Meerlust Chardonnay, Stellenbosch

Description

Meerlust Chardonnay is considered, by many, to be one of the finest South African Chardonnays and is produced by one of the Cape’s most prestigious wineries. Available to buy 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 Estate Chardonnay Vineyards

The grapes come from two of the estate’s four distinctive terroirs:

Kompagniesdrift – The warm, north-facing slope of the estate features soils primarily composed of weathered granite, producing bold and expressive wines due to the coarse, gravelly texture and sufficient soil depth that ensure even ripening. Situated at the highest point of the estate, these blocks benefit from cool nights and a refreshing afternoon sea breeze, enhancing the wine’s structure and character.

Quarry – The rugged terrain of greywacke mixed with interbedded shales creates a distinctive foundation for vineyards. Shallow-rooted vines on this cool, windswept foot slope yield wines with vibrant citrus notes, exceptional length, and remarkable precision.

Meerlust Chardonnay Winemaking

• 100% Chardonnay grapes are hand-picked by experienced teams to obtain the best fruit.
• After pressing, the juice was settled overnight and racked with some fine solids to barrel.
• A mix of 33% new, 30% second-fill 300-litre and 37% third-fill barrels is used.
• Fermentation is either with selected yeast or through wild ferment with natural yeast.
• After fermentation, the wine was racked to remove heavy lees and returned to barrels for maturation.
• Aged in barrels until it reaches the desired mouth feel and complexity.
• Light fining before bottling
• The winemaker is Wim Truter.