Aussie producer finds screwcaps keep wines fresher

Australian producer Leeuwin is rebottling older vintages of its Chardonnay under screwcap having found that trial cases sealed this way stayed fresher and were far better preserved than bottles under cork.

The boutique winery has been releasing the bulk of its wines under screwcap in recