Turn of the Screwcap

Martin Field

I have seen the future of wine bottle closures and its name is Stelvin.
(Well, screwcaps anyway - to paraphrase Jon Landau’s 1974 rave on Bruce Springsteen). This thought was triggered by an advertisement in the paper this week featuring whites sealed with Stelvin screwcaps, and by the arrival of a bottle of Taylor’s cabernet (see review below) with a Stelvin cap. (Stelvin being the best-known brand).

And wine drinkers cannot have helped but notice that many winemakers are starting to abandon corks in favour of screwcaps. For instance, Wolf Blass chief winemaker Chris Hatcher tells me that their British distributor has asked that the entire next shipment of Annie’s Lane wines is Stelvin-sealed. Chris also says that Wolf Blass will bottle some of their super-premium Platinum reds under Stelvin. Stephen Henschke is reported in Harper's as moving to Stelvin. In the US the Bonny Doon winery has championed Stelvin and has set up a Death of the Cork website. It should be added that an extra incentive for the change is that wine company bean counters also love screwcaps as they are cheaper than corks.

In a similar vein, wine critics are beginning to mention whether wines they review use Stelvin and restaurant wine lists are sure to follow. Consumer acceptance will grow accordingly. What was once a trickle will become a flood.

Corks were certainly revolutionary in the 17th century when British ale and French champagne makers started to use cork stoppers instead of traditional closures made of hemp soaked in oil. That innovation certainly improved the quality of wines greatly and without it the development of champagne would have been impossible. But in the age of the microchip we’re still using the archaic and risky technology of stoppers made from oak bark.

Why risky? Depending on whom you talk to cork taint (TCA) affects maybe five per cent of bottles, making them unpalatable. Yet, strangely, it’s taken more than three centuries for winemakers and consumers to grow tired of wines that are diminished in quality due to this taint and to other problems such as unwanted cork flavours, leakage, cork deterioration and so forth. (For example, the renowned Penfolds Wine Clinics' main focus is the replacement of dodgy corks).

Screwcaps on the other hand are taint free and impermeable. To test their longevity a number of wine companies (notably Yalumba) have bottled wines under both Stelvin and cork over the last few decades. Comparative tastings of these museum wines indicate that Stelvin bottled wines are fresher, cleaner and retain better colour than examples of the same wine under cork. There are criticisms that screwcaps seal too well and can create reductive (bottle stink) characters in wines. I for one would rather take that risk than put up with corked wines.

Diehard traditionalists will no doubt write letters to the editor condemning this trend as newfangled and an abomination - as they pull on their button-up boots and wax nostalgic about the passing of bottles sealed with oil-soaked hemp – their days are numbered.

Myths about myths about Champagne
In an Age article, Bursting Bubbles, Jeni Port quoted Seppelt sparkling winemaker Steve Goodwin on the cause of the bready, yeasty character found in champagne and other sparkling wine: “…most of that is just bottle-developed pinot noir character (rather) than autolysis,” said Steve. His comment contradicts the traditionally accepted view that contact between the wines and autolyzed yeast lees - i.e. broken down yeast cells - is responsible. Curiously, a former Seppelt sparkling maker, Warren Randall, claimed that the bready character came mainly from pinot meunier.

I asked French champagne maker Benoît Gouez (see Dom Perignon below) about this. He had no doubt that autolysis causes the yeastiness in champagne, adding that autolysis is expressed quite differently by different grape varieties. “However, the more fruit in a particular wine the less yeast will be evident.” he explained.

Well-known amateur sparkling winemaker, MF (those five years spent as sous-remueur - translation: riddler - at Bolli were not wasted) reckons that the bready character does in fact come from yeast autolysis – rather than aged pinot noir or pinot meunier. His reasoning? Rising bread dough and bread just out of the oven have this smell. Where does it come from? Er, the breakdown of yeast cells after the bread has risen.

Pertinent questions: Has MF ever encountered this yeasty smell in bottles of still pinot noir or pinot meunier of any age? No M’Lud, never.

Has MF ever encountered this yeast lees character in bottles of bubbly that do not contain either of the pinots, i.e. blanc de blancs made solely from chardonnay? Yes, your Judgeship, often.

If so-called yeast autolysis character comes mainly from pinot noir why do sparkling wine makers waste their time and money leaving fizz in contact with yeast sediment for years, when they could just as easily add more pinot noir to the brew? Beats me, your be-wigged Excellency.

The court will rise.

