Price: $12
Variety: Cabernet Sauvignon
Packaging: 5 liter box
Our Rating: 7 out of 10
Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon in a box has the distinction of being the best of a group that is, at best, fair. At least in the Midwest US, three brands have dominated the cheap box business – Franzia, Vella, and Almaden. These boxes are always 5 liters in size, and may sell as cheaply as $8 for a box – a little over a buck per bottle-equivalent. The Merlot and Cabernet varieties tend to cost a bit more, generally $10 – $13 per box. Even for those, the cost is incredibly cheap and the box preserves the wine for far, far longer than a bottle would…
With the price comes middling quality. The Almaden boxed Cab is probably the best of the 5 liter group, at least from a red standpoint. It has a pleasant, if faint, fruity/floral aroma. Its color is deep garnet. The flavor is of berries, with fairly strong tannins. The overall impression is a bit thin and light. A couple of times I detected a very slight, fishy off-note. The finish offers a lingering hint of pepper.
Wine lovers are likely to find that the Almaden Cabernet comes up a bit short compared to some lower-end bottled fare or more costly, premium boxed wines (usually sold in 3 liter boxes), but it can still serve as a good buy for economical party or barbecue use, or for a “glass of red wine a day” consumer looking more for a great value than subtle flavor. A box should hold the flavor for a month, making for much easier management than bottles. Spicy food might be a good pairing, too, since it demands less subtlety and more flavor.
One plus to the Almaden Cabernet is the reliable spigot. While for some reason Franzia box spigots often dribble like incontinent octagenarians, the Almaden Cab pours and shuts off with nary a wasted drop. The spigot is of the rotating knob type – perhaps slightly less convenient than the push-button style, but effective nonetheless.
i have a bottle of Almaden; Cabernet Sauvignon ithink it is ’67
How safe is the plastic line in boxed wine? Does the plastic line make the wine hazardous to your health?
I don’t worry much about harmful compounds leaching out – generally, box wine is consumed within a year or so of packaging, and within a month of opening.
Roger
I found thr almaden very acceptablt,the carbonet sauvignion that is. it does vary quite abit fromh harvest to harves ,understandably so. I thoughtthis could be compensated by thre blemding, At thistime,at leat for mysrlf, an88 uyeart old codger, who drinks wine daily,but in moderation, the pricing has become important, If not I would have preferred thr reseva ducal chiant, or some sicilian reds
Love your box wine – hate the packaging. I just purchase a box of Caberet and a box of Chardonnay and
both turned with the box and sprayed everywhere. I had this happen with your product once before but now I’m done. The wine boxes without the screw turn but instead have a button are more reliable.
I was buying my Box of Almaden Cabernet sauvignion at Food For Less but most of the time they thownt half it
Please get rid of the new turn spigot. It is very,very hard to work. Go back to the previous lift with your thumb version.
I agree, Sharan, the pushbutton closures tend to be easier to use, particularly with one hand. The turn spigots can get a little sticky and hard to rotate. The turn spigots also seem a little more prone to retaining an extra drip or two.
Where can I purchase
Almaden wine i n the Athens Ga. area?
i really appreciate almaden cab.its the only box wine that dosent make me sick after 2 glasses. Thanks almaden i dont know how u do it but its a huge cut above the others!!
We love the Almaden Cab. We buy it at Meijer and the $21.99 price is always on sale for $17.99. We purchased a box last week and opened it a day or so later. It was sour and vinegar tasting. Michigan law prohibits return of alcohol for any reason. Is there anything that we can do about this? Thanks!
We recently purchased a box of the Cabernet Sauvignon. ( Date is Aug 11th 2017, batch number
L22416 03:25R11. It was filled with sediment. We have purchased this for several years and
never had this problem, so we were very disappointed. We thought you should be aware
of this. It was purchased at Yankee Spirits in Sturbridge, MA.
Yes, boxed wines can come with multitudes of defective spigots and some objectionable tastes to the wine connassoir but after the second glass those are slowly less apparent. Nevertheless, in question of the perfect glass of grape nectar, make your observations known to the vintner.
I AM HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING MY ALMADAN CHARDONAY IN MY AREA. ALSO I AM SUSPICIOUS AS IT IS NOT THE QUALITY I AM ACCUSTOMED TO