Wine: Don't 'wine' too harshly - the box variety has its pluses
Lots of reasons exist why you should be willing to buy wine in a box rather than a bottle.
It won't be corked like 5 percent to 8 percent of wine bottles. Nor will it be oxidized. A box, once opened, can last in the refrigerator for three to six weeks because of its seal and liner. Boxes don't have as high a carbon footprint as bottles.
And then there's the cost. A three liter box - the equivalent of four bottles - can be bought for $20 to $30 a box, or $5 to $8 a bottle.
So what about the taste? My wine-tasting panel compared five boxed chardonnays. The results follow, with the prices listed for 3 liters (most boxes are this size) except for the Black Oak, which was 1.5 liters:
» 2008 Hardys South Australia Chardonnay, $18.99.
The Hardy's had clean scents of peaches, lemon, lime zest, tart tropical fruit and butterscotch. It had a beautiful brightness on the tongue, with lovely lemon and creamy meringue flavors and a smooth texture. This wine had a nice weight in the mouth. It was voted number one in our tasting.
» 2007 Black Box Monterey Chardonnay, $26.99.
We discovered aromas of mandarin oranges, citrus and stone fruit, and walnut oil. The palate flavors offered slightly bitter orange rind, tangerines and acids that bite a little bit. My experts thought this wine would pair well with fish. It ranked second in the tasting.
» 2007 Boho Central Coast Chardonnay, $19.99.
The nose suggested dusty pear scents, lemon rind, cantaloupe and marshmallows. In the mouth, we tasted Honeydew melon and waxy flavors. Good acids and a medium body. Boho touts its eco-friendly packaging. The wine ranked third in our tasting.
» 2006 Black Oak California Chardonnay, $14.99 (1.5L).
We found scents of bananas, apple cider, roasted pineapples, stewed fruit and metallic notes. On the tongue, we tasted white peaches, caramelized pineapples, unripe cherries and sour fruit. This wine had a chalky texture, with an influence that reminded us of talc.
» Non-vintage Inglenook Cask Series American Chardonnay, $12.99.
The bouquet offered musky, foxy scents of grapes, caramelized peaches and canned cherries. Tastes included peaches, apple juice and a hint of grassiness. Some off-putting flavors hurt this wine in our tasting.
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SURFING THE WINE SHELVES:
» 2007 Votre Sante Sonoma Pinot Noir, $27.
A new wine from Francis Ford Coppola, named after the French toast for "to your health," the pinot noir offers flavors of cherries, hints of strawberries, cinnamon and dried red fruit.
» 2003 Gordon Brothers Tradition, $45.
A blend of equal parts cabernet sauvignon and merlot with 5 percent syrah, this red blend had aromas of black cherries, leather, cloves, cinnamon and oak. On the palate, we tasted more cherries along with spice, vanilla and currants. A pretty but chewy wine.
» 2006 Gainey Santa Ynez Valley Merlot, $20.
Aromas of black cherries, dark plums, toasty oak, coffee, dark chocolate, eucalyptus and tobacco. Flavors of dark cherries, plus, black currants, mocha and spice. Ready to drink now.
» 2005 Kelly's Revenge Cabernet Sauvignon, $4.99.
Aromas of Maraschino cherries followed through in the mouth with this South Eastern Australian wine. It had a light texture.
» 2007 Solaire Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay by Robert Mondavi, $15.
Hints of banana and papaya aromas led to a creamy textured wine with vanilla flavors and floral notes on the tongue.
» 2007 Bohemian Highway California Sauvignon Blanc, $13.99.
Aromas of sulfur, grapefruit and lime yielded to guava and lychee flavors with crisp citrus notes on the end.
Contact Frank Sutherland at fsutherland@gmail.com. Frank, former editor of The Tennessean, has a wine-tasting panel that includes representatives from five wine distributors in Nashville, a wine collector, a sommelier and food writer Thayer Wine. The column appears Mondays. Prices may vary by region.
SURFING THE WINE SHELVES:» 2007 Votre Sante Sonoma Pinot Noir, $27.
A new wine from Francis Ford Coppola, named after the French toast for "to your health," the pinot noir offers flavors of cherries, hints of strawberries, cinnamon and dried red fruit.
» 2003 Gordon Brothers Tradition, $45.
A blend of equal parts cabernet sauvignon and merlot with 5 percent syrah, this red blend had aromas of black cherries, leather, cloves, cinnamon and oak. On the palate, we tasted more cherries along with spice, vanilla and currants. A pretty but chewy wine.
» 2006 Gainey Santa Ynez Valley Merlot, $20.
Aromas of black cherries, dark plums, toasty oak, coffee, dark chocolate, eucalyptus and tobacco. Flavors of dark cherries, plus, black currants, mocha and spice. Ready to drink now.
» 2005 Kelly's Revenge Cabernet Sauvignon, $4.99.
Aromas of Maraschino cherries followed through in the mouth with this South Eastern Australian wine. It had a light texture.
» 2007 Solaire Santa Lucia Highlands Chardonnay by Robert Mondavi, $15.
Hints of banana and papaya aromas led to a creamy textured wine with vanilla flavors and floral notes on the tongue.
» 2007 Bohemian Highway California Sauvignon Blanc, $13.99.
Aromas of sulfur, grapefruit and lime yielded to guava and lychee flavors with crisp citrus notes on the end.