Who is using DIAM?

[mattcitrang]

@Jim Anderson

@mattcitrang

Patricia Green

Yes. We started in 2014 along with many other Oregon wineries. Bergstrom uses them as well. I am simply looking for TCA-free material and in the 1,000+ bottles opened I have been present for 0 have been corked.

We are running trials in 2016 with a company called Amorim which is just a regular cork but each individual cork is tested with gas chromatography technology to detect TCA. The corks we are buying are rejected at any TCA detection over 0.5 ppm. Bottled half the Estate Sauvignon Blanc with them and will do 50/50 bottlings with 3 Pinots later this year. They are pricey for sure but if we can get a 0% standard it is worth paying for. We shall see.

Are you dissatisfied with Diam or looking to stay with cork.

[Jonathan_H]

I believe Leflaive also switched to DIAM, starting with the 2014 vintage.

[Frank_Drew]

@jason stein

Bouchard Père et Fils and William Fèvre have been working with DIAM for a bit over a decade now.

I’ve read reports of oxidized 2009 Fevre Chablis, but I had a perfect bottle of their '09 Montée de Tonnerre last week, closed with a DIAM 10-22. Pale brass color, still some grip but very fresh, and not a trace of oxidation. Best, in fact, on the third night (I decanted two thirds of the bottle into two 250s on night one; the “third” night was in fact about a week later.)

I think I’m running across fewer corked bottles with natural corks, but I’ve never had a corked DIAM or screwcap finished wine. Much smaller sample sizes, though.

[Jim_Anderson]

@Rama Roberts

The DIAM logo is very small. Its a struggle to tell the difference between DIAM3 and DIAM5. There’s plenty of space for branding.

Here’s a plain DIAM 5:

There is only Diam 5, 10 and 30. They refer to the density of the corks and, theoretically the years of the viability of the cork. They are like pieces of cement right out of the bag.

[Jim_Anderson]

@mattcitrang

@Jim Anderson

@mattcitrang

Patricia Green

Yes. We started in 2014 along with many other Oregon wineries. Bergstrom uses them as well. I am simply looking for TCA-free material and in the 1,000+ bottles opened I have been present for 0 have been corked.

We are running trials in 2016 with a company called Amorim which is just a regular cork but each individual cork is tested with gas chromatography technology to detect TCA. The corks we are buying are rejected at any TCA detection over 0.5 ppm. Bottled half the Estate Sauvignon Blanc with them and will do 50/50 bottlings with 3 Pinots later this year. They are pricey for sure but if we can get a 0% standard it is worth paying for. We shall see.

Are you dissatisfied with Diam or looking to stay with cork.

Diam is a great product. I definitely like knowing that the wines will not be TCA affected. They are amalgamated and have a bonding agent. I’m not particularly worried about that degrading but if there is a 100% natural cork option I am open to exploring it. I want to see if there rate is in fact 0%, hence the 9,000ish bottle comparative trial this year.

[R_Roberts]

@Jim Anderson

There is only Diam 5, 10 and 30. They refer to the density of the corks and, theoretically the years of the viability of the cork. They are like pieces of cement right out of the bag.

This is straight from an email with one of their sales managers:

Basically we offer 3 different OTR:

•    Diam 3 has a high OTR for quick rotation wines or red wines with a high O2 demand (mainly Bordeaux, usually not here in the US)
  

•    Diam 5 has a medium OTR, can be compared with an average natural cork (difficult to compare as natural corks are so variable)
  

•    Diam 10 and Diam 30 have a low OTR, for long aging or wines that are very sensitive to oxidation (sauv blanc, Riesling, fresh chard,…..)
  

They certainly feel dense, but I didn’t have any problem using them straight from the bag with a hand corker. As compared to natural cork where every once in a while there’s a noticeably squishy one. TCA free or not, the variable OTR of natural cork makes it a non-starter for me.

[Merrill_Lindquist]

Not me. not my winery, EMH Vineyards. Not even a consideration.

I use an Ah-So Monopole to open all my wines. The Diam is hard on that. I like cork.

