By: Garry

Garry — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:12:23 +0000

I was privaledged enough to try a Lindemans Bin series Semillon (Hunter valley) at age around twenty years old, under screw cap, drinking magnificently with bottle age development, and a little underlying primary fruit. It was a museum release from Lindemans own cellars, from a good year in the late sixties, even back then the benefits of screwcaps were known to winemakers (small amounts of cellaring wines closed this way). I was able to experience a wine in good condition from a great vintage, a wine almost as old as I was at the time, and I’d guess that if it had been under cork, the wine would have faded dramatically by then.

Although research will take time, it will show that wine does age under screwcap, just at a slower rate. For some of us, that’s not ideal, for others who like to age wines for longer (e.g.,like to celebrate the birth year of your child on their 18th b’day), it opens up a whole range of possibilities. A case of our favourite mid-priced wines from ’84 for your son?

But who’s cellaring wines today? Current stats estimate that 90-95% of wine is consumed in the first twenty four hours of its purchase. Not many of us by the sounds? So why should wine drinkers who hate having to tip wines with cork problems, down the sink, have to put up? Give us the option. Sounds like Penfolds are.

BTW Jim, did you ever consider that you were lucky not to get a corked bottle, wouldn’t that have been a let down on the night. Thankfully not. Hence the cork related expression: “There are no such things as good wine vintages, just good wine bottles”. Corks, the weakest link in the bottle are holding our good vintages, aaah, over a barrel?

By: Guillaume L

Guillaume L — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:35:21 +0000

Aaaahhh ….Happy to read that.

The screw tops should definitively be used for the wines chich have to be consumed very young ( 3 years max).

Many screw tops’ wines are really good but it depends the kind of wines.

Obviously, It’s a crime to bottle a Penfolds Bin 407 with a screw top.

Thx for this article

By: Ramblin' Wino

Ramblin' Wino — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:49:22 +0000

Interesting comparison. I guess the lesson learned is that wines that do well lying dusty in the cellar, should have a cork, and wines meant to be drunk young and fresh need a screw cap. But who wants to wait 4 X the amount of years to drink from their cellar. Some might say, in the long run that would be better – but like the famous quote go’s – In the long run we’re all dead.

Comments on: Corks vs. screw tops, Bali wine, and Santa Claus: Just another Friday night with Frank

By: Garry

By: Guillaume L

By: Ramblin' Wino