First vintage produced was 1984.

Meerlust has proven to have some of the great sites for growing Merlot in South Africa. This vintage is 100% Merlot. It is made up of a few individual parcels that are all fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 L barrels. After 6 months in barrel, the final components were selected and blended and put back to barrel for 12 months in 40% new French oak for further maturation before bottling.

Our Merlot is a true expression of the variety as grown on the Meerlust estate and draws fruit from two of our four distinctive terroirs. Each terroir provides a unique element to the final blend.

Compagniesdrift – The soils from this warm north facing slope are predominantly formed from weathered granite. The wines originating from this granitic hilltop are expressive and bold in structure, mainly due to the coarse gravelly texture and sufficient soil depth to promote long and even ripening.

The Quarry – The extremely rocky terrain consisting of greywacke with interbedded shales provides a unique substrate for vines. Shallow rooted vines on this cool and windswept foot slope leads to wines with characteristic red fruit with exceptional length, detail, and precision