I’ve often remarked in these columns how marketing departments dictate what wines the winery make. Sometimes I think they get it wrong, the marketers are aiming for a certain segment and just miss it. It’s either a touch too soon, too late or the final product they are aiming for just didn’t line up with what was available for the winemakers to work with.
But every now and again they get it right, their timing with the winemakers, the fruit that was in the vineyards and the market segment they are aiming for is right spot on. The product hits the market and resonates not only with their target audience but also with a wider range of consumers.
Launched in November last year, and inspired by the magic and art that goes into winemaking, The Magic Box wine collection have been aimed squarely at the millennial audience, a group that are still building their wine knowledge and experience, but they’ve also managed to grab the interest of experienced wine consumers who are looking for an everyday quaffer.
The Magic Box headlines four wines with quirky designs and names, all hit the characteristics of the varieties they are made from, if you like the pepper and spice notes that you find in your shiraz then grab the PepperBox Shiraz, those butter and vanillin notes from old school chardonnay is right there in a glass of the ButterBox Chardonnay, and so on with the CedarBox Cabernet Sauvignon and our personal favourite BerriBox Rosé.
The range sits in the $10-$15 segment, the number one segment by value and growing by three percent as we look for cheaper options that still deliver quality in the glass. The group behind the wine is Casella Family Brands (CFB) a family owned company based in Yenda, NSW. Led by managing director John Casella, it was propelled to the forefront of the export arena in 2001 by its hugely successful [yellow tail] brand. The group now sells over 12.5 million cases of wine a year in over 50 different countries. CFB is Australia’s largest family wine company and continues to grow its portfolio showcasing Australian regional and winemaking excellence across the globe.
The [yellow tail] brand often has people turn their nose up it, but there is a market segment out there that wants a drinkable $7-$8 wine, the [yellow tail] sangria is an enjoyable wine when served chilled, but what I look for in a wine generally isn’t found at that sub $10 price point. To combat this CFB has set about a series expansions branching into fine wine offerings including the Casella premium range of wines, Peter Lehmann Wines from the Barossa, Brand’s Laira of Coonawarra, Morris Wines of Rutherglen, Baileys of Glenrowan and now The Magic Box Collection.
The Magic Box range are available now at major retailers, Dan Murphy’s and BWS nationally, and selected independent retailers at a RRP of $14.99 each.
The Range:
Magic Box PepperBox Shiraz 2018 – deep purple in colour, loaded with bright red berry fruits, a touch of white pepper and spice on the nose. The oak work adds a touch of late vanillin and caramel to the wine, but still allows the bright plum and raspberry notes to shine through.
Magic Box CedarBox Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 – deep purple in colour with a bright red hue around the edge, notes of dark fruit, blackberry and dark plum predominantly, leap from the glass with a touch of green herbal notes, on the tongue there is a lick of acid and spice, the smooth mouthfeel works well with the dark fruit notes, over the top of light coffee and chocolate notes.
Magic Box ButterBox Chardonnay 2018 – the days of the super buttery and oak chard’s are gone giving way to the lighter, leaner and acid driven style. This is half way between both, the oak has given it the buttery vanillin notes, but there is still lingering acid and crispness of tropical fruit that makes it a quaffable wine. Bottle stayed fresh opened in the fridge for a few days which will make this an interesting mid-week drinker.
Magic Box BerriBox Rosé 2018 – our pick of the four, crisp, luscious and a joy to sip. Strawberry and white peach, light lychee and red dragon fruit on the nose, on the tongue its smooth with a strawberries and cream mouthfeel, raspberries and some soft spice notes in the finish. Great match to fresh prawns or lighter, clean seafood dishes.