Price: $17.99Region: California
Year: 2006
I wanted to sit down and write this last week, but just didn't get around to it. This was an odd week for a couple of reasons. The main reason was that my wife was traveling to a conference in Texas, so I knew my schedule would be a touch out of whack. Since she was away from Tues - Sunday, I was thinking I might not make it to the wine store on Friday night, so I needed somethign that would last. Plus, I was thinking there might be a day or two where a glass of wine to end the night wouldn't be such as bad thing. My usual mode of operation is to only drink on the weekends, but again, this wasn't a normal week. Anyway, I decided a box of wine might not be a bad idea. Whenever I think of box wine, I almost always go right to Black Box Merlot, and as you can see from my top 5 list, there is a reason why. Since my goal is to try somethign different each week, I decided to try a different variety, which I hadn't before this week. Now that I think about it, it is kind of surprising because of how much I like the Black Box Merlot, but that's the way it goes sometimes.
Not surprising I'm sure, is the fact I went right to the Black Box Shiraz. One, I had never tried it, and two, for the equivalent of 3 bottles of wine, who can beat $18. For those that are math challenged, that's only $6 a bottle. Pretty impressive. Anyway, when I pushed the little valve, and poured my first glass, it was exactly as I expected, a deep dark red, almost purple. A very nice, deep color. Them when i took a smell, I knew this was going to be a good purchase. Nothing out of the ordinary, but very bold aroma, which is exactly what I love about a good Shriaz. So, when I swirled the glass, and took my first sip, I was again thoroughly impressed. This wine had a very smooth taste, with great length, but no aftertaste. it was just a very enjoyable galss of wine. And the best thing about it is that it last for a good long while. After a couple of glasses, I just put it in the basement, and the next time I poured a glass, it was the same quality as the first glass. i do not want to over emphasize this wine, as it is still a $6 bottle of wine, but for the price, I find it very hard to complain. This is the second Black Box wine that I have tasted, and while I still like the Merlot a little better (which is ood for me to say), this still a very good wine for the price.
Rating: 3.75 corks (A tie for a top 5, but just misses the list - Great buy)
11 comments:
...actually, it's more than "3 bottles of wine".
A standard bottle of wine is 750ml, not 1 liter. The box of wine is 3 liters (3000 ml).
Therefore, 1 3000ml box of wine is actually the equivalent of 4 bottles of wine. If you paid $16.00 for that box, that's $4.00 per standard bottle. Very nice price for a drinkable glass.
Add to this, no cork tree destroyed to make an un-necessary cork, no obscene amounts of electricity used to run the blast furnace required to melt the sand to make the glass for a bottle, and ounce for ounce, a small fraction of the packaging for 1 box as opposed to 4 glass bottles (which saves fuel usage to ship it from winery to your store), etc. Paper is much cheaper and easier to recycle than glass, as well.
I travel in old Europe quite a bit (Italy, Spain, France) and the locals tend to drink wines bought for 2~3 euros per liter as their daily glass. They take empty plastic liter-size mineral water bottles to the local wine co-op and fill them from the bulk tank. The glass-bottled corked stuff goes to pricey restaurants and tourists. I'm all for drinking wine out of a box, it makes sense on many, many levels. Americans tend to be very slow to learn things, and unfortunately many drink wine not just for the daily enjoyment, relaxation and health benefits it brings, but rather to fit their image of being cool or upscale. Drinking out of a box as opposed to a bottle doesn't fit into the poseur lifestyle very well. Hopefully people like you and I can change that.
Thanks for posting this review.
I couldn't agree more in regards to the Black Box Merlot. I almost always go for it first. However, when my favorite little wine store was out of Black Box Merlot I saw the Shiraz sitting right there. I'm usually not a big fan of any wine besides Merlot but I thought I would try it anyway. Expecting the Shiraz to be great (since the Merlot is quite tantalizing) I was very disappointed. There was a horrible after taste that almost stung my husband's and my mouth that we couldn't even finish our glasses. I would have to disagree with you review. There was horrible after taste that wasn't pleasant in any way, shape or form. Just another opinion.
Shiraz is THE MOST acidic of all red wines. if you are desposed to the mellow finish of merlot and not prepared for the sting of Shiraz, or the immenent heartburn, stick to a Cab when Merlot is unavailbale. word to the unwise: Shiraz and Sirah are the same and are named according tot he geographic origins.
Thanks for the review - I'm having a Black Box wine tasting soon, and this may have pushed me to get the merlot as one of them. Any opinions on their whites?
Jazz is not a Shiraz drinker, obviously. I thought it was highly drinkable. Then again, I'm drinking a 2012 and you left your review in 2009.
I am drinking a 2010 Shiraz in 2013 and find it very enjoyable. I was quite surprised to find this older vintage at the wine store just the other day. It has some complexity and a nice finish. I bought the 2012 Cab to taste test and was thought it was thin. I might buy another box and hold it for a year to see if that makes a difference. I also enjoy the merlot and malbec. I have not tried Black Box whites yet. LIke others who have commented, I appreciate a good wine that will stay fresh for a month or so.
Shiraz is my go to variety but I also found the Black Box Shiraz undrinkable. My wife didn't mind it.
For the math challenged. Three liters equals four bottles of wine. Not three!
For the math challenged. Three liters equals four bottles of wine. Not three!
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