We have a lot of discussion and navel gazing on this board about oxidation and TCA. Diam seems to gaining some traction out there but to me the best seal for todays wines is screwcap.
Yesterday we cracked a half bottle of 2007 Domaine des Baumard Savennières Clos de Saint Yves sealed under Stelvin Luxe. The wine was splendid. There are smoky mineral notes along with fresh apple and pear fruits. It has a hint of honey development and is full in the mouth with some nuttiness. The finish is dry and long. I spoke with the Australian Importer and he says that every bottle has been nothing short of perfect. They have never had a claim for an oxidised or out of condition Baumard under screwcap. The same can certainly not be said about cork.
Australia and New Zealand have fixed the oxidation problems we had in the '90’s by simply moving on mass to screwcap in the early to mid-noughties. It astounds me that we are still looking for a solution for premox!
I honestly do feel that way. I am willing to sacrifice the odd corked/oxidized bottle for the sake of preserving the ritual of removing the cork. That said I see no reason why DIAM shouldn’t be widely employed.
Had two recent release bottles in the last two weeks that were under regular cork and not correct. One was very badly corked. The mustiness was obvious. The other was just scalped of its fruit. A second, sound bottle of the same wine clearly demonstrated the defect in the first. Sad that we still have to deal with this crap.
Forgot I pulled a Victor and didn’t come back. Yes, would be happy to have a cellar full of screwcap wines. Does it make sense we all are willing to pay over $100 for a durand in order to properly extract an old and faulty sealing system. Romanticism of the cork and the ‘ritual’ of removing it are over-rated as soon as you have a bad cork or bad wine.
Looks to me like you irony/sarcasm filter was set to “off”!
And oh yes I just love the romance and tradition of opening a high end wine that has been carefully cellared and now cannot be replaced - only to find out the cork has ruined the wine.
But…but…but… Just imagine the drama, the uncertainty, the anxious scrutiny of the color in every unopened bottle for signs of premox. You’d miss all that with screw cap! Why life would become downright boring. (Not to mention cheaper, especially if you’re into high end white Burgs.) Who in his or her right mind would want that?
Appears that screwcap works well for whites. However, does it allow the classic reds to develop and reach maturity? What are the top reds that have been cellared under screwcap, and that have developed positively to proper maturity?
I don’t particularly care for fruit in a wine to remain preserved and boisturous at year 25 like it was year 5. It’s not the reason why we cellar wine.
Not many 25 year old reds out there under screw cap to compare with natural coek evolution. In CA, Plumpjack has been doing their reserve Cabs under both closures since 1997 - you may be able to find some older ones. I know that WS reported on a comparative tasting a number of years back reported by Harvey Steinman - an interesting read. And Tablas has posted blogs about llenty of vertical tastings. Mike Officer has occasionally bottles wines under both closures as well.
My earliest release is 2006 under screw cap and they have definitely evolved and developed beyond primary flavors and aromas.