NV Salcheto “SoloWine” Vino da Tavola Rosso Biologica, Tuscany, Italy (Alcohol 13%) Buyers + Cellars Website $89 (3l bag-in-box)
Let’s face it, the greater majority of boxed wine we see in Canada is absolutely rubbish.
Please do leave a comment below if you in any way dispute this fact, as I’d love to be proven wrong here, what with me having been an advocate of decent boxed wine for decades now.
I’ve had some absolutely smashing Provençal rosé in a gorgeous little plywood box before, but that was purchased one summer in New York City and emptied before the sun went down and I fell into the Gowanus Canal, a story for another day perhaps.
Just before the festive season I ordered a couple of boxes of this Tuscan non-vintage from Salcheto, and was most impressed, feeling the need to recommend it for you today.
I’m most appreciative of the historical appellation systems the world over, so don’t get me wrong here, it’s just that sometimes that when one is looking for good, everyday drinking wine (in this case, in a box), the stipulations can often be a little too restrictive. Rules are there to be broken bent anyway, just think about the rise of the “Super Tuscan” wine category back in the late 1970s/ early 1980s, a movement which came about through frustrations with the glacially evolving wine law bureaucracy of the times. Appellation laws aren’t that much more dextrous today, but there is a way forward…
What with a growing awareness of the climate crisis right on our doorstep, reducing one’s environmental footprint is now an essential of business in the world of wine, and what better way to do it than bag-in-box? Hence this excellent example of the right way to do it from the folks over at Salcheto, and as they say “free of any appellation and vintage, to simply concentrate on what is inside”. And they have done a simply terrific job.
Within this cardboard box are four bottles of an extremely enjoyable certified organic non-vintage Tuscan Sangiovese (naturally) with, according to an insider source, “trace amounts” of Trebbiano. It sees 12 months of ageing before release, a proportion of which is in wooden barrels, but wood isn’t the star of the show here; it’s all about the fruit.
The appealing nose and palate both exhibit plump and plummy ripe, dark fruits, cherry, and anise. The generous mouthfilling palate is broad and rich, with soft, supple tannins, making it an incredibly easy glass of wine to knock back.
Perfect for drinking each and every day all by itself, but also a great match for casual food such as pizza, pasta, ribs, and burgers.
(Four out of a possible five apples)
