Meerlust Merlot
£30.00
£40.00 per litre · incl. 20% VAT
Only 4 bottles left
92Tim Atkin MW
Meerlust has been making serious Stellenbosch wine since 1756, and this Merlot shows exactly why. Plush ripe plum and dark cherry, a whisper of dried herbs and oak spice, and a finish that stays elegant rather than heavy. A Bordeaux-minded red built to age gracefully. Delivered across the UK, ready for your table.
Not for sale to persons under 18. Adult signature required on delivery.
Our Verdict
We keep coming back to Meerlust because the estate makes wines that taste expensive without shouting about it, and this Merlot is a perfect example. What sets it apart is balance: the fruit is ripe and welcoming, but there is a savoury, graphite-edged seriousness underneath that most Merlot at this price simply does not have. It is one of our most-loved Stellenbosch reds, and stock tends to move quickly. Buy it for a special Sunday roast, lay a few bottles down, or send it to someone who knows good wine. They will be impressed.
Tasting Notes
A classically styled Stellenbosch Merlot that leans on poise rather than power. The nose offers ripe plum and dark cherry, lifted by dried herbs, a thread of graphite and gentle oak spice, so you get savoury intrigue alongside the fruit. The palate is plush and rounded but stays light on its feet, with cherry and tobacco flavours carried by a fine, fresh acidity that keeps everything balanced. Tannins are supple and finely grained, and the finish is long, savoury and quietly persistent.
About This Wine
Here is a Merlot that quietly refuses to be ordinary. Meerlust sits on a granite outcrop south of Stellenbosch, close enough to False Bay that cool sea breezes and morning mists drift across the vines, slowing ripening and keeping everything fresh. That maritime edge is the secret behind this wine's poise, and you will taste it in the glass. Expect ripe plum and dark cherry up front, underpinned by dried herbs, graphite and a fine thread of oak spice. The palate is generous and plush, yet it stays delicate on the finish, with cherry and tobacco notes carried by a bright, balanced acidity. It earned 92 points from Tim Atkin MW, and you can see why: there is real precision here. The blend leans mostly on Merlot, rounded out with Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot for backbone. Each parcel is fermented separately, with malolactic fermentation and ageing handled in 300-litre barrels, then blended and given further time in oak to harmonise before bottling. The result rewards patience, with the structure to develop over ten to fifteen years in a good cellar. Pour it with a slow-roasted lamb shoulder, venison, or a wedge of mature Cheddar. It also makes a thoughtful gift for anyone who appreciates a wine with genuine pedigree, delivered to their door anywhere in the UK.
Food Pairing
This wants something with savoury depth. A roast rack of lamb or a slow-braised beef cheek plays beautifully off the plummy fruit and supple tannins, while the fresh acidity cuts through richer game such as venison or roast duck. For a simpler table, a mature Cheddar or a well-aged Gouda with a little quince paste brings out the wine's tobacco and herb notes.
- —Roast rack of lamb with rosemary
- —Slow-braised beef cheeks
- —Pan-roasted venison with juniper
- —Roast duck breast with cherry sauce
- —Mature Cheddar with quince paste
How to Serve
Decanting
Worth a decant. Give it 45 minutes to an hour in a decanter, which softens the fine tannins and lets the graphite and dark cherry aromas unfurl, especially on younger bottles.
Behind the Wine
Meerlust sits where False Bay's cool breezes and morning mists drift inland, and that maritime hand shapes every bottle. Dry Cape seasons keep these vines healthy and naturally low-yielding, with small berries and thick skins that concentrate flavour. Cooler nights through ripening lock in colour and freshness rather than baked, jammy fruit. The result is a Merlot built on structure and lift: plump dark cherry and plum, but always with a savoury, fine-boned edge that ages with real grace.
Ageing Potential
Built to last. Drink now for its plush, perfumed fruit, or cellar with confidence for 10 to 15 years in good conditions. With time the tannins soften further and the wine gains complexity, trading primary cherry for savoury, tobacco-led depth.
The Land
The estate sits on a low granite outcrop close to False Bay, and both elements matter. Granite-derived soils give good drainage and a firm mineral spine, encouraging deep roots and naturally restrained yields. The proximity to the ocean brings cooling breezes and mist that buffer the Cape sun, holding on to acidity and aromatic detail. Together they explain the wine's combination of ripe fruit and savoury, graphite-edged freshness.
The Winemaking
This is patient winemaking. Individual parcels are picked and fermented separately, each kept apart so its character can be judged on its own, then taken through malolactic fermentation in 300-litre barrels to soften and round the texture. After eight months the standout components are selected and blended, with Cabernet Franc and a touch of Petit Verdot adding perfume and backbone to the Merlot core. Another ten months in barrel knits it all together, so what reaches the glass is seamless rather than stitched.
About the Producer
Meerlust
Meerlust, Dutch for 'pleasure of the sea', has been making wine since 1693, and the Myburgh family have held the estate since 1756. It was Nico Myburgh's visit to Bordeaux in 1967 that changed everything. He recognised the climatic kinship between the Eerste River Valley and the great estates of the Left Bank, and set about planting Cabernet Franc, a first for Stellenbosch. The Rubicon, first released in 1984, became South Africa's pioneering Bordeaux-style blend and remains the estate's flagship, accounting for roughly half of total production. Now in the hands of eighth-generation owner Hannes Myburgh, with winemaker Wim Truter at the helm since 2020, Meerlust continues to balance heritage with quiet evolution. The estate is a declared national monument, a fitting status for a property that helped shape the modern Cape wine landscape.