BLACK BOX MENDOZA ARGENTINA MALBEC - 2008

The inaugural release of 3L Black Box Malbec from Mendoza, Argentina. 13.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

Purple-red color with a slightly challenged nose of black fruit and cherry. Dry, medium-bodied, good acidity. The palate is dominated by black currants, blackberry, tobacco leaf and toasty charred oak. The finish is black cherry candy and creamy vanilla oak.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

85 PTS

A surprisingly vibrant and fresh fruit-forward Malbec. The oak is heavy and not quite to my liking, but I'd say that it probably gives this wine more mass appeal. Good complexity for a bargain wine. Retails for $25 which is the equivalent of about $6.25 per 750ml bottle. I challenge you to find a better Malbec for $7 or less in the marketplace. Overall, one of the better boxed red wines I've tasted. Malbec is a varietal rapidly growing in popularity due to its easy-to-drink, smooth and fruit-driven characteristics. The boxed packaging obviously keeps this wine fresher for a longer period of time, but I found the push button spout to be quite an aggressive dispenser and perhaps my only complaint. Unlike the twist or turn nobs on other box wines which drip wine in a steady stream, this one ejects the wine quite forcefully so proceed with caution to avoid spills or splashes. The Black Box Malbec is another prime example of the drastically improved quality of box wine that keeps emerging in the marketplace. Kudos to Constellation Wine for striving to revitalize the category and change perceptions.