The Bota Box Nighthawk Black is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah and Petite Sirah sourced from vineyards in more than one California grape growing AVA and is available in a 3 liter box (four 750 ml Bottles) or 500 ml Tetra pack. Bota Box is part of Delicato Family Wines (Lodi, Ca.), they produce Gnarly Head, Twisted, Noble Vines, Brazin and several other brands. I find that they make wines that are interesting, as well as tasty and valued priced. They do not offer a great deal of information about the making of this blend, the tasting notes mention flavors that come from some sort of oak barrel influence. But since I found Nighthawk Black selling for $18.99 (list is $22) that comes out to slightly less than 5 bucks a bottle and at $5 a bottle you do not see too much oak barrel aging. The alcohol content is 13.5%.
Remember, with box wine you have to take measures to be sure the wine “opens up”, it will last up to 4 weeks because the internal bladder keeps the wine from oxygen and the wine needs to react with air to fully develop the aromas and flavors. The color is a deep, dark, opaque black cherry red with a clear halo and black highlights. The nose is a compote of red berries, Snicker candy bar (but not too sweet) and mulling spices. The Nighthawk Black has a lush mouthfeel, smooth and juicy upfront with a tart edge to the mid-palate. It tastes of ripe cherries, dark chocolate, rich black berry with a very cool streak of sweet strawberry floating above the flavors. The mid-palate adds tart cranberry, cocoa powder and a light touch of spice. The tannins are smooth and there is enough acidity to use as a food wine.
Wow, the Bota Box Nighthawk Black has layers of flavor, that is something that is almost unheard of in a wine that if you do the math comes out to about 5 bucks a bottle. That means the acidity is very well-balanced, giving this blend a solid foundation allowing the flavors time to unfold and it tastes delicious, that indicates they did an excellent job of sourcing quality grapes. I have been hip to Box wine for a while now, but I never really wanted 4 bottles of they same wine. For me, the best wine is the next wine, wine is about exploring the entire world of wines. The Bota Box Nighthawk Black is the first Box wine that I could see myself buying (I bought this one, but that was for a review). This is an excellent Box wine, just remember to let the wine “open up” to fully experience all it has to offer.
