlust however make a lot of their flagship Bordeaux Blend, Rubicon their Grand Vin if you will.
At Meerlust, wine is not so much made in the vineyard as it is made from the vineyard. “It’s not about a Rubicon style,” says Wim.
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The Iconic Rubicon
Meerlust was put on the map by Nico and Giorgio Dalla Cia’s 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon, with their top Bordeaux blend, Rubicon, following in 1980. Rubicon was one of the first Bordeaux Blends ever produced in South Africa and ushered in, not only a significant internationally recognized new style of wine in South Africa, but one that was to become a benchmark of local red wine quality. It was one of only three Bordeaux’ style blends made in the Cape at the time.
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As a product of a family and farm with deep roots in the history of Cape wine, it was then, and remains today, the embodiment of the rich cultural heritage of South Africa’s 350-year-old wine industry. Rubicon itself was headed for iconic status, revered worldwide for its consistent, understated elegance and refinement.
When visiting Bordeaux, Nico Myburgh, Hannes’ father discovered that the climate and soil was similar to that of the Eerste River Valley - a watershed moment. Nico returned to Meerlust, filled with inspiration and the desire to create a blend of his own that would match those produced in France. In 1980, after several years of experimentation together with winemaker Giorgio Dalla Cia, he announced the birth of the new blend. With proportions of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, a new style of wine had been created in South Africa.
The name Rubicon comes from the Rubicon River, the border of the ancient capital. It is said that Julius Caesar led his troops to Rome and making the crucial decision to cross the Rubicon, marked an irrevocable point in history.
The year 1980 was a significant one for Meerlust, as it swept the board at the annual Championship Wine Show in every category it entered. The 1980 Rubicon was released in 1984 to international acclaim.
Meet the Winemakers
Growing fine wines on the Meerlust Estate has been part of the Myburgh family tradition for eight generations, beginning in 1756. Today, the traditional dedication to the art of winemaking continues under the guidance of Hannes Myburgh, eighth generation custodian of this seventeen-century national monument.
Hannes Myburgh, eighth generation owner of Meerlust, graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in French and English in 1982, before studying winemaking at Geisenheim in Germany. Hannes worked at Chateau Lafite in France and von Oetinger in Germany.
In 2020, winemaker Wim Truter joined Meerlust, taking over from Chris Williams to become only the third winemaker to take the reins at this historic estate. Wim holds a degree in Chemistry, Oenology and Viticulture from the University of Stellenbosch.
Chris Williams was appointed Cellar Master at Meerlust in 2004 but has worked as Assistant Winemaker for the farm since 1995. He studied Oenology at Elsenberg and gained international experience in France while working for Michel Rolland.
Meerlust Rubicon
Tasting Notes
Each vintage of Meerlust wines offers a unique tasting experience, reflecting the terroir and the winemaking philosophy of the estate. Here are some tasting notes from various vintages:
- Rubicon 2018: Very youthful colour, deep and dense with almost purple hue. Quintessential Rubicon nose with violets, ripe plum, cedar wood, fennel, and intense spiciness. A typical liquorice note also evident on the nose. Still young and intense, the palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh dark fruit and rounded tannins. This is a vintage that is more approachable in youth because of the ripeness and richness levels attained in 2018 but will provide great complexity with further maturation.
- Merlot 2018: Brick red colour with crimson edge. Typical Merlot characteristics on nose with ripe plum and dark cherry notes underpinned by some dried herbs and oak spice. The palate is plush while still delicate on the finish, showing complex cherry tobacco flavours coupled with a fine acidity.
- Cabernet Sauvignon 2017: Very deep, youthful colour with an intense garnet hue. The nose shows dark and red fruit mixed with notes of oyster shell and kelp typical to our Cabernets’. Still young and intense, the palate is structured and packed with ripe blueberries and wonderfully elegant tannins. Dark chocolate and salted liquorice on the finish.
- Chardonnay 2022: Very bright pale-yellow colour with green, vivacious hue. Complex, appealing nose of apricot, peach, pear, lemon zest and floral notes with hints of toasted almonds. On the palate the wine is well structured and linear but retains generous focused stone fruit flavours with sleek, balanced, and crisp acidity. The wine remains vivacious and fresh on the finish with clean citrus fruit underpinned by minerality.
- Pinot Noir 2022: The wine shows a vibrant garnet colour with a youthful appearance. On the nose the wine shows pronounced lifted floral perfume with a brooding and seductive red berry fruit, earthy, wild mushrooms, and hints of spice. On the palate there are very pure Pinot fruit flavours on entry with red cherry and musk flavours coupled with fresh acidity. The wine has layered complexity with great elegance and finesse.
Social Responsibility
Whilst the estate is steeped in history, the Myburghs are actively involved in forward-thinking projects, specifically engagement with the black economic empowerment movement. The Myburgh family has a commitment to social responsibility and has a long history of investing in their workforce through the Meerlust Foundation, which aims to provide a safe and stimulating environment for the children of the farm workers.
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