New Zealand
right now has around 95% of its wines sealed with a metal screwcap closure.
The paramount reason for that
is the problem of cork taint (or ‘corked’ wine). This occurs when a chemical
known as TCA (trichloroanisole) in tiny amounts, contaminates the wine and
contributes a mouldy odour and flavour. TCA occurs naturally in a mould that
affects cork trees.
Are screwcaps cheaper than
corks? Yes, slightly, but the cost of converting a bottling line from a cork to
screw cap is a very significant investment for the winery.
Will the wine last as
long? Experience with screw caps doesn’t
go back much more than 20 years, but observations indicate that fruit flavours
are preserved for a longer period. Yet the wines will still age and change
characters over time. A cork on the other hand allows a small ingress of air which
leads to faster ageing and oxidisation.
Can a wine still be ‘off’ even
when under Stelvin? Yes, nothing’s
perfect. It can happen but extremely rarely. There is the potential problem of
sulphite formation in wines, leading to a bad egg/cabbage aroma.
What other closures are there?
Plastic corks - are only good for drink straight away wines. They can leak,
give the wine a plastic flavour, and are nigh on impossible to remove with a
cork screw. Taint-free composite corks are making inroads – they are made from
powdered cork that has been sterilised and are held are together by an inert
polymer. Glass closures look pretty funky but rely on a plastic flange for a
perfect fit.
Anyway, here’s a line-up of
great wines, sealed under different closures.
Schloss Vollrads Rheingau
Riesling 2014 $31
A German Riesling with pale gold colour and aromas of apple cider and lemon squash. Not sweet, but it is just nudging off-dry with a bright palate of apple, citrus, Roses Lime juice, raisins and minerality with a clean crisp finish. It’s a very refreshing clean and crisp light wine ideal for the warmer summer months. Glass stopper
A German Riesling with pale gold colour and aromas of apple cider and lemon squash. Not sweet, but it is just nudging off-dry with a bright palate of apple, citrus, Roses Lime juice, raisins and minerality with a clean crisp finish. It’s a very refreshing clean and crisp light wine ideal for the warmer summer months. Glass stopper
Vouvray is a French Chenin Blanc appellation. Subtle aromas that hint of stone fruit and citrus blossom. On the palate, it’s clean and crisp with Chardonnay-like flavours of minerality, fresh cut apricot, pineapple and lemon with a hint of vanilla oak. Cork.
Chablis is traditionally a French style of Chardonnay
that has minimal or no oak ageing. And…
zut alors - even the French use screwcaps sometimes! It is a young wine,
fermented in stainless steel tanks. Smells like citrus, minerals and stone
fruit. In the mouth it’s crisp, elegant and dry with flavours of apricot,
lemon, and nougat. Screwcap.
I’m a huge fan of Gewürztraminer. This seven year-old wine has matured into a glorious mouth-filling off-dry style. Aromas of grapefruit, marmalade and preserved ginger. Generous palate of toffee, spice, tonic water, ginger in syrup, clover honey and a long musky finish. Cork.
Hand harvested fruit - a beguiling fruit salad of Bordeaux grape varieties that have been fermented with minimal skin contact to produce a copper pink colour. Aromas of toffee apple and red berry fruit compote. Nudging just off-dry with flavours of strawberry, raspberry and hint of candy floss and a tangy crisp finish. Screwcap.
A blended wine made mainly from Syrah, with some Grenache and Mourvèdre. Smells like dark berry fruits, black cherries and tar. On the palate, rich and ripe flavours of cassis, liquorice, poached Black Doris plum and blackberry with gorgeous soft ripe tannins and a lengthy finish. Cork.
For availability – I highly recommend international wine finder http://www.wine-searcher.com/
Phil runs the best wine tours known to mankind and womankind see www.insidertouring.co.nz
No comments:
Post a Comment