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For decades, box (or "boxed") wine was considered cheap plonk designed to get college students wasted. The concept behind the container, however, is not flawed. Boxes hold more wine than bottles (twice the usual amount, in the case of Revelry Wines); they're light and recyclable; they open easily and reseal; they chill quickly; there's no possibility of cork taint; they stay fresh for a long time; and they won't break if you drop them. The problem: They look cheap and there's no cork pop. No romance, no magic.
Still, every few years, some quality wine company tries to sell good wine in a box. Legendary chef Daniel Boulud and sommelier Daniel Johnnes produce Dtour wine, and a company called Boisset American launched French Rabbit just a few years ago. Now Revelry Wines has introduced three Washington state wines in a truly cool package (which basically requires drinkers to tear out a perforated circle and pull out a spigot): their 2005 Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 Columbia Valley Merlot and 2005 Columbia Valley Chardonnay.
The Cab tastes young, but balances the tannins and fruit (black cherry, black currants) nicely with a lengthy, quasi-minty finish. The Merlot is softer, mellower, somewhat oaky, less tannic (and easier to drink for some), but could be considered guilty of flabbiness in that it lacks acid and therefore structure. The Chard evidences some butteriness but it's no oak bomb; citrus flavors cut through the palate and some toastiness emerges in the aftertaste. At $20 a box, you're getting two decent bottles of wine and an attractive, conversation-starting toy.
-- James Oliver Cury
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