Mulderbosch Rosé, 2009

It's still hot out, and this week will be beach week, so why not review another rosé? Few other wines hold my attention so well in the heat; no other wine satisfies quite like rosé usually does. I have found Mulderbosch's take on this summer classic to be usually one of the great values in wine, performing far above its price point - depending on your palate. It has enough depth to keep it from getting boring should you buy it by the case, while being approachable enough to pour for everyone you know.

The winery of Mulderbosch hails from Stellenbosch in South Africa, the premiere wine region in that country. Located in the Western Cape province, and known primarily for Pinotage and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon, along with Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch is the spot to watch if you're buying from South Africa at the wine shop. As a whole the region produces about one billion liters of wine every year. Mulderbosch consists of 48 hectares of well-managed farmland, of which nearly 22 are planted with Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon, from which this particular rosé is made. The other half is left wild, ensuring as natural an environment for the vines as possible. Particular care is taken in the cellar to avoid bruising of the fruit, and production is kept low to keep quality as high as possible.

In the glass, I found the 2009 Mulderbosch Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon a deep rich pink, nearly salmon in color. At first approach, I was gratified by quintessential rosé aromas: cold cherries, summer strawberries, cranberries, hints of violet, along with a distinctive sort of animal musk. In the mouth the wine is dry, not overly so, just perfect... acidity is balanced perfectly to the forward fruit. It has a snappy finish, bright, with a peppery note that is completely awesome. I would readily quaff this with BBQ, cold cuts, or a platter with heaps of fresh garlicky hummus.$9.

"Labrusca" Lini 910 Lambrusco Rosé, 2009

With a totally different style of rosé the subject of my previous post, why not delve into another here? This wine is a frizzante style as well, meaning that it has some effervescence - in the manner of all Lambrusco wines from Emilia-Romagna in Italy. The producer, Lini Winery, was founded in the town of Correggio in 1910, and is gaining momentum across the United States as a known producer of fine sparkling wines. They strive to keep the philosophy and traditions of their forebears at the core of their wine-making; the outcome speaks for itself, because this just tastes great.


A rich salmon red in the glass, much darker than most other rosé wines I have tried. Strong cherry and cranberry aromas on the nose lead to some floral notes: lavender, lilac. Bold and fruity in the mouth, but light-bodied, with a zingy acidity to match the fizz. Totally surprising, completely delicious. We paired this with ribs roasted in a clay pot after being covered in home-made dry rub and slathered in BBQ sauce, home-made potato salad, and sautéed greens. $15.

Château d'Oupia Minervois Rosé, 2009

After a cold and aggravating winter, we have made it to my favorite time of year - the transition from spring to summer. Sure, the weather doesn't know it yet, and nobody seems to want true heat yet, but the air has the right flavor. The flavor, my friends, of smoky barbecue. Time for all that moos or bleats to stampede in retreat - the pits are fired, the charcoal piled hillock-high. And what do the textbooks say to pair with grilled steaks? Zinfandel, of course, or a nice Bordeaux, or a Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, or maybe even a Brunello di Montalcino. But if you aren't grilling steaks, if your focus is instead on the humble rib, on sauces full of cilantro and tomato paste, Worcestershire and garlic, what wine holds up? None of the above, not consistently.

But rosé does. And a rosé is the focus of today's post. The 2009 Château d'Oupia Minervois Rosé, from the Minervois AOC in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, was a great find, perfect on its own but definitely possessed of the weight needed to stand up to goods from the grill. It is blended from my favorite Rhone grapes: Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault, and shows deep salmon pink in the glass; excellent clarity. On the nose I found an overwhelming abundance of fresh, ripe strawberries, with a buzzing zip to back them up. Good weight, and the wine is bone dry. More bright berry fruits in the mouth, quenched by delicious acidity in a lingering finish hinting at cherries and orange zest. You can find this wine for under $15 a bottle. Try it with grilled tuna, hummus platters, salmon slathered in aioli, or babyback ribs.

Movia "Puro" Sparkling Rosé , 2000

Once in awhile, a wine reaches me as if by fate. Chosen almost at random, it leaves my palate stunned, regardless of its price or country of origin. Wine of this sort is often biodynamic: made by passionate, independent producers working in communion with their land, with the cycles of the local ecosystem. When I drink it, I know that I am tasting the toil of dedicated farmers, as well as the purest expression of a grape and its terroir. Again, this only happens once in a great while, and the wine could be from anywhere - France, Argentina, even the United States: New York and Oregon have both delivered in this regard.

Recently, another such momentous wine crossed the lens of my attention. Yesterday I had the great pleasure of disgorging and drinking a bottle of 2000 Movia "Puro," a sparkling rosé of Pinot Noir produced by renowned winemaker Aleš Kristancic in Slovenia. I strongly encourage readers to learn more about his winemaking philosophy here. This was the first sparkling wine I have disgorged, and may well be the only opportunity for me to do this - it is not a common procedure outside of a winery.

Disgorging is the process of removing a plug of yeast from the neck of the bottle; although this wine is made in the méthode Champenoise, the lees are not expelled before bottling, but rather must be removed by the lucky buyer. This is accomplished by (if you are lacking in liquid nitrogen, as I was) keeping the bottle's neck upended in a bowl of ice water and salt for 30-45 minutes, removing the wire and cork underwater, and then quickly righting the bottle to keep the wine from spilling into the bowl with the yeast - keeping in mind that the contents are under pressure. I was fortunate: on my first try I managed to keep almost all the wine, perfectly removing the yeast at the cost of under half a glass of bubbly.

And once the wine is poured? It shows cloudy in the glass due to lack of filtration and the suspension of remaining lees; however, it has a nice salmon tone, with an elegant bead. The nose is bursting with aromas of red apples, strawberries, and animal musk marked by undertones of stony earth. As the wine develops in the glass, the aromas lose some of their muskiness and become more reminiscent of ripe apples and cherry notes and a touch of toast. In the mouth, this wine has zippy acidity backing the berry fruit, with a nice roundness from extended lees contact. Although it normally retails for $45, I managed to obtain this wine for $30, making it (thankfully) eligible for this forum. It went beautifully with homemade salmon avocado sushi rolls, but I would drink this wine carefully, on its own.

Domaine Gérard Millet Rosé, 2008

First among Rosé wines I have tried, the 2008 Domaine Gérard Millet Rosé is a vibrant companion at any picnic. This bottle came back with us from France, where we tried it on site at the winery in Bue. The Gérard Millet family has been making wine for five generations, at an estate covering 20 hectares of vineyards - only three of which are planted with the Pinot Noir grapes used to make this rosé! There are three ways to make rosé. In this case, the grape were left in contact with the juice for a brief period after being crushed, and then the skins were pressed and removed so only some tannins and pigmentation enter the final product.

Showing crystalline clarity in the glass, the wine practically bursts with bright aromas of raspberry and cherry fruit and hints of floral notes. More red fruits in the mouth are paired to bright acidity, with sensual earthy notes and remarkable depth and complexity. This fruity, dry, classy rosé, peerless in its intensity, is also possessed of a restraint unmatched in other wines at its level. Perfect for olive bread, hummus, or salads with salmon. $20.