Brown Box Wine

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2012

I don‘t know. This has so much oak it overpowers everything. Might need another 10 years to be approachable. Cigar box, black berries. Deep, big and profound. I am not sure I would spend 70$ on this. It needs much much more time. Probably needs to be open for 2 days. Out of the machine at the Wine House in LA. — 7 months ago

Scott@Mister, Zach and 5 others liked this
Vin d’Ottawa

Vin d’Ottawa

We have a 2007 Magnum and plan on holding for a few more years. Well-aged Rioja is a treasure

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou

Saint-Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 1978

A beautifully aged ducru that had no cork issues and that was punching above its wait class! Typical tertiary flavors of forest floor, leather and cigar box - with livery dark fruit in the glass. This was the first 70’s Bordeaux that brought a smile! — a year ago

Bota Box Vineyards

RedVolution California Red Blend

Great red - especially for the price. — 3 years ago

Brown Estate

Chaos Theory Napa Valley Proprietary Red

Big bold dark fruits plums and blackberries up front. Bold but creamy. Undertones of chocolate and tannins. Long and lush. Layers and complex. — 4 years ago

Donkey & Goat

Sluice Box El Dorado White Rhone Blend 2013

Love this unfiltered red blend, gallivanter, nice acidic start and berry finish, light to medium bodied, really tasty and easy drinking, — 6 years ago

Brown Estate

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Very rich but very good — 7 years ago

Z. Alexander Brown Wines

Uncaged North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

Easy drinking, like it! Would buy again at the right price. Blackberry / bold tannins — 9 years ago

Gemma Cahill
with Gemma

Château d'Yquem

Sauternes Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc Blend

This is a 61 and albeit not great in Sauternes that year this wine was in perfect balance of fruits, acids with lengthy backbone. Not as intense as 67 or 59 of course but beautifully elegant. Color as dark golden with touch of hazelnut brown. Neck fill. Perfect cork. — 10 years ago

Greg, Aaron and 1 other liked this

Cigar Box

Reserve Hand Harvested Malbec 2013

PJ
9.5

Great way to warm up on a 20 degree night! 🍷 — 12 years ago

Henry's Drive

Pillar Box Red Padthaway Shiraz Blend

Shiraz (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Merlot (7%)
2009
Padthaway, Australia
— 14 years ago

Château Cantenac Brown

BriO de Cantenac Brown Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 2020

Brio de Cantenac Brown – 2020
Margaux, Bordeaux – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Brio is the second wine of Château Cantenac Brown, offering a more accessible take on Margaux. This 2020 vintage is composed of 62% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak (25% new) to balance fruit, structure, and approachability. 
Aromas & Flavors
Juicy red fruits—raspberry, red currant—merge with cedar, baking spice, and subtle floral lift. Earthy and graphite tones bring depth.

Mouthfeel
Medium to full body, with soft but persistent tannins. The wine opens smoothly and finishes long with fruit and spice echoing.

Food Pairings
Roast lamb, duck breast, mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses. Also pairs beautifully with charcuterie.

Verdict
A concentrated, value-driven Margaux that shows the pedigree of Cantenac Brown. The 2020 Brio balances power and elegance — drink now or cellar for 8–12 years. 🍷 cheers!

Did You Know? 📌
Second wines (like Brio) are often sourced from younger vines or lots not selected for the Grand Vin, yet in 2020 Cantenac Brown treated it with care: the blend leans more Merlot than the Grand Vin to give earlier approachability.
— 8 months ago

Ted liked this

Dunn Vineyards

Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2000

So delish! Beautiful and holding strong with notes of blackberry, black currant, clove, star anise, licorice, dried orange peel, black olive, potpourri, tobacco, leather, earth, cured meat, pencil shavings, graphite, spice box, forest floor. Complex and balanced with a long, elegant finish. — a year ago

Deked1
with Deked1
Deked1, Jay and 16 others liked this
Vanessa

Vanessa

@David T We can see why 😍 Always so delicious!!! 🍷🍷 Cheers!
Daniel veit

Daniel veit

The 01’ is stunning at the moment. I always get squid ink notes as well on these wines.
Vanessa

Vanessa

@Daniel veit Ooh, squid ink! I hadn’t thought of that but could see (& taste) it! We’ll have to keep our eyes 👀 peeled for the ‘01, as well.

