After many
years of being regarded as a poor relation in the Cape wine industry rosé wines
now seem to be gaining in popularity and in reputation.
About 300 rosés are listed in the latest
Platter wine guide. When our private wine tasting group met at my house
recently, I offered five rosés, all from well-known cellars. They represented a
variety of cultivars, and they were all listed as dry.
They were
all graded three or three and a half stars in Platter. Prices ranged from R40
to R60.
These were
the wines tasted, with brief descriptions (supplied to the tasters) from the
Platter guide. The tasting was, as
usual, blind. The tasters were not told the order in which the wines were
served.
-
Durbanville
Hills Merlot Rosé 2013.
Strawberry-toned, juicily smooth and bone-dry.
-
Mulderbosch
Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2013. From Stellenbosch. Colour and scents of fresh
strawberries. Nearly dry. Tangy, juicy flavours.
-
Jordan
Chameleon Dry Rosé. Stellenbosch. Merlot and shiraz give a herbal touch to dry,
fresh red berries. The name comes from the Cape dwarf chameleons in the gardens
at the Jordan estate.
-
Goats
do Roam Rosé 2013. Fairview, Paarl. Shiraz 45%, grenache 20%, mourvedre 19%,
gamay noir 16%. Attractive cherry notes
on the nose give way to a mouthful of berry fruit. Dry and delicious. The name is a reference to
Cotes du Rhone - the wines from the Rhone Valley in eastern France. And there are goats at Fairview.
-
L’Avenir
Rosé de Pinotage 2013. Stellenbosch. Lots of eye appeal in twinkling pink, and
a wealth of juicy raspberries, red currants. Strawberry and watermelon aromas.
Perkily fresh and dry.
The scoring
of the tasters averaged about 15 points out of 20, not as high as would be
expected of high quality reds but quite good for this type of wine.
And one
taster, Peter Hoyer, correctly identified all five rosés. – Michael Green
Posts
