Posted on 12/12/2005 4:10:41 PM PST by NautiNurse
A friend recently gave me a bottle of Chapoutier's 1999 La Bernardine Chateauneuf-du-Pape. I was very much looking forward to trying this wine, which had received high 80s scores from both Robert Parker and the Wine Spectator. I rarely drink Rhone wines, so I was eagerly anticipating comparing this wine to the California Rhone Rangers and Australian Shirazes with which I am more familiar. Unfortunately, this bottle was corked to the point of being undrinkable, so it went down the drain.
I like old things. Old ideas. Old books. Old wines. I guess that's part of the reason I'm a conservative. Yet, the intelligent conservative combines a disposition to preserve with an ability to reform. And so we come to the question of closures for wine.
For generations our ancestors used cork to close wine bottles, and they were wise to do so. Indeed, cork is a nearly perfect closure for wine. It is mostly impermeable, yet apparently allows just enough minute amounts of air into the bottle for the wine to evolve with age. And cork lends a certain romance to the otherwise mundane process of opening a bottle, as anyone who has popped a champagne cork knows. (For real romance, of course, port tongs can't be beat.)
Yet, sometimes change is necessary. And when it comes to wine closures, change has no greater advocate than the Wine Spectator's James Laube, who recently observed:
there are days when 15 percent of the wines we taste in our Napa office are flawed and undrinkable, the result of bad corks. ...
Most wine drinkers are aware of the hassles caused by corks. Those who say theyve never tasted a corky, or spoiled, wine are undoubtedly mistaken. They just didnt know it, perhaps because theyre not sensitive to the taint. Those who havent lost a good, old, cellared bottle to a crumbled cork, well, that too is hard to imagine. I can only say their time is coming.
Crumbling corks are a hassle, but one that is easily dealt with by decanting the wine through an unbleached coffee filter. Wines with bits of cork floating in them, however, are not what wine geeks mean when they talk about corked wines. Instead, as Laube explained, a corked wine is one tainted by 2,4,6 trichloranisole (aka TCA), which ruins otherwise fine wines by imparting a musty character to the wines aroma and flavors. I've come to believe that Laube is hyper-sensitive to TCA taint. His estimate that 15% of wine bottles are tainted is way too high in my experience. Yet, one does encounter enough corked wines to think experimenting with alternative closures is highly worthwhile. So whats the answer? I hate to say it, but I am persuaded that the answer is the Stelvin screw cap. To be sure, a lot of high-end California wineries have switched to synthetic corks. Unfortunately, there is growing evidence that wines sealed with synthetic corks tend to oxidize after only about two years in bottle. Consider these informed remarks:
If I may be indulged a personal note, I'm particularly concerned about Behrens & Hitchcock, which uses solely synthetics, and in whose wines I've invested quite heavily. Their wines tend to huge, with obvious aging potential. A recent tasting of B&Hs 1998 Napa Valley Merlot was very reassuring, as the wine was developing just fine, but I still worry that their wines will go south too quickly because they've chosen a lousy closure. Many fine California and Australia wineries are now experimenting with the Stelvin closure. In my experience, wines capped with screw tops taste just as good as those closed with corks and, of course, loads better than those closed with tainted corks. But will wines capped with screw tops age as well? According to the Spectator, Bordeaux and Burgundy wineries are starting to conclude that they can:
So the next time you see a $20 bottle of wine topped by a screw cap, don't assume you're being ripped off. As Laube opined:
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In my cellar, I find wastage between 8-10% due to corks.
I mostly use an antique Estate Opener with a modern screw in it, but have all the tools for fishing out broke, dry, or powdered corks, but usually, it's a waste of time.
I'll miss the uncorking ritual, but mostly, I'll miss using the lead foil, cut in strips, to weigh Salmon flies. I've been decanting wines at home meals for several years, so a screw cap doesn't matter to me. Pouring a great DRC down the drain does.
Yeah, there have been a few times when I've had to resort to an adjustable wrench to open the bottle. But like you, I've got a little invested in some corkscrews now. Plus, I just like the routine of pulling out the cork. Otherwise, I feel like I'm dealing with a bottle of Annie Green Springs.
'pliers'
Wine snobs will have a hard time eschewing corks, but they'd better get used to screw tops. They're cheaper, and, as the article says, preferable.
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No matter how much sense it makes to switch to a screw top you will still have those who are too hung up on image and "nuance."
I have a hard enough time eschewing
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Gesundheit!
I'm with the author. Corked wine is a financial and emotional setback. Most people don't want to drive a car with 1920's technology.
The Aussies are at the forefront of the new corks. And they make great wine.
"Corked wine is a financial and emotional setback."
Well said, it's a shame to pour some once great wine down the drain, especially after getting yourself all primed for it.
A good read. The question I have is why the negativity about synthetic corks and no mention of the plastic in boxed wines or that screw caps are lined with synthetic material also.
A number of WS Top 100 wines last year had screw tops including domestic pinot noir, like Argyle mentioned above.
I don't remember the place or the girl, but the wine, it was a Chambertin!
Just a few comments, not directed at anyone in particular.
Natural corks have 2 problems:
Corking (TCA) is a from the sterilization process of the cork prior to bottling. Has very little to do with aging. A few months (in the supply chain) and it can ruin a wine. The only reason aging matters is that a ruined 1986 you've been babying for 15 years hurts a lot more to lose than the Beaujolais Nouveau you picked up yesterday.
A crumbled cork isn't "corking" but it can ruin a wine. As the article states, if it crumbles on removal the pieces can be fished or filtereed out without damaging the wine. But if it fails as a seal before its time, the wine will be ruined.
One of the issues with natural cork is its availability...the wine industry outside of Europe has boomed. 30 years ago, California produced much much less, the Aussies barely existed never mind the Chileans etc. The number of bottles corked each year has exploded. Note none of these areas are known for planting cork oak trees...most of it still comes from Portugal and parts of Spain. It takes about 10 years between harvests, and more than that before the first. Natural cork production has not come close to keeping up with the international growth of the wine industry. This leads to using smaller corks (1.5 inches vs 2.75 inches) and a general degradation of quality of the cork from more frequent than ideal harvests. I don't expect the percentage of TCA corked wines to increase, but I would bet that more and more naturally corked bottles will fail and crumble.
Quite simply, some type of alternative closure is a must...not for all wines, but at least for some. If more wine is sold in boxes (or more specifically, plastic bags inside boxes) and more wine is Stelvin (aka screw capped) than that would alleviate a lot of the pressure on natural cork. But something has to give. My own experiences with synthetic corks have been good; I've never had the breathing problems mentioned in the article, but I missed the whole first generation of synthetic corks. As with anything, expect the technology to improve. I expect that plastic bags, screw caps and synthetic corks all to grow as the sealing device for wines. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that in not too long, you'll commonly see single serving wines in something approaching a 16 oz soda bottle. And while Opus One won't ever be sold that way...it is a good thing that you'll be able to get a decent everyday wine for cheap.
Bella Sera already sells a four-pack of individual bottles of their Merlot. I saw it at the grocery store yesterday...and they have screw caps.
Boones Farm has had screw tops for as long as I could remember...Ah the memories. :p
Ah, Reunite'
There is hope for this world! ;)
OMG...there's a pinglist for everything!
Add me please...while I lean towards Boones Farm...Mad Dog has a special place in my heart.
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