What serious producers use all or mostly screwcap closures?

WINE TALK
41

In NZ it’s nearly universal for full lineups. A few still use corks but definitely the minority.

42

What’s interesting is that they use them in AZ and NZ for almost all of their entire lineups - except in some cases for higher end wines that are shipped to . . . . you guessed it, the US, because of perception.

I guess to some, the answer to this question would be none because how could any ‘serious’ producer even consider using such a second rate, cheap, classless closure for such a distinguished product?!?!? [soap.gif] [stirthepothal.gif] [snort.gif]

43

That has been true for decades. I seem to recall opening an early 1980s Baumard that was under screwcap that I bought on release. It was somewhat oxidized but I liked that addition to the flavor.

44

All of the line up in most cases Chris. Except when bottling for certain markets (such as the U.S) that has not fully embraced screwcap as the preferred seal for todays wines.

We have now had decent volumes of serious premium wines under screwcap in Australia for 12+ years. We have examples of wines under screwcap from the 70’s that Yalumba made that are drinking beautifully. Given the option I would buy everything under screwcap, DRC included.

45

Selbach

46

Yeas ago, didn’t a producer over the same bottling either with screw cap or cork. Plump Jack maybe?

Wondering if anyone bought both and compared after aging.

I believe Biggio Hamina is switching to cork.

Side note, I recently dug out a bottle of Kim Crawford Sauv Blanc from 2006 and it was terrific.

Jason

47

Domaine Laroche Chablis across their entire line-up

48

Jeremy, you must not have heard that wines need cork for long term aging! [stirthepothal.gif]

I wish so much of the trade would stop perpetuating this idea.

49

Opened a 13 yr old Cab tonight. Half the cork came out with the waiter’s cork pull. Tried the Ahso on the rest and instead pushed it down squirting wine all over the counter, floor, sink and my shirt. Cursed the day corks were invented. lol

50

Yeah but you couldn’t have hurt yourself with that piece of cork, far less dangerous than a Skrewcap! [snort.gif] newhere

51

Cade

52

Apart from the minor detail of not buying DRC, this sums up my view completely.

Very few wineries in NZ persist with corks (Dry River and Stonyridge are a couple of notable corkers). AFAIK pretty much all the other high end wineries have been exclusively screw cap for a decade or longer. No consumer issues at any price point in NZ

brodie

53

Speaking of which, a portion of Tablas Creek’s wines are under screwcap, including all their Patelin wines.

54

That’s pretty close to the mark.

The most ‘prominent’ Australian producer is, arguably, Penfolds. All of their wines as far as I can tell are exported to the USA under cork (St Henri, Bin 389, Bin 28, 128 etc.). For domestic sales all of those wines are under Stelvin. For what its worth, whenever I order wines from Penfolds the invoice includes a note that if cork-sealed bottles arrive, they’ll be returned. Only Penfolds wine not under Stelvin is Grange.

Other international producers are apparently taking a similar approach. For example, I recently bought a few 2009 Isole e Olena Cepparello’s in Australia which were under Stelvin. In the USA I’ve never seen the same wine under anything other than cork.

55

I don’t know whether to be pleased that screw caps are gaining traction in other countries, or pissed that those same producers are sending us bottles with corks.

As to the latter, I guess one view would be that it’s the fault of unenlightened Americans who want corks, and the other would be that how are Americans going to appreciate the benefits of screwcaps on premium wines if they never get to experience them. I’d lean more towards the second view, but I also understand these are businesses, and they are going to be very conservative about changes which have any possibility of hurting their sales.

It does at least seem as though, if they already bottle these wines with screwcaps, they could easily make both closures available in the US, plus then they could see what the consumer response is (and while I’d love to think it would be positive for the screw caps, I honestly don’t know what it would be initially).

56

D’Arenberg

57

I think the story is that they rebottled the library wines under screwcap [citation needed].