Meerlust Rubicon 750ml

Composed of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with 19% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Rubicon offers a broad-shouldered expression with an Old World essence. The nose explodes with a wide variety of aromas, expressing a subtle Old World funk with an equally pleasing amount of New World vibrancy and freshness. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers dark fruit flavors with a fine beam of acidity while expressing a firm tannic edge that will loosen in time. The wine glides to a refined and complex finish that will continue to evolve gracefully for a decade.

This blend, based on cabernet sauvignon with merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot, has a broad frame of gentle tannins. Its delicate, pretty fruit runs the color gamut from black to blue to red, all scented with a pleasantly humid forest-floor wildness. The shape of the wine seems barely larger than its flavors, which I found to offer direct and easy access to it complex aromas and fruit—like a picture frame.