Meerlust Rubicon 1.5 Litre Magnum

Description

Meerlust Rubicon in a 1.5 Litre Magnum presented in individual gift tins. These make excellent gifts and are the optimum size for cellaring. Both Magnums and 75cl bottles of Rubicon are available to buy now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

Meerlust Estate & The Myburgh Family

Meerlust Estate has a long history: the Myburgh family have been making wine at the estate for eight generations since 1756. Owner Hannes Myburgh (who studied winemaking at Geisenheim, Germany and Chateau Lafite) continues to maintain the family tradition of the art of fine wine-making. The modern era began in 1975 when Hannes’ father, Nico, first produced a Cabernet Sauvignon which won the overall trophy at the South African Championship Wine Show. This wine was joined by their most famous wine, the Meerlust Rubicon Cape blend, when the 1980 vintage was released in 1984.

The head winemaker from 2004 was Chris Williams, who has worked at Meerlust since 1995. Chris appointed his successor,  winemaker Altus Treurnicht, in 2018. He is assisted in the cellar by a proficient cellar team and works jointly with viticulturist Izak Basson.

Meerlust Estate Vineyards

Meerlust consists of 110 hectares of vineyards located 15 kilometres to the south of Stellenbosch and 5 kilometres away from False Bay. The Estate is ideally positioned for the production of characterful and complex wines. The cooling ocean breezes and evening mists in the summertime allow the grapes to ripen slowly and thereby gain full, complex, rich and robust varietal characteristics.

The soils are similar to those of Bordeaux; they are deep, well-draining Hutton and Clovelly soil types (decomposing granite and clay), ideal for wine-growing, offering the vines good drought resistance and conditions for producing concentrated, complex wines. The estate is mainly planted with red varieties including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir and a little Petit Verdot, with some Chardonnay for white wines.

Meerlust Rubicon Winemaking

The grape varieties for the Meerlust Rubicon were fermented separately with a combination of remontage and delistage. The wines were transferred to barrel early for malolactic fermentation in 55% new Nevers oak, 25% second-fill barrels, and the remaining 20% in older French oak barrels.

The final blend for the Rubicon 2016 is indicative of the vintage:

• 49% Cabernet Sauvignon, the lowest in Rubicon history
• 28% Merlot, exhibiting this variety’s great expression in the unusual 2016 vintage
• 20% Cabernet Franc
• 3% Petit Verdot

The wine was barrel-aged for 16 months before bottling.

Why Buy Magnums of Meerlust Rubicon?

There are several reasons for buying a magnum of Rubicon, but the key ones are:

1. Serving a large crowd: If you are hosting a larger dinner or party. A magnum of wine should pour 12 standard glasses of wine.
2. Impressive Presentation: Magnum bottles always look much more impressive than small bottles, making them a great idea for celebrations, parties or events. They also make excellent birthday or corporate gifts.
3. Best size for ageing: The magnum is considered the best size of bottle for ageing. If you like to age your red wines for a few years, this is the size to choose. Larger bottles have a smaller air-to-liquid ratio, which slows oxidation and allows the wine to age more gracefully, preserving freshness and complexity.