How the other half drink
Look at the 98%, not the 2
I was chatting to a wine merchant about people who are often hypercritical when tasting wine. “It’s usually to show off the little pseudo-scientific knowledge they have.” he said. “When I was younger and judged at wine shows,” he went on, “I used to be quite scathing about many of the wines we assessed. One day a senior judge said to me, ‘You know, you’ve got a very good palate. But you’re usually over critical. Remember, some ninety-eight per cent of the wines you’ll judge will be sound, and maybe two per cent faulty. But you only ever seem to look at the two per cent. Try concentrating on the ninety-eight and you’ll enjoy your wine a lot more.’ I did and he was right.”

Bibo ergo sum ‘Waiter approaches Descartes in restaurant: “Would Sir like a glass of wine?” he asks. Descartes replies, “I think not.”… and disappears.’

Thanks to dualist philosopher Terry Maher for sending that one. Terry attributes it to Marc Salem.

Tastings
Chateau Hazchem Chardonnay 2000. Cellar to 2002. Around $17. 15/20
‘Grossly overweight but equally overcooked Chardonnay. Resembles yew bark, overcooked salad and corpulent onion. Drink now through 2010.’ [NB This is not my review the quoted bit came from the Silly Tasting Notes Generator.

Taylors Clare Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (Stelvin). Cellar to 2008. Around $15. 17.5/20
We tried this one, masked, at the Tuesday lunch. A few comments: ‘Bloody good! lovely tannins…Nice thick tannins, Clare? …Deep red purple, good finish…Rich style, I like it.’ Unanimous approval. Stelvin capped bottles sold only through Vintage Cellars.

Original Inner Circle Rum $34 plus. 18/20
Not sure where this rum is distilled but the label says it is 100% Australian owned and produced from the finest Fijian and Australian ingredients. An Inner Circle label, the Directors Special (57.2% alcohol) won trophy for best rum at the 2002 International Wine and Spirit Competition. This sample (40% alcohol), though not the trophy winner, is still a pretty fine drink. Light ale in colour. Pungent dark rum and molasses nose. Nicely balanced palate, a combination of lightly burnt sugars and mild sweetness leads to a flavoursome and warm finish. No, I wouldn’t mix it with Coke!

Hanging Rock Macedon Cuvée IX. Cellar: not necessary. Around $40. 18/20
A non-vintage pinot noir and chardonnay containing wines from the years 1987 to 1998, and left on lees for some two and a half years. Light gold, persistent bead. Nose showing considerable yeast lees and some age development. Palate is dry, full-flavoured and complex with forward bready characters and a lengthy aftertaste. For those who like a bubbly with substance.

Howard Park Riesling 2002. Cellar to 2015. Around $25. 17.5/20
Great Southern. Very pale, edge of green. Aromatic nose of lime flowers. Dry crisp style with full flavours of lemons, limes, even grapefruit, finishing with distinctly zingy Granny Smith apple acid. Suit any course that you would accompany with a slice of lemon.

Majella The Malleea 2000. Cellar to 2009. $66. 18.5/20
Coonawarra. Cabernet sauvignon 55%, shiraz 45%. Dense crimson, purple rimmed. Lifted nose of berries, plums and dusty French oak. Both sweet and savoury on the palate with hints of black olives and cracked pepper. Satisfying mouthfeel: thick and chewy. Touch young to drink yet but will go well with full-on main course food.

Leasingham Bin 56 Cabernet Malbec 2000. Cellar to 2008. Around $20. 18/20
Clare Valley. Deep crimson to purple. Inviting nose of blackcurrants, spices and vanillin oak. Very dry start in the mouth, good concentration of varietal cabernet throughout, not overoaked. The finish is so firm as to be almost hard, this should soften in a couple of years. Needs serious food to accompany at the moment.

Cuvée Dom Perignon 1995. About $235. Cellar to 2030. 18.5/20
Not often do I get to drink top shelf champagne so I couldn’t resist the chance to try the new Dom Perignon over dinner with visiting winemaker Benoît Gouez. Benoît said the ’95 was the most fruit-driven wine since the 1985 vintage, ‘Our challenge was to achieve richness without heaviness.’ The ’95 Dom - 52% chardonnay and 48% pinot noir - is a seamless wine with much promise in its fragrant nose of flowers, baguettes and hazelnuts. It delivers on the palate with great generosity of flavour and an elegant creamy texture. When they told me the price I wondered who could afford to buy it. But given the opportunity I sipped a few more glasses and told Benoît I looked forward to his next visit.

Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2000. About $13 on discount. Cellar to 2008. 17.5/20
Deep dark red. Spicy bouquet, some mintiness, French oak evident. Rich, ripe fruit over judicious wood structure. Well-weighted red showing pleasing chewy texture. Ideal with serious main courses.

Martin Field

[A Letter from Australia] [The Alsop Wine Review]