Meerlust’s Rubicon bottling is an iconic Bordeaux blend from Stellenbosch in South Africa with a long and exemplary history. For the current price, it’s a remarkable value. Drawn from several vineyard sites in Stellenbosch that provide excellent habitats for the individual grape varieties in the blend, the 2013 bottling continues the tradition of superb quality. The 2013 Meerlust Rubicon is rich with blackberry, blackcurrant and red cherry fruits underscored by hints of herbs, violets, tobacco, smoke, vanilla and baking spices. It is a big and robust red with its beautiful layering of flavors that is meant to develop in the cellar for several more years to reach its peak drinkability. Give it some aeration if you drink it soon but, by all means, stash away some of this South African classic for yourself before it disappears from the market.
Meerlust, Stellenbosch (Western Cape, South Africa) 2013
By Wayne Belding