Great Wine Values: Mulderbosch Cabernet Rosé

In theory, any grape that can produce red wine can also produce rosé. Vintners simply separate the pale grape juice from the dark grape skins once the desired degree of pink color is achieved — after a few hours or days of contact, rather than the weeks of maceration needed for red wines. In practice, however, the vast majority of rosé wines are made from a short list of grape varieties. These are generally not the prestige grapes associated with the world’s finest red wines, like cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir. As a rule, the varieties most commonly used for making pink wines tend to be “workhorse grapes” like grenache, zinfandel, malbec, or shiraz. One reason for this is that highly productive vines capable of producing high crop yields are necessary for making wines at the lower price points associated with rosé. But it is also the case that these more vigorous vines produce wines that taste more overtly fruity in youth, at lower degrees of alcohol (which makes palate-pleasing pink wines). When we do find one made with pinot noir or cabernet sauvignon grapes, the early harvesting required for a balanced rosé results in lighter, drier wines that tend to feature savory herbal or vegetable flavors alongside their sappy fresh-berry tastes. This fun-filled cabernet sauvignon rosé from South Africa’s Coastal Region is a perfect example, with its snappy flavors of cranberry and sour cherry accented with Mediterranean vegetable aromatics, like tomato and red pepper.

Mulderbosch Cabernet Rosé, South Africa; $11.99 through July 28 (regularly $13.99), PLCB Item #2501

Also available at: Cheers Wine & Spirits in Voorhees, N.J. ($8.01); Gloucester City Bottlestop in Gloucester City, N.J. ($9.96); Canal’s Bottlestop in Marlton, N.J. ($9.96); Wine Warehouse in Mantua, N.J. ($9.99); Joe Canal’s in Lawrenceville, N.J. ($10.49)