Colour: The very alluring colour of blush pink candy floss gives a promise of enjoyment.
Nose: Subtle notes of pomegranate, raspberries, watermelon and candy floss, freshly sliced strawberry, some gooseberries and slight notes of perfumy fynbos.
Palate: At the first sip you are overtaken by the density of flavour; everything that was allured to by the colour and nose is abundant on the palate. It is a fresh mélange of fruit flavours; but also spice and herbs, held together by a perfectly tuned balance of acidity and sweetness. Cabernet Sauvignon, seen and made slightly differently and with all the right notes, this Rosé is hitting each one in perfect harmony.
Method
Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards are managed specifically with the idea of rosé production in mind. Early picking dates result in naturally high levels of acidity and a bright spectrum of fruit flavours ideal rosé style wines. Once pressed, the juice is handled as per Sauvignon Blanc, i.e. cool fermentation with aromatic yeasts to heighten the vibrant, zesty aromas and fresh mineral palate. Crucial to this style of rosé is early bottling in order to preserve the wine’s inherent freshness.
When Mulderbosch founder, Larry Jacobs, bought the farm in 1989 the community referred to the property as “vuilplasie”, Afrikaans for “dirty little farm”. Shortly after, he partnered with Mike Dobrovic, known as the South African Mr. Sauvignon Blanc, and together they cleaned up the property and planted the first vineyards. A (small) cellar was later built and the first set of wines were released: Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. The dream was to produce wine, but certainly not just any wine; they had to consistently reflect innovation, creativity and excellence.
As an innovator, Mulderbosch was the first producer in the country to successfully create a barrel-fermented style of Chenin Blanc. Trailblazing the infant rosé category with our Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon continued this thread of innovation. Today, Mulderbosch has achieved commercial success worldwide and has affirmed our identity as a producer of distinctive wines, representative of the soils and climate in which our grapes are grown.
Mulderbosch Vineyards is widely considered one of South Africa’s iconic wineries and has established a reputation for excellence. We are tireless in our pursuit of making wines of the highest quality that honor our proud heritage and can be enjoyed by all.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
I’m always excited about the opportunity to perform the duties of a Lab Rat for Casemates.
TLDR: Just buy it! You’ll love it!!
For those wanting a little more detail, here goes…….
This has got to be my easiest Lab report – I bought a case of this offering – same vintage – when offered last May, and have almost exhausted the inventory from then. I was intrigued then by two items of interest: (1) a South African wine, which I love to explore their repertoire of wines, and (2) a Cabernet Sauvignon Rose – never heard of such a thing. The Rats convinced me to try it, and they were not wrong!
I received a bottle of Mulderbosch Rosé almost a week ago, so we had plenty of time to plan dinner for the occasion. Already knowing what the wine had to offer made it easy – it has a food pairing range somewhat similar to Pinot Noir – it goes with a wide variety of dishes, but not quite the breadth of Pinot.
As one can see, the color is deeper than a typical Rosé – my conjecture is that the vintner left the juice in contact with the skins an hour or two longer than the norm!
In experiencing this wine over the past few months, I’ve enjoyed the wine at many temperatures, ranging from straight out of the fridge (porch-pounder time!) to letting it acclimate close to room temperature. And it works at every degree. However, for this occasion the nerd factor went up a bit, and I sought to find the ideal temperature with a trusty instant read thermometer! I arrived at 49* as the perfect starting point –cool, refreshing, and flavors (more on that later) were expressive. Warmer was still nice, but lacked the cooler temperature desirability.
So – twist and pour (no cork!)
I did have to edit the photo somewhat – in trying to produce a pure white background, I inadvertently darkened the picture. In Apple’s wonderful photo-editing suite, I tailored the picture color to the subject as close as possible. It is indeed a mango-apricot-pink grapefruit color that is quite appealing, and….different!
On the nose: fragrant yet soft fruit notes of raspberry, softer still of strawberry, a light floral scent (this from the DW – who’s really good with the flavor designations), and pleasant minerality – “wet stone” comes to mind. It truly lures you into the expectation of a different Rosé.
On the palate – this is where the fun begins! The above bouquet findings were present on the taste buds, adding a gentle melon flavor – not watermelon for me, but more like honeydew or casaba. Pomegranate snuck in there, too, along with a slight tropical fruit – no clue which one here, it was that delicate, but enough acidity to signal a pairing with spicy or buttery foods. The mouth feel is slightly velvety, and plenty of flavors going on to arouse the senses and want more. This is the “heftiest” Rosé I have ever had, and love it. And the finish – never had a Rosé like this. It rivals some reds in presence and length.
Sweet? Nope! And my personal preference goes to the drier side with Rosé – and Reisling! – but this was not totally dry either. It is right up my alley – a beautiful balance between the inherent sweetness of the fruits and a perfect dryness that compliments the nice finish.
