Boxed wine seems to be taking on new shapes lately with both the shape of the containers and the quality of the wine inside. There are several wines on the shelves these days in what’s been named Octavin packaging. It’s an eight-sided box (an octagon) and is really just a new shape for bag-in-a-box packaging. The Octavin packages hold 3 liters of wine, which is the equivalent of 4 average-sized wine bottles. While you may be reluctant to open a package with so much wine in it for fear of it going bad, you really don’t need to be as the wine will stay fresh for up to a month after opening. This is due to the fact that exposure to air is what causes wine to go bad after opening, but with bag-in-a-box technology the wine isn’t exposed to air when you open it.
The wine in this Octavin is Monthaven Chardonnay, named for the location of the winery in Monterey County, California. While the fruit in this wine is sourced from vineyards throughout the Central Coast, the majority of it is from Santa Barbara and Monterey. 35% of the wine is barrel fermented, and the majority of it is barrel aged for at least four months.
This one is somewhat nutty on the nose, with aromas of hazelnut, flint and citrus. The palate is apple, pear and bit of citrus. The citrus comes to life even more on the finish. The acidity is outstanding, which is one thing that makes me like this Chardonnay. Although it’s barrel aged, it doesn’t come across as over-oaked. Overall, it’s a solid Chardonnay, but I wouldn’t call it exceptional. I would, however, call it a great value.
Wine: Monthaven Winery
Variety: Chardonnay
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 85
Price: $23.99/3L (equivalent to $6.00 per bottle)
Find Monthaven Central Coast Chardonnay with Snooth
Here’s what some others thought of the 2008 Monthaven Central Coast Chardonnay:
Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.