I got a new offering today (yeah, good timing for all concerned). As soon as I saw they were 100% screwcap, I suddenly thought less of the wine involved. Why? I’m aware of all the issues involved, but couldn’t seem to help thinking of them as somehow “less serious.” Do you think less of screw-capped wines, or have lower expectations, or expect them to be in lower price ranges, or think they’re not worthy of aging?
Eric,
For me it depends on the wine, I don’t have issue if an SB has a screwcap and even some Pinot. I don’t know that they’ve been around long enough and if there is enough factual information on aging a more expensive bottle of red that I would want to buy a bunch to cellar for a long time.
I guess in the the back of my mind I do think less of them. I have had plenty of good bottles that were screwcap so I don’t know why- old dogs new tricks I guess.
I kind of like to find decent wines with a screw cap. It makes it easier for me to pop a bottle of wine while I’m rummaging around or re-organizing my cellar (which happens quite frequently). I agree with Carrie re: SB or pinot - I don’t think I would want a $100+ bottle of cab with a screw cap, though.
Don’t get me started . . . .
So you do NOT want the Plumpjack Reserve Cab in a screwcap? How about the latest Hill of Grace release - screwcaps all around - except for the US . . .
Just getting started, but I’ll be back . . . . yep, I’ll be back!
Cheers!
I LOVE screwcaps.
I’m all for anything that cuts down on defects.
No.
I appreciate screwcaps-- and actively seek them out-- for short term wines. For long term wines, I’d rather see corks.
Synthetic corks are pure evil.
At first I was happy to see synthetics … but I think I now agree with you. I prefer screwcaps … but as much as I hate TCA and am apparently very sensitive to, I think I still trust good old fashion bark for something I want to age.
Just figure out a way to prevent TCA already!
But to the point, I don’t lower my expectations.
Jason
Any particular ones or all of them? Any specific reason(s)?
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I am still on the fence with screw caps. In general, I am fine with what they offer, and really don’t care about the price of wine or varietal. But with some I do come across slight reduction which sometimes does not blow off. Anything to get rid of TCA is a good thing in my book.
The only thing I’m still on the fence about is long term aging. I have not seen any studies into that. Corks naturally allow some degree of breathing while screw caps and synthetics are, to my understanding, on the other side of the spectrum and negate that element. Has anyone seen anything in terms of research into that aspect?
I don’t know the different brands, but I hate the way they sound when you remove them, I hate wrestling them off my corkscrew, and aesthetically, I don’t like the synthetic look and feel. They’re the polyester panties of the wine world 
I am 100% ok with them. Doesn’t change my opinion one way or the other about the wine. There is also a convenience factor in taking the screw cap off and putting it back on to save the wine overnight that works for me.
Stelvin currently has two liners with one that allows some O2 permeation.
http://www.stelvin.com/stelvin-liners_en.html
I’m too far removed from the production side to comment on other specific enclosures but I think there is a South African company with three tiers of liners.
Absolutely no problem at all.
Wines in the Hunter Valley, Australia have been using stelvins since the 1970s (1960s???). So look there.
I’ll take screwcaps over synthetic corks any day!
Technology with synthetics has improved immensely over the past 5 year. At Fess Parker, we still bottle quite a few wines under synthetic, and I have never had an overly oxidized bottle, including wines from the 05 vintage opened recently. It truly now comes down to the producer (we switched to Nomacork about then - this is a synthetic that is not a single injection molded piece, but instead, has a synthetic piece that is covered with a liner - allowing for better ‘closure’ and making it easier to get the darn thing out of the bottle!!!
As far as screw caps go, I’m still waiting for someone to show me systemic issues with sulfides that either they have experienced themselves or have read about - AND making sure that it was not the wine itself (ie comparing samples of the same wine undewr different closures).
UC Davis is currently conducting a study of PlumpJack Reserve Cabs - they donated a 10 year vertical of screw cap vs cork wines dating from 97 to the present. Hopefully this will be released within the next year or so.
That said, regardless of what that study shows, there will be MANY who simply will dismiss it as not enough information. As far as I’m concerned, the ‘proof is in the pudding’ - go to Australia and see how many top notch reds, including Hill of Grace, are currently being bottled under screw cap for EVERY market EXCEPT the US . . .
Cheers!
Polyester is America’s Freedom Fabric!