Strauss & co - 10 - 11 May 2020, Cape Town

16 Long recognized for producing world- class wines, Meerlust Estate has been the pride of the Myburgh family since 1756. Today, the traditional dedication to the art of winemaking continues under the guidance of eighth generation custodian Hannes Myburgh. Meerlust, with its historic manor house, classic wine cellar, family cemetery and bird sanctuary, is situated fifteen kilometres south of the town of Stellenbosch, near False Bay. As pioneers of Bordeaux and Burgundy-styled wines in South Africa, few estates can match their track-record over four decades. The Rubicon Story “Alea iacta est. The die is cast,”Julius Caesar is supposed to have said as he led his troops towards Rome in 49BCE. The crucial border of the ancient capital was the Rubicon River, and the decision to cross it marked a historical point of no return. It altered the course of Roman politics profoundly. Some 2000 years later, a watershed event occurred in the life of Nico Myburgh, father of the current custodian of Meerlust, Hannes Myburgh. Holidaying in Bordeaux, he discovered that the terroir in that area of France was similar to the Eerste River Valley. Both have a distinctive climate, characterised by a cooling sea breeze. And both have a soil structure made up of decomposed granite and clay. The red wines produced by the two regions, however, were very different. Unlike the Western Cape’s specified cultivars, Bordeaux thrived on producing blends. Nico returned to Meerlust, filled with inspiration and the desire to create a blend of his own that would match those of the French. In 1980, after several years of experimentation together with winemaker Giorgio Dalla Cia, he announced the birth of the new blend. With proportions of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, a new style of wine was created in South Africa. Like Caesar, there could be no turning back. Nico and Giorgio had already considered a number of names for the new blend when Professor Dirk Opperman from the University of Stellenbosch, a friend of Nico’s, suggested that “Rubicon”might be appropriate. The pair had, after all, crossed a new frontier – and changed the way South Africans thought about red wine. The first vintage, the 1980, remains vivacious and very much alive, even 30+ years after vintage. Subsequent vintages all express the personality and characteristics of their specific year. All vintages of Rubicon, however, share the hallmarks of wines grown at this special place: intensity, harmony, vibrancy, complexity and individuality. Meerlust is committed to ensuring that Rubicon becomes even more distinguished and continues to occupy its rightful place amongst the finest wines in the world. Meerlust Wine Estate