Almost forgot – food pairing was with pan-sauteed pork chops – with olive oil, garlic, and some Italian herbs – butter-garlic parmesan pasta, and fresh green beans. It was an ideal pairing. We elected to forgo our favorite reduction sauce with a smoky maple bourbon deglazing (Knob Creek, if you can find it!). That may have pushed the envelope on the wine too much. But on second thought, may have to experiment with it next time!
This is the wine you pull out for a dish that a typical white wine would be too wimpy, and it needs that extra punch to do it justice – pork, grilled chicken, clams, mussels, rich seafood dish, heavy pasta, etc. Spicy Asian entrees would be an excellent match.
I trust this glimpse into this wine assists you in your buying decisions. I know Rosé is not in everyone’s wheelhouse, but summer is coming (I think!), and this one is a beauty. Cheers!
@thompp Thanks. I cut my wine-drinking teeth on White Zinfandel 40+ years ago, and as my palate expanded, swore off of Rose. NxNW with their dry Rose brought me back, and have a new appreciation for the style - but it’s got to be the drier side.
Enjoy!
I had a great time with this last year. I don’t want to get a full case for myself, and even a half may be too much. Anyone else in NYC/Queens interested in splitting some quantity to stock up for the summer?
Gah!! I thought this was dropping on Sunday! My bad. Thanks for the opportunity to be a lab rat.
This wine I think is almost perfectly described by the vintner, which I think is actually rather rare. Strawberries, watermelon, and other “fresh fruit” notes on the nose and palate. This wine is very easy drinking. Even though it’s a rose, it didn’t make me crave warmer weather. This is a year round kinda wine. It is easy drinking enough for beginners and interesting enough for veterans. There is a little bit of barnyard funk in this wine but not enough to drive away new tasters. Very good wine. If I didn’t still have overflow from the holidays, this would be a no brainer for me.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2021 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé - $30 = 25.00%
Great rattage already posted. Coming from a dummy wine drinker, yes! I purchased this last time it was available. It is a very good Rosé. Pleasantly dry without being bone dry, very little sweetness, nice fruity notes, and somehow just feels a little fuller than your average Rosé. Definitely a buy
Hey! I’m thinking bait and switch here. Cases are sold out - yet when you look at the “who’s buying this” map, it shows everyone buying 6 packs - what’s up with that?! (btw: even though I am curious about the answer - the accusation is hyperbole)
Glad I got in early. SWMBO is all congested (negative test), which awakened me about 3:00 AM. One of my daughters drinks rose, so why not…and with the excellent rattage, I think I’ll like it too.
Fortunately I feel asleep in the recliner last night and woke up to head to bed after the event went live and grabbed 2 cases before falling back asleep.
2021 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé
Tasting Notes
Method
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $180/case MSRP
About The Wineries
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Mar 4 - Tuesday, Mar 5
2021 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé
6 bottles for $59.99 $10/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $89.99 $7.50/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
Previous offer:
5/10/23
I’m always excited about the opportunity to perform the duties of a Lab Rat for Casemates.
TLDR: Just buy it! You’ll love it!!
For those wanting a little more detail, here goes…….
This has got to be my easiest Lab report – I bought a case of this offering – same vintage – when offered last May, and have almost exhausted the inventory from then. I was intrigued then by two items of interest: (1) a South African wine, which I love to explore their repertoire of wines, and (2) a Cabernet Sauvignon Rose – never heard of such a thing. The Rats convinced me to try it, and they were not wrong!
I received a bottle of Mulderbosch Rosé almost a week ago, so we had plenty of time to plan dinner for the occasion. Already knowing what the wine had to offer made it easy – it has a food pairing range somewhat similar to Pinot Noir – it goes with a wide variety of dishes, but not quite the breadth of Pinot.
As one can see, the color is deeper than a typical Rosé – my conjecture is that the vintner left the juice in contact with the skins an hour or two longer than the norm!
In experiencing this wine over the past few months, I’ve enjoyed the wine at many temperatures, ranging from straight out of the fridge (porch-pounder time!) to letting it acclimate close to room temperature. And it works at every degree. However, for this occasion the nerd factor went up a bit, and I sought to find the ideal temperature with a trusty instant read thermometer! I arrived at 49* as the perfect starting point –cool, refreshing, and flavors (more on that later) were expressive. Warmer was still nice, but lacked the cooler temperature desirability.
So – twist and pour (no cork!)
I did have to edit the photo somewhat – in trying to produce a pure white background, I inadvertently darkened the picture. In Apple’s wonderful photo-editing suite, I tailored the picture color to the subject as close as possible. It is indeed a mango-apricot-pink grapefruit color that is quite appealing, and….different!
On the nose: fragrant yet soft fruit notes of raspberry, softer still of strawberry, a light floral scent (this from the DW – who’s really good with the flavor designations), and pleasant minerality – “wet stone” comes to mind. It truly lures you into the expectation of a different Rosé.
