Gentle reader, I’m recovering from a serious attack of bloggis interruptus.  Life has gotten in the way of my posting these past few months.  But I’m back, baby, with a renewed commitment to spread the word of great wine finds and general musings on the grape.

Readers will recall my foray a few months back into the mysterious world of boxed wines.  After serving as the guinea pig for Big House’s Cabernet Sauvignon, I’ve since turned several friends onto this find (including discerning drinkers like Wine Gal) as their new house red.

Now I’m experimenting with Big House’s Unchained Naked Chardonnay ($15.99 at my local liquor store, Busa Wine & Spirits).  For me, picking up a boxed white required some advance planning in the refrigerator department.  But I wedged it in and gave it a shot.

Not bad.  Not *great* either.  But definitely a drinkable white with the added convenience of a nifty spout that doesn’t drip.  As the “naked” moniker suggests, the winemakers used steel tanks, rather than oak barrels, to age the wine.  So it lacks the usual big butter flavor of a traditional California Chardonnay and is a bit more fruit-forward.  The Big House site says the result is a wine that’s “more reminiscent of an aromatic white than its namesake.”  I’d agree.

The upshot: I recommend this as a reliable wine to keep in the fridge when you want a tasty glass that doesn’t break the bank.