The Best Box Wines – Wineberry Domaine de Garrigon Cotes du Rhone

60% Grenache, 30% Carignan and 10% Syrah from Cotes du Rhone, France and made from organically grown grapes.

SRP of $50 and available for as low as $39. Sample submitted for review.

From the bottle:

“Quality – The Wineberry Box conserves your wine from the worst enemies: air and light. Using the latest and finest bag-in-box components, this Wineberry Box prevents oxidation and keeps your wine fresh “forever”.

Value – Beware: this Wineberry Box is 100% attitude free! We have revolutionized its appearance, making it a better value, replacing four glass bottles with one box. With more cost-effective packaging, we are able to pass the savings on to you.

Ecology – For too long we have not made ecology a priority. Today, it is a concern above all others. Due to its structure, weight and shape, this Wineberry Box considerably reduces the carbon footprint of your glass of wine.

Wineberry – Fine wines don’t have to be overpriced nor industrial. We believe in traditional wine growers, dedicated to their appellation and origin. Our wines, bottled or boxed, are the true expression of their terroir.

13% Alcohol”

Today’s box is notable for a couple reasons (besides the great taste). First, there’s the hard to miss box made of real wood. If your concern with box wine is that it looks tacky sitting on the counter or that visitors might judge based on their faulty perception of these wines, then this is definitely your box. You can even use the box itself for kindling when you’re done with it.

The second notable aspect is that at an SRP of $50, this is the most expensive box in our tasting. Keep in mind; however, that even at a $50 SRP, this equates to $12.50 a bottle which is hardly pushing our limit. In fact, this is one of my more surprising and disappointing findings in this series — the complete lack of widely available wine costing more than $4-$8 a bottle that is available in a 3L box format.

The vast, vast majority of box wine sells for around $20. As we’ve noted before, it’s downright hard to make a good wine that sells at that low cost. As the retail price rises to around $10-$12 a bottle, the amount of really good and even excellent wine explodes. As such, I would have thought that this would be a sweet spot for wine in a box. Give me a tasty wine that sells for $12 a bottle in a box for $40 (saving me $8 off the buying the equivalent in bottles) and I would take that all day. Perhaps its just a remnant of the lingering stigma of box wine, but this seems like a real growth opportunity if producers are willing to offer it.

The 2012 Wineberry Domaine de Garrigon Cotes du Rhone begins with an intoxicating aroma of black cherry, floral notes, anise and other spices, and a just a hint of leather and smoke. The wine, made from organic grapes from 15 to 45 year old vines, tastes really wonderful with great structure and balance. It shows similar flavors to the nose with a bit more red fruit when tasting. With enough complexity to keep things interesting, it is quite simply a pleasure to drink. It ends dry and grippy with good length and even has a bit of an earthy note under the juicy fruit. This is a really solid and satisfying Cotes du Rhone!

Recommended selections in our series on The Best Box Wines:

• Vinchio-Vaglio Serra Piemonte Barbera
• Big House White Blend
• Alain Jaume & Fils Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Reserve
• Black Box Platinum Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon
• Esporao Alandra White
• Vina Borgia Garnacha
• The Original House Wine Riesling
• Esporao Alandra Red
• La Petite Frog Picpoul De Pinet
• Pepperwood Grove The Big Green Box Pinot Noir
• Target Wine Cube Sauvignon Blanc
• La Vieille Ferme Vin Rouge
• Duca Del Frassino Garganega/Pinot Grigio
• Wineberry Domaine de Garrigon Cotes du Rhone
• Lieb Cellars Bridge Lane White Blend
• Fuori Strada Off Road Sangiovese
• Jack Tone Vineyards White Blend
• See the full list of all 75 boxes considered here.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.