OK, since I recently posted about the Chateau de Pena Cuvee de Pena, I guess I should add it to my list of bag-in-box wines. (Reposting today with additional reviews):Chateau de Pena Cuvee de Pena 2003
From Chateau de Pena
France, Languedoc-Roussillon
3 liter box, vintage dated
Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Carignan
Wine Spectator 87, Wine Advocate 86
About $18 - $25
The Wine Spectator: Ripe, dark fruit flavors dominate this medium- to full-bodied red, with lovely chocolate pudding notes and smoky elements on the finish. Drink now through 2007. 20,000 cases made. Score: 87. —Kim Marcus, August 31, 2005.
The Wine Advocate: Available in a 3-liter bag-in-a-box, the 2003 Cuvee de Pena reveals plum and blackberry aromas. Light to medium-bodied and silky-textured, this excellent value (3 liters for $20 comes out to $5 a bottle!) displays spicy dark fruits intermingled with hints of cedar in its expressive character. Drink it over the next year. Score: 86. —Pierre Rovani, June 2005.
Chateau de Pena Cuvee de Pena 2003 - Market Fine Wine and Spirits - Wine and Spirit Retailer
Reviews in the NewsCraig LaBan, December 6, 2006, Philadelphia Inquirer (Rated "Worthy House Wine," top rating of four levels)
My personal favorite was the Cuvee de Peña, a rustic, grenache-based table wine from southern France that tasted just as it does in the bottle - with bright red berries, balanced tannins, and a lingering acidity.
Philadelphia Inquirer | 12/06/2006 | Wine in a box: A taste test
Reviews on the Web
Nicole Goskel, AOL
Chateau de pena Cuvee de Pena Vin de Pays - 2004 (France)
Verdict: Our favorite of the red wines (tie)
Tasting notes: Spicy, hint of blackberries, complex
Best Boxed Wines: Think Outside the Wine Box - AOL Food
Reviews in Blogs
Bille, March 14, 2007, Wine for Newbies blog
Cuvee de Peña comes from France’s Rhône region, and is a blend of various Rhône varietals. It has a very nice color, moderate to powerful aromas that are pleasant but not complex, and a nice balance of flavors, alcohol, tannins, etc. It has a longer finish, but still somewhat short. I would rate this wine at 82/100.
Wine Blogging Wednesday–Box Wines at Podcast: Wine for Newbies
Lyza, September 26, 2006, Lyza blog
the Cuvee de Pena box David and I scored a month or two ago at New Seasons--it's probably the best box wine I've ever had.
Lyza.: Wine: "You Look Like my Mommy After Her Box of Wine"
Wine: Best Box So Far? 2003 Cuvee de Pena (Vin de Pays Pyrenées Orientales) Tastes like this: old men in South France sitting around cafe table outside in a dusty village drinking this wine out of tumblers after having a long day hunting rabbits. This is a man's wine and I like it. Sultry animal darkness, bramble-patch murky jam slippery and easy. This could be the most respectable box wine I've ever had. 55% Grenache, 33% Syrah and 11% Carignan--that Carignan is in there, all right, smacking of game meats. Yeehah, so drink it with gamy meats. Or just drink it. Really. It's tasty!
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