Harrogate Fine Wine Company

Meerlust  Red 2011 - Declassified Rubicon

Meerlust has graced our shelves for decades now, and since the arrival of winemaker Chris Williams in 2004 this old estate has moved onto another much higher level of quality.  Some of you may also be aware that very occasionally the estate decides to declassify its flagship wine - Rubicon - which is originally how Meerlust Red was born. 2011 is a year in which Rubicon has been declassified, so rather than making a fairly decent £23 wine they have decided to produce a truly spectacular £12 bottle. The last time this happened was 2002 and many of you filled your boots with a very fine wine indeed, particularly at the declassified price! This 2011 is slightly different as they also made the decision not to bottle up their single varietal Merlot, so premium Merlot fruit went into Meerlust Red resulting in a slightly softer and more open wine, as well as making it Merlot-dominant for the first time. 

The 2010 winter was not particularly cold, thus depriving the vines of that deep dormancy required for complete re-charging and leading to uneven bud break in spring. The weather remained variable during the 2011 ripening season and from the outset Meerlust felt Rubicon might end up declassified. Aiming for lightness and elegance they reduced both new oak and extraction, yet the wine still has the potential to age for a decade but its supple nature also allows for immediate drinking.

We have a nice offer on this stuff too as you can save over 15% on a 6-pack!

Meerlust  Red 2011 £11.99 or £60 per 6