On the palate – this is where the fun begins! The above bouquet findings were present on the taste buds, adding a gentle melon flavor – not watermelon for me, but more like honeydew or casaba. Pomegranate snuck in there, too, along with a slight tropical fruit – no clue which one here, it was that delicate, but enough acidity to signal a pairing with spicy or buttery foods. The mouth feel is slightly velvety, and plenty of flavors going on to arouse the senses and want more. This is the “heftiest” Rosé I have ever had, and love it. And the finish – never had a Rosé like this. It rivals some reds in presence and length.
Sweet? Nope! And my personal preference goes to the drier side with Rosé – and Reisling! – but this was not totally dry either. It is right up my alley – a beautiful balance between the inherent sweetness of the fruits and a perfect dryness that compliments the nice finish.
Almost forgot – food pairing was with pan-sauteed pork chops – with olive oil, garlic, and some Italian herbs – butter-garlic parmesan pasta, and fresh green beans. It was an ideal pairing. We elected to forgo our favorite reduction sauce with a smoky maple bourbon deglazing (Knob Creek, if you can find it!). That may have pushed the envelope on the wine too much. But on second thought, may have to experiment with it next time!
This is the wine you pull out for a dish that a typical white wine would be too wimpy, and it needs that extra punch to do it justice – pork, grilled chicken, clams, mussels, rich seafood dish, heavy pasta, etc. Spicy Asian entrees would be an excellent match.
I trust this glimpse into this wine assists you in your buying decisions. I know Rosé is not in everyone’s wheelhouse, but summer is coming (I think!), and this one is a beauty. Cheers!
@Kraxberger nice rattage!
@Kraxberger Excellent write-up. Not typically a Rosé fan, nor is DW, but going to have to give this a try.
@thompp Thanks. I cut my wine-drinking teeth on White Zinfandel 40+ years ago, and as my palate expanded, swore off of Rose. NxNW with their dry Rose brought me back, and have a new appreciation for the style - but it’s got to be the drier side.
Enjoy!
I had a great time with this last year. I don’t want to get a full case for myself, and even a half may be too much. Anyone else in NYC/Queens interested in splitting some quantity to stock up for the summer?
@simtel20 Yes! Count me in for up to 6, fewer if there are more takers. Will you buy?
@InFrom Sure, I’ll grab a case and we’ll figure it out from there.
@simtel20 Hoping you got in before they sold out!
@InFrom Sorry, I missed this last message. We have a case!
This isn’t a sparkling wine is it?
@discosparty No, it’s flat. And delicious.
Gah!! I thought this was dropping on Sunday! My bad. Thanks for the opportunity to be a lab rat.
This wine I think is almost perfectly described by the vintner, which I think is actually rather rare. Strawberries, watermelon, and other “fresh fruit” notes on the nose and palate. This wine is very easy drinking. Even though it’s a rose, it didn’t make me crave warmer weather. This is a year round kinda wine. It is easy drinking enough for beginners and interesting enough for veterans. There is a little bit of barnyard funk in this wine but not enough to drive away new tasters. Very good wine. If I didn’t still have overflow from the holidays, this would be a no brainer for me.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
2021 Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé - $30 = 25.00%
Thank You WD. I got 6 of these in May because a Cab Sauv Rose was intriguing. Kicked myself for not getting a case. I am now.
Great rattage already posted. Coming from a dummy wine drinker, yes! I purchased this last time it was available. It is a very good Rosé. Pleasantly dry without being bone dry, very little sweetness, nice fruity notes, and somehow just feels a little fuller than your average Rosé. Definitely a buy
What! Cases sold out already? What are the chances of finding a few more? Cheers!
Hey! I’m thinking bait and switch here. Cases are sold out - yet when you look at the “who’s buying this” map, it shows everyone buying 6 packs - what’s up with that?! (btw: even though I am curious about the answer - the accusation is hyperbole)
/giphy scarce-bushy-coriander
Aaaaaaand it’s gone. Sigh. I got this last time too and was ready to pull the trigger again.
More coming??
Wowzer! Guess I should have paid the price for 6.
Cheers!
Glad I got in early. SWMBO is all congested (negative test), which awakened me about 3:00 AM. One of my daughters drinks rose, so why not…and with the excellent rattage, I think I’ll like it too.
I can’t believe this sold out before I woke up this morning!! This is literally an instance of “you snooze, you lose”
Not surprised but slightly disappointed. One of our favorite Roses. Sadness.
Fortunately I feel asleep in the recliner last night and woke up to head to bed after the event went live and grabbed 2 cases before falling back asleep.
Darn! This is an auto-buy for me. Except when it sells out before I notice!
So disappointing that I couldn’t grab 12. Such a great gentle wine.
Also seems to be a hit with the kids and their neighbors. I really enjoyed this too.
I’m not a rose/white drinker, got it for my daughter, but this is some enjoyable wine!