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36% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Petit Verdot
Youthful ruby red colour, with a garnet red hue. Supple red and black fruit, with warm spice on the nose with some supporting oak notes. Still young and intense, the palate is full bodied, structured but packed with fresh red fruit and soft rounded tannins.
$19.99
91 pts James Suckling Sept 2025
Dark plums, coffee, black olives and braised mushrooms on the nose of this mellow red. It’s medium- to full-bodied with nicely softened tannins and a silky finish. Cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and petit verdot.
91 pts Tim Atkin MW 2025
The Meerlust Red has hit volumes of 140,000 bottles and been a noticeable success. Led by Cabernet Franc, with a supporting chorus of 25% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and 14% Petit Verdot, this uses grapes from young vine parcels. Mint, graphite and red berries combine to get effect here, embellished by a lick of oak.
4 ½ Stars 2024 John Platter’s South African Wine Guide
More pocket-friendly cousin to Rubicon, 21 (90 pts) cab franc, cab, merlot & petit verdot blend (36/25,25,14) not lacking in stature. Similarly styled, sumptuous black fruit on an earthy mineral platform. Though showing impressive extract & body, perhaps for earlier drinking.
90 pts Wine Spectator June 2026
Developing with age, this red leans savory, with black pepper, sage and sweet tobacco leading the way. Evolving fruit tones of desiccated cherry, dried currant and plum provide a concentrated core, while the palate maintains its momentum, with hints of mint and mocha on the finish. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2031. 1,053 cases imported.
Meerlust has a long-standing commitment to producing exceptional wines. In 1985, the estate released its first Red blend, which marked the first declassification of its flagship Rubicon wine. Since then, the Meerlust Red has been reserved for vintages that do not meet the estate’s exacting quality standards for Rubicon. However, due to the popularity of the Meerlust Red and the estate’s focus on nurturing young vineyards, the wine has been added as a permanent fixture in the Meerlust range from 2020.
Made only from estate-grown grapes, the Meerlust Red draws fruit from the estate’s four distinctive terroirs, each providing a unique element to the final blend.
Good rainfall during the winter and long uninterrupted cold spells meant reserves where adequately replenished and cold requirement easily met. A very dry and hot spring followed by a moderate growing season resulted in even budding and slower than normal, even ripening – especially beneficial for our late ripening varieties.
The 2021 Red is a blend of Cabernet Franc (36%), Merlot (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (25%) and Petit Verdot (14%), every parcel of each variety was fermented separately before undergoing malolactic fermentation in 300 L barrels and large Foudré. After 8 months in oak, the components were blended and given another 8 months in barrel for harmonization before bottling.
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