2021 is a superb vintage that stands out for its elegance, refinement and tannic complexity. One of the latest releases to confirm this is the seriously impressive Meerlust Cabernet Sauvignon 2021. Wim Truter and the team have outdone themselves, producing a benchmark Cab that holds its own alongside international counterparts that are double the price!
Brimming with dark, brooding cassis and black plums with maritime freshness, the wine is restrained and complex with a pitch-perfect structure that guarantees decades of maturation potential. Tilled earth, spice and pressed violets are slow to unfurl, and there’s a great sense of vibrancy, balance and energy. Like the Rubicon 2021, the Cabernet is ready for a new generation of wine drinkers.
The 2021 release celebrates 50 years of winemaking at Meerlust. Their 1975 Cabernet Sauvignon was the first wine to carry the Meerlust label, despite a history of viticulture and winemaking dating back to 1693. This speaks to the importance of the variety, the ‘king of grapes’, at this property. With this release, Meerlust has embraced the original label, making it a special vintage for collectors and enthusiasts alike.
Please note that this is a pre-release. The wine will be available for collection / delivery from 19 May 2025.
Tasting Notes:
‘The colour in the glass is dark and inky with an alluring opaque black plum core and the aromatics are intricately perfumed and lifted with notes of sweet violets, salty crème de cassis, tart black cherry, spicy black plum and warm buttered brown breakfast toast over hints of dried baking herbs, graphite, chai tea and delicately sappy, leafy nuances. While incredibly focused, taut, and fresh on the palate, the fruit ripeness is simply pitch perfect, combining intensely concentrated notes of black currant and damson plum fruits with an electrically charged acidity that adds verve and vigour to the mouthfeel while remaining classically structured, linear, and mineral driven in essence. This is an incredibly accomplished pure Cabernet Sauvignon that firmly tips its hat to a ripe yet fresh vintage that stylistically you could easily see in top Bordeaux left bank Cabernet Sauvignon dominated wines. What energy, focus and intensity! Wim Truter has certainly made the most of this superb, slightly atypically cool, fresh Cape vintage. Incredibly good value, this is a mesmerising wine to drink from 2025 to 2040+, so don’t miss out!’ – Greg Sherwood MW, 95+/100 ‘
This is what Wim Truter calls the “real second wine of Rubicon” and very impressive it is, too, in 2021. Phenologically ripe at 13.7% alcohol, it mostly uses grapes from vineyards on shale close to the river. Sappy, focused and beautifully balanced, it has graphite and cedarwood aromas, leafy intensity, and layers of fresh herbs, bramble and cassis embellished by 50% new oak.’ – Tim Atkin MW, SA Special Report 2024, 95/100
