Radley & Finch Cinsault Rose 2025

Bibliophiles will appreciate the literary inspiration behind the Radley & Finch brand. Winemakers Thinus Kruger and Pascal Schildt pay homage to the classic novel To Kill a Mockingbird, yet their wines are not intended to take themselves as seriously. The wines have a decidedly lighter outlook as summed up by the winery motto: “Optimism, beats the pants off pessimism.”  That spirit fits this dry South African rosé particularly well. Made from Cinsault, a grape with a long history in the Cape and one of the parents of South Africa’s signature Pinotage grape, the wine spends only about two hours on the skins before being fermented in stainless steel. That brief contact gives the wine its delicate pink color while keeping the focus on freshness. Expect juicy red fruit with hints of dried cherry and herbs and a crisp, dry finish. Bright, cheerful and refreshingly uncomplicated, this is the kind of rosé that earns a permanent spot in the refrigerator.