Bordeaux In a Box - Celebrating Chinese New Year With A Box Wine!

Box wines are considered as inexpensive party wine in general in the US - a crowd pleaser that's cheerful but nothing too serious. There is an on-going joke that people won’t remember what wine they are drinking after three drinks, anyway. Why bothers opening your 92-point Bordeaux that costs $40? 

What if you can serve a high-quality but affordable Bordeaux right from the get-go? Wineberry Box wines may very well be introducing this new proposition - one of the best “box” wines out there that tastes good and looks good so you can go grand without breaking the bank. With the Château Moulin de La Roquille Bordeaux Cotes de Franc 2018 Box, I think I have found the box wine that I love...for its taste and the 3-liter bag (i.e., 4 counts of 750ml bottle) inside the box that keeps the wine pouring for my large Chinese New Year family feast.

One Box equals to 4 750ML Bottles

While I find the wooden box of the Wineberry Box super French chic, I won't buy it just for the box. The wine must be good in order for people to spend $45. I’m pleasantly surprised to say the Château Moulin de La Roquille Bordeaux 2018 is a delicious light red blend that will be a delight to pour in any big or small parties. It has lots of berry and cherry characters and a tad freshly cut wood on the palate. 

Left: Pan-fried Chicken Cutlet, Crispy Port Belly, Roasted BBQ Pork

The high percentage of Merlot in the blend (i.e., 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Cabernet Franc) presents an approachable and tenderly tannic profile that will go well with crispy pork belly, roasted BBQ pork, and pan-fried chicken cutlet that are served in the family dinner. Since Cab Franc is known for its food-friendliness and versatility, a bit of it in the blend goes a long way to make the pork and chicken taste extra delicious.

The Château Moulin de La Roquille, which has been operated by the Audouin family since 1964, has been known for producing top-grade Bordeaux at affordable prices. The estate is made up of 95 acres of vineyards from two appellations: Bordeaux Supérieur and Francs Côtes de Bordeaux.  The third-generation producers, Didier Audouin and his wife Hélène, took on this sustainable drinking project a few years ago to cut down the use of bottles and cost. The innovative packaging that tightly seals the air from getting into the remaining wine at the pouring spout will preserve the wine for up to six weeks.

Bordeaux wines have a strong reputation among the Chinese population, which are the synonym and gold standards for French wines. The Bordeaux brands are so fond of by Chinese that some ultra-rich Chinese people have been buying vineyards in Bordeaux. For the past decade, it’s close to 160 Châteaux have shifted to Chinese ownership, which is around 2% of the region’s 6,500 estates. 

Credit: Woodberrybox.com

For regular wine consumers, we buy and drink Bordeaux, especially red wines which are believed by Chinese drinkers to have purported health benefits such as its anti-oxidants, anti-ageing and heart-health benefits. Also symbolically, the red color - the color of Chinese New Year means prosperity, happiness, and togetherness. For me, the Château Moulin de La Roquille Bordeaux box becomes my defacto wine that my family and friends would love to have a glass to kick of the Year of Tiger!

Eric from Woodberry Pouring Top-Grade Box Wines in Wine Fair in NYC 

*The Woodberry Box was a sample. All photos and ideas of this blog are mine.