Meerlust Chardonnay 2010
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Parker
Robert -
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Wine
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Chardonnay, fermented and matured in French oak (50% new) has a vivacious nose of lime, melon and tangerine with superb definition and sense of joie-de-vivre. The palate is medium-bodied with fresh acidity, a vibrant seam of crisp lemon peel that leads to a refined nose with subtle tropical fruit that shimmer with excitement. This is a superb Chardonnay from one of South Africa’s grandees and winemaker, Chris Williams.
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Wine Spectator
Shows a mature edge, with graham cracker and ginger notes along the edges, featuring singed hazelnut, matchstick, glazed pear, apricot and green fig accents. The lush, spice-tinged finish has depth and cut. Distinctive.
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Meerlust is one of South Africa's most famous and historical wine estates. The land where the farm is now situated was originally owned by a powerful and wealthy free burgher named Henning Huising. After his death in 1713 the estate passed through many hands until it was bought in 1756 by Johannes Albertus Myburgh - and has remained in the Myburgh family ever since.
Nicholaas Myburgh (7th generation of the Myburgh family, and father of present owner Hannes Myburgh) took over the farm in 1950, but the condition of the property had declined severely from its 18th century splendor. Nicolaas set about an extensive restoration of both the buildings and the vineyards. One of his first projects was the construction of a damn that allows for irrigation in exceptionally dry years, but is usually used only after the vintage. He also replanted the vineyards with mainly red varietals.
The farm is approximately 15 kilometers outside Stellenbosch, and is the Stellenbosch estate nearest the Indian Ocean (the name Meerlust is of German origin, and translates to "pleasure of the sea"). The cooling breezes off False Bay allow a slower, steadier ripening period for the grapes. This translates to less loss of fruit aromas, and there is also a lesser risk of a crop being ruined in the event of a sudden, dramatic rise in temperature.