I don’t consider myself to be an ultra-classicist, actually I really don’t know what to call myself, but (not so) secretly I’d prefer my whites to be sealed with DIAM these days – not having personally experienced a bad bottle. The producers will tell you that the best corks produce the best bottles, but frankly that’s fine for them to say, if they are opening dozens of bottles each day – but most consumers have perhaps one chance per week to open something good. I understand that screw-caps can also be good, but it’s not often I get the evidence in my hand – like today.
I know it’s personally galling for the winemaker that the market for wines sealed like this consists of just a few countries – the rest have no interest. In my conversations with him he says that he’s still never experienced a ‘tired‘ bottle sealed in this way by him.
2007 JC Boisset, Savigny-lès-Beaune
A simple villages, if from a great year. At about nine years-old this tastes more like 4 or 5 – apparently this is the most permeable membrane for the Stelvin Luxe seal of that (2008) time. Frankly you won’t taste better Savigny blanc, villages Savigny blanc at that!
Still a medium lemon yellow, with just the merest suggestion of gold. A little cushioning and flowers on the nose. Fine acidity and cushioned texture – less direct (acidity) than most villages wines in this vintage. The intensity comes to a fine point just before you swallow. Just a super wine, perfectly aging – yum!
Rebuy – Yes
There are 6 responses to “boisset’s turn of the screw (cap)…”
I have experience with all three closures. Another key aspect involves dissolved Oxygen at bottling and the use of inert gas cover/protection during bottling. I completely support and appreciate the JC Boisset path. Good work young Bill.
Due to Boisset’s global winery portfolio it probably has experience and knowledge not available to the small artisanal makers of Burgundy. Thanks to Boisset for doing something proactive about the premox scurge.
Hi Bill,
what about a bit of investigative journalism on closures? There’s still plenty debate between wine makers. Personally, I am gradually moving away (with some regrets, I have to say) from natural cork corks. Testing various alternatives like Diam, look-alike-but-not-quite-Diam, Nomacorc and maybe, why not, screw caps one day. With various degrees of succes, I have to say.
It seems illogic to move away from a natural product to something manufactured (especially as a producer of organic wine) but at the same time I’ve had enough of leaky bottles and the occasional cork taint. And so have many others, wine makers and, more importantly, wine drinkers.
The subject is controversial, there’s plenty points of view, and I’m convinced that the reality on the ground is shifting very quickly indeed. On top of that, where do we find the “truth” in a market dominated by the (cork)suppliers? So, I’d say “gefundenes Fressen” for somebody like you ….?!
The Australian Wine Research Institute has done a great deal of research on closures for over 20 years. They have a website and the information can be found. The answer is also indicated by the fact that most Australian wine is sealed under screw cap.
Of-course just one winemaker’s view, but in Burgundy (Côte d’Or!) a variation on this is something I hear very often:
Screw-cap: the wines are very fresh but have no life (I disagree with this JCB Savigny)
DIAM: fresh with a little more structure
Cork: more evolution, sometimes too much, but can be fresh with cork and is usually the best when good.
That’s from (imho) one of the best winemakers in Burgundy – Olivier Lamy. As I’ve previously said though, the later cork observation has virtually no relevance to somebody who opens only one or two bottles per week…
Nomacorc to me is a disaster. I have had more prematurely aged reds & whites stoppered with Nomacorc.
Maybe they are better now Mark, I can’t say, but my experience says wines are already in not great shape after 6 months with this seal – whites…