Box Wines
A wine blog with news and reviews of affordable wines

Price: $4
Maker: Fecovita, Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: Malbec (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (30%)
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 13%
Our Rating: 7.5 out of 10

I was really excited by the ridiculously low price of $4 for a Malbec/Cab blend from Argentina, but Toca Diamonte 2004 ended up being a disappointment. (A $4 wine that isn’t spectacular? Shocking, eh?) This blend has some cherry and spice notes, but comes across as thin. Sometimes various levels of breathing will let a red like this become a bit more robust and complex, but it didn’t happen this time. The finish isn’t bad, but overall this wine doesn’t have much to offer.

Wine Memoirs was a bit luckier than us, apparently, and comments,”acceptably-balanced blend, with a hint of black cherry, was pretty good stuff.” There wasn’t any info about the Diamonte wine on the Fecovita website, although I did catch a glimpse of a similar bottle on their splash page. Fecovita appears to be a well-established winery, and I suspect this rebranded product isn’t the finest they have to offer.

Price: $11
Maker: Bodegas Escorihuela Gascon, Argentina
Varietal: Malbec
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, synthetic cork
Alcohol: 14.2%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Gascon Malbec 2006 is packaged with a simple but elegant label and what looks like a composite cork. Its nose is an enticing blend of spice, vanilla, and berries. This Malbec is full bodied and relatively high in alcohol content, but it’s not a fruit bomb. Cherry and raspberry notes blend with a hint of chocolate, oak, and rather prominent tannins for a long-lasting and dry finish.

This seems to be the only Gascon wine available in the U.S. The Gascon website has but a single page of content, and it’s devoted to their 2006 Malbec. The parent company seems to have some additional products; oddly, their website seems to offer both English and Spanish options, but the language links are broken.

The Style Gourmet has some very detailed notes on Gascon Malbec 2006, concluding that, “This is a toasty wine all around, and one you can get your teeth into.” Koeppel on Wines thought this wine, “delivered the goods.” In Vino Veritas liked its ” black cherry flavors accented by smoky, chocolaty notes.” Wine & Dine proclaimed Gascon Malbec a “pick of the week” and said, “It’s a bit unusual, fairly potent and ready for prime rib.”

Price: $16
Maker: Vinalia SA, Mendoza, Argentina
Varietal: Malbec
Packaging: 3 liter box, pushbutton spigot
Alcohol: 13.5%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Vaca Morada Malbec is the first new boxed red wine we’ve found in a while, and we’re glad we did. This non-vintage wine (termed a 2006 by the importer) from Argentina has a leathery nose backed up with raspberries and spice. The flavor is juicy and well balanced, with dark berry notes combining with chocolate and light pepper. Light acidity perks up the finish and balances the fruit. Vaca Morada Malbec is a pleasant and accessible wine that will please a variety of red wine drinkers.

“Vaca Morada” is Spanish for “purple cow” - an apt name for this reddish purple wine. Oddly for a “critter” name, there’s no cow image on the American import box - that would seem to limit its marketing impact when stacked against competition like Funky Llama, Yellow Tail, and the rest of the critter crew. The Vinalia website seems to be mostly under construction. One thing we find encouraging about this wine is that it’s the first boxed wine not from the U.S. or Australia that we’ve seen in our local market (which is admittedly limited). It’s great to see both a less common varietal like Malbec as well as a less common wine exporter like Argentina showing up on the neighborhood shelves, and even better to have it be a fine wine for parties or glass-a-day dinner companion.

Price: $7
Maker: Prestige Wine Group (importers), Princeton, MN
Varietal: Malbec
Packaging: 750 ml bottle, artificial cork
Alcohol: 13%
Our Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Malbecs aren’t all that common in the crush of Cabs, Merlots, and Shirazes on the typical shelf, so we couldn’t resist giving Conquista Malbec 2005, a product of the Mendoza, the wine capital of Argentina, a try. It definitely qualifies as affordable, and we’re happy to report it’s quite drinkable, too. Its aroma is a pleasant blend of ripe berries and leather. The wine is light to medium bodied, with plummy notes blending into oak with soft tannins. If we can find a flaw in this wine, it’s that the flavor seems a bit thin despite exhibiting good structure. If you haven’t tried a Malbec, I’d compare this one to a lighter but still fruit-forward Merlot.

This is a pleasant enough wine for well under $10 - if you want to offer your guests a varietal that is a bit less common but your budget is limited, Conquista Malbec 2005 is a good choice.