I uncover that screw-capped reds, significantly fuller-bodied Australian shiraz and cabernet, age fairly extra slowly with screw caps, so why problem cellaring screw-capped wines?
— T.M., Bondi Junction, NSW
I uncover little distinction between wines aged with a screw cap and folks beneath a fantastic cork. But not all corks are good, and the incidence of cork-related oxidation and TCA taint is unacceptably extreme. If I had been a winemaker, I’d haven’t any hesitation in banning all corks.
Obviously, all wines are completely completely different: parts comparable to grape choice, space, winemaker and winemaking strategies result in large variations. It’s unattainable to say all wines will most likely be larger beneath a screw cap, nevertheless for my money, it’s method ahead of cork. I’ve opened many aged purple wines with screw caps (along with Moss Wood, Henschke, Penfolds and Cullen) they normally have aged very properly. I agree that they’re sometimes brisker than cork-sealed wines, which isn’t any unhealthy issue to me, nevertheless others may disagree.
What I actually like about mature purple wines is a mixture of aged complexity along with a degree of freshness. If you’ll be capable to nonetheless type the fruit, along with the mellow bottle-aged traits, that’s the place peak pleasure lies. So, I don’t agree that wines age too slowly beneath a screw cap, nor that there isn’t any degree cellaring them on the concept they obtained’t change. It is true that, on widespread, wine will age additional slowly, and as a consequence of this reality for longer, beneath a screw cap, nevertheless it’s as a result of the standard consists of wines which have aged prematurely as a consequence of poor corks.
These days, winemakers have a great deal of various in wadding – the disc of silvery stuff beneath the aluminium cap – which makes the airtight seal. Some let in a small, managed amount of oxygen, as most corks do; others are a lot much less air-permeable. Usually, the cheaper wines have a cap that permits additional air on account of they aren’t meant for prolonged storage.
I as quickly as met a winemaker from an Alsace winery who, when requested if his company was considering screw caps, replied throughout the unfavorable, together with, “Ah, but zee wines do not age under zee screw cap.” He had clearly on no account tasted a fantastic, aged, screw-capped Australian riesling. There are tons spherical: riesling makers have been using screw caps given that 2000 basic.
Got a drinks question for Huon Hooke? thefullbottle@goodweekend.com.au
