Most of the quality boxed wines I’ve tasted to date have come from a couple of regions; South America and the Central Coast in California. That said this is a growing segment in the wine world and offerings from many other regions are popping up on US shelves. This is good news for wine drinkers looking for value driven options for a party or a daily drinker that'll hold up for about a month. Today I’ll look at one from the Landwein Rhein section of Germany.
The R. Müller 2010 “Rabbit” Riesling (aka Bunny Wine) was produced from fruit grown in the Landwein Rhein region in Germany. After the grapes were harvested during the relative cool of night they were pressed prior to temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks utilizing select yeasts. As is typical for the area this wine has modest alcohol content of 9.5%. This offering is available in the 3 liter bag in the box format. Octavin Home Wine Bar which is behind this release refers to it as a premium wine cask. It’s available all over the country for a suggested retail price of $24.
This Riesling has a bold nose that’s loaded with strong aromas of white peach, white pepper and vanilla. Stone fruits are accompanied by both green and golden delicious apple throughout a fruity and pleasing palate. Orchard fruits are also apparent in the finish which features Bartlett pear as well as continued spice. This wine has firm acidity which lends to its crisp, refreshing close.
I’m looking for several things in a boxed wine. Of course it should be true to varietal and offer value in its price point. Additionally I’m looking for something that’s going to please a wide array of different palates. This Riesling meets all of those criteria and strikes a perfect balance of sweetness. It’s neither cloying nor dry; in fact it’s precisely in the middle. This wine will be a great match for spicy Asian Cuisine, Indian dishes or entrée salads to name a couple of examples. It’s also terrifically suited as a something to sip with friends as you while away the hours. As with other premium boxed wines I’ve sampled this one is easy to open and operate. The bag in the box technology allows you to enjoy this over 4 or more weeks with fear of flavor degradation. In short this wine achieves its intent. Well worth expolring if you're looking for a quality white in the super value category.