What’s In The Box? Secret Bottle Review Dec 2015
Summary:
Secret Bottle is Australia’s first monthly wine tasting sample box.
Each month, you can expect to receive either three or six 70ml samples of either white, red or mixed wines.
Wines are packed in nifty little glass tubes with screw cap lids. Each tube is a small glass, plenty enough to taste each wine properly.
Secret Bottle Box wine tasting package. Photo: Willunga Wino
Unique Feature:
Australian wines
Sample sized
Try before you buy
Choose from white wine, red wine or both
Great way to try new wines from home.
What you find in your Secret Bottle wine box. Photo: Willunga Wino
Packaging:
The Secret Bottle Box comes in a small, custom, flat rectangular cardboard box. Inside the box is designed to separate and fit three, 60ml wine filled glass tubes closed with stelvin caps.
A postcard with information about social media sharing is also included.
Each tube of wine is labelled with the producer, variety, year, alcohol level and the region it is from.
All of the packaging is easily recyclable, except for some foil bonded plastic packages (for trail bars, or bonded pouches).
Cost:
Three Pack of Wine Samples: $24.99 per month, billed annually (plus shipping)
Three Pack of 750 ml Wine Bottles: $89.99 per month, billed annually (plus shipping)
Wines are clearly labelled. Photo: Willunga Wino
What’s in the Secret Bottle Box Dec 2015:
In the sample Box there are three, 60 ml wine samples in tubes.
All subscribers receive the same products.
A full colour postcard is included which tells you how to engage with Secret Bottle on social media.
All samples are clearly labelled with the details of the wine, it’s origin, and producer.
In the the Secret Bottle Box Dec 2015, the contents were:
- Tatler Hunter Valley Verdelho 2014
- Seville Estate Yarra Valley Shiraz 2014
- Serafino McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Wine tasting samples in my Secret Bottle Box. Photo: Willunga Wino
Tasting Note: Tatler Hunter Valley Verdelho 2014
Back in the day, when we were New South Welshman, Mr Wino and I would regularly bundle into the “bumpy truck” and head up the F3 to the Hunter Valley, via the picturesque road through Broke, sometimes. On those trips we would often pop into Tatler for their tasty tapas on the deck.
This sample was like a little taste of our long-ago home.
Well Looky Here
Pale straw, greenish tinge.
Sniff Sniff
Tropical palm tree lined holidays. Dusty raw almonds still in their shells.
Sip Sip
Broad and soft with Bright tropical fruits, like nectarines, but a lovely acid line.
Not a variety I often drink, but fresh and bright, a good Aperitivo with a warm sunset, screeching colourful parrots and handcrafted feta.
Nom Nom
Taking in aperitivo on the deck with Kangarilla Creamery marinated feta, Maggie Beer Quince Paste, and Tuckers Naturals superfood bites.
With a bite of marinated feta, the herbaceous notes of this wine are accented.
Gimmie Gimmie
$25 a bottle from the winery, sold out.
Rating
Value – fair.
Drinkability – quaffable.
Rating – bronze
Neat packaging and inclusions. Photo: WIllunga Wino
Tasting Note: Seville Estate Yarra Valley Shiraz 2014
Well Looky Here
Dark red with ruby rim.
Sniff Sniff
Rich and dusty. A touch of rose petals and baking spice.
Sip Sip
Tight, tart, sour black cherries. This is a savoury drop that tends itself toward food, and / or aging.
The current release from the winery is the 2012, so I’d keep in in the cellar for a few more years.
Nom Nom
Any snack or meal, other than a spicy one.
Gimmie Gimmie
$36 from the winery online. Current vintage is 2012.
Rating
Value – fair
Medal – silver.
Drinkability – a patient, thinker’s wine.
One of the wine sampling tubes. Photo: Willunga Wino
Tasting Note: Serafino McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Well Looky Here
Deep purple, Crimson rim.
Sniff Sniff
Green capsicum herbaceousness with a fair whack of spice and lashings of blackcurrant jam.
Sip Sip
Full, soft palate. Rich stewed black fruit with grippy tannin and juicy acids.
Nom Nom
Delish on its’ own, with cheese and crackers, or any rich meal.
Gimmie Gimmie
$28 from the winery website / cellar door.
Rating
Value – good
Medal – Silver
Drinkability – easy to enjoy on it’s own, now. Even for the non-cabernet fans.
Yes please Santa! Photo: Willunga Wino
Bonuses:
A pre-release offer included a bonus pack of wine related gadgets and goodies. The offer expired in Dec 2015.
Online Shop:
There is no online shop beyond the subscriptions.
Product of the Month:
My favourite product this month was the Serafino McLaren Vale Cab Sauv. It was rich, varietal and enjoyable on its own without having to think too hard about. Simply, enjoyable!
Pinnable Image:
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