Today's exploration in pink takes us to South Africa where I tasted the DMZ Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé 2013. I'm on the road this week, so my stemware was actually a plastic cup! The DMZ rosé is made with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon by the DeMorgenZen winery in Stellenbosch from grapes within the Western Cape. You can see from the map below that it's a fairly large area spanning several wards and regions. This is not the most terroir specific rosé, but I think it's very interesting and really delivers a punch for hovering around the $10 range.
Yes, this is an inexpensive rosé, but it's still interesting. I kept going back to sniff and swirl to try and decipher what I thought I was smelling. It somehow embodies both the sweet (in the fruity aromas of strawberry) and the savory (cumin spice) and a third characteristic... earth maybe - but really it was more of an asphalt smell - like newly laid asphalt - very tarry. One might expect this distinct pungency on the nose from South Africa - and that's not a negative comment (from me anyway). I find that $10 wines can be boring - this was not the case with DMZ.
The Verdict
color: dark salmon pink
nose: currant, macerated strawberries, hot asphalt after the rain
palate: mouthwatering, bright acidity, more mineral than fruit - some tart redcurrant or cranberry not much
price: $10.99
pairing: I didn't pair it with anything, but it would be great with some shrimp pad thai... or maybe i'm just hungry. Drink as an aperetif - like many rosés, but serve some food with it - with all of the zippy acidity can really stand up to proscuitto and other cured meats 'n snausages.
No comments:
Post a Comment