[Jim_Anderson]

@Merrill Lindquist

Not me. not my winery, EMH Vineyards. Not even a consideration.

I use an Ah-So Monopole to open all my wines. The Diam is hard on that. I like cork.

It’s not for everyone for sure. It does eliminate cork taint which when one makes 14,000 cases of wine and even at just 1.5% you are talking 200 cases of wine that’s spoiled that becomes a non-starter in my mind.

It is cork though. Not synthetic.

[Howard_Cooper]

@Rama Roberts

who uses DIAM? - WINE TALK - WineBerserkers

Thanks. I would have thought I would have noticed this. Thanks for the find. Should this be thread be consolidated with that one and put in the hall of fame for easy reference and addition?

[Howard_Cooper]

@Frank Drew

@jason stein

Bouchard Père et Fils and William Fèvre have been working with DIAM for a bit over a decade now.

I’ve read reports of oxidized 2009 Fevre Chablis, but I had a perfect bottle of their '09 Montée de Tonnerre last week, closed with a DIAM 10-22. Pale brass color, still some grip but very fresh, and not a trace of oxidation. Best, in fact, on the third night (I decanted two thirds of the bottle into two 250s on night one; the “third” night was in fact about a week later.)

I think I’m running across fewer corked bottles with natural corks, but I’ve never had a corked DIAM or screwcap finished wine. Much smaller sample sizes, though.

Frank, have you had premixed bottles finished with DIAM?

[Howard_Cooper]

@Jim Anderson

@Merrill Lindquist

Not me. not my winery, EMH Vineyards. Not even a consideration.

I use an Ah-So Monopole to open all my wines. The Diam is hard on that. I like cork.

It’s not for everyone for sure. It does eliminate cork taint which when one makes 14,000 cases of wine and even at just 1.5% you are talking 200 cases of wine that’s spoiled that becomes a non-starter in my mind.

It is cork though. Not synthetic.

Jim,

Thank you for your experimentation. This is the type of thing that could cost you money but it is necessary for some people to try these things for the industry to move forward. I commend you for doing the tests.

[Peter_Tryba]

David Ramey uses DIAM

[David_Bu3ker]

Was Fevre all in on DIAM in 2009? I thought it was just premier crus then.

[Eric_Lundblad]

Fevre wasn’t all in on Diam until 2010 vintage. 2009 was all 1er cru and below, and there appears to be a smattering (not completely confirmed tho) of GCs with Diam. Also 2009 and prior was Diam5, 2010 and forward is Diam10 (for fevre).

Looking at Cellartracker (Fevre) 2007-2009 1er cru doesn’t show any premox reports, whereas GC for the same period show many premox reports.

The length and methodical approach Fevre used in their evaluation and roll out of Diam was a big reason why I eventually switched (testing internal to Fevre 2002 onward, bottling chablis & petit chablis 2004+, 1er cru 2007+, GC 2010+). Also the fact that any issues are most likely to show with chablis.

[Stephen_Pepe]

We use Diam.

[Colin_Murphy]

I have used DIAM for about 8 years and could not be happier. Zero taint and zero pushback from consumers. Also very little bottle variance, likely do to other factors. The only issue was some wicking, but not leaking, in 2011 (?). The coating formula was adjusted and the problem solved. In SBC I believe DIAM is used by Palmina, Brewer Clifton, Ampelos, D’Alfonso-Curran, and Mr Pepe as stated above. I have discussed DIAM with them all and no taint has been reported.

[Andy_Steinman]

We are 100% Diam at Walter Scott and have been very happy.

Fair disclosure: Will Hamilton who is a major part of our harvest effort and makes his own Violin Wines at our Winery sells Diam in our region.

[Oliver_McCrum]

We encourage our producers to use Diam, and a number of them have switched to it.

It’s important to note that there a number of brands of this kind of cork (‘micro-agglomerated’ cork), and we have had terrible experiences with some of the others. If it doesn’t say ‘Diam’ on the side, it’s not Diam.

[m_ristev]

fourrier 2014 gevrey vv is sealed with diam, not sure when it started…

[Barry_Paul_Price]

What is in the coating formula?