Meerlust Pinot Noir 2025

Ageing
Ageing potential: 5-10 years, provided the wine is stored in ideal cellar conditions.

In The Vineyard
The Pinot Noir is a true expression of the Meerlust estate site and illustrates the unique maritime climate and soil of the farm. The wine draws fruit from blocks located on two of our four distinctive terroirs namely Compagniesdrift - The soils from this warm north facing slope are predominantly formed from weathered granite. The wines originating from this granitic hilltop are expressive and bold in structure, mainly due to the coarse gravelly texture and sufficient soil depth to promote long and even ripening. The blocks are situated on the highest part of the estate and benefit from cool nights and a prevailing sea breeze that passes over the blocks in the afternoon.Quarry - The extremely rocky terrain consisting of greywacke with interbedded shales provides a unique substrate for vines. Shallow rooted vines on this cool and windswept foot slope leads to wines with characteristic citrus fruit with exceptional length, detail, and precision.

The Harvest
A dry and late start to winter, that resulted in later cold unit accumulation, with record high levels of rain for July. Spring was cooler resulting in later bud burst, with favourable conditions for flowering. Good rainfall continued into the early summer months. The summer was cooler, with maximum temperatures almost 3 degrees cooler than the previous season, and a dry and moderate season for the harvest period. We expect exceptional quality from the 2025 vintage.

In The Cellar
Grapes were handpicked from two blocks. Grapes were destemmed and crushed to small fermenters. Light handling during fermentation allowed gentle extractions resulting in elegant structure. Maturation took place in new and second fill 300L barrels for 11 months.