Bodegas Faustino

Gran Reserva Faustino I Rioja Tempranillo Blend 1970

Oldest wine I’ve ever had and an impressive showing at 50 years. Bit brown and leathery but the fruit, acid, and tannin are all still showing. Notes of Nixon and moon landing. — 5 years ago

Ira liked this

Z. Alexander Brown Wines

Uncaged Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Mmm. . . The family picked this up at a tasting at our new favorite butcher shop. More on the sweet side for a pinot but still flavorful. Hmmm may have to check my Napster for an accompanying Zac Brown hit for ambience. — 7 years ago

Château Mouton Rothschild

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend

Not a “Bordeaux guy” but that may be because I don’t/can’t get my hands on the real stuff. This was pretty revelatory. More floral and delicate and sensuous than I could’ve imagined for a broad category our server called “cigar-box.” — 7 years ago

Gaurav Tiwari
with Gaurav

Brown Estate

Mickey's Block Zinfandel 2015

Probably my favorite all-around wine to drink. Well balanced. Smells swampy, has a little spice at the end and nice round tang to it. — 9 years ago

Z. Alexander Brown Wines

Uncaged North Coast Proprietary Red Blend 2014

Excellent blend I had one from Napa many flavors and smooth silky finish. — 10 years ago

Château Brown

Pessac-Léognan Red Bordeaux Blend 2007

Beautiful wine. Wonderful after taste. Slightly buttery! — 11 years ago

Suman KanwarSankar Naraynan V
with Suman and Sankar
Suman liked this

Brown Estate

Chiles Valley Zinfandel 2011

The Truman's are down with the Brown this Holiday season! Happy Kwanzaa!!! — 12 years ago

Beth and Scott liked this

Château Léoville Poyferré

Saint Julien Red Bordeaux Blend 2000

Youthful, full bodied that is drinking well showing red, black fruits, spice box, graphite, leather & tobacco — 9 months ago

Jeroen, Andrew and 15 others liked this
Dave

Dave

This is the gold standard.

Emerson Brown

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Deep purple color. Aromas of red and black fruit, floral notes, leather and dusty earth. Plum on the palate, blackberry and herbal notes. Ridiculously good for $65. — 9 months ago

Dave, Tegan and 13 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Wow does the labels abv say 16.1 %?

Château Pontet-Canet

Pauillac Red Bordeaux Blend 1964

Paul J
9.0

Short decant. Amazed at the quality after seeing an almost black cork and a very low fill level. Wouldn’t be craving a glass, but for a wine this old it was consumable with a few in the party really enjoying it. Garnet, almost brown in color. Leather and stewed fruit dominate. — 2 years ago

Steve GautierBrooke Weaver Jakubowski
with Steve and Brooke
Jan, John and 7 others liked this

Château Palmer

Margaux Red Bordeaux Blend 1988

Ok it’s not the greatest year, but this wine is very nice. A real classic Margaux with stil some dark forest fruit, some pencil and a box filled with vanilla stuffed Havana’s. Not a full bodied wine but a real charmer. — 5 years ago

Jan, Peter and 9 others liked this

Joseph Phelps Vineyards

Insignia Estate Grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Blend 2015

Ron R
9.5

WS rated this 91 - criminal!
We think this rocks, and it’s structured for long-term cellaring. Beautiful whiff of tobacco, meat, spice-box and oak on the nose. Deftly balanced palate displays black briar fruits and polished tannins. Prominent minerality is balanced by just the right amount of acid. Yummy now, but is destined to further improve.
— 7 years ago

Hanibal, Hugh and 43 others liked this
Hanibal

Hanibal Premium Badge

right on @Mike R 👍
"Odedi"

"Odedi" Influencer Badge

Agreed

Russian River Brewing Company

Supplication Pinot Noir Barrel Aged Sour Brown Ale with Cherries 2015

Joel Pennington #❤️🐢🍷
9.3

Interesting profile: dried cherries, granny smith, cedar box, with a hint of a big red wine (AUS Shiraz, etc.). Not a lot of carbonation, would have liked to have opened a bottle a year ago to see what role aging has played (bottled 1/16/15). — 8 years ago

Rockwell Brown

Red Mountain Red Blend 2010

Solid, good food wine, could be outstanding in a couple years — 11 years ago

Emerson Brown

III Michaels Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

Not great at first, tight....open for 2 hours, completely different, fantastic — 11 years ago

Black Box Wines

Valle Central Cabernet Sauvignon

Great with Thanksgiving dinner! — 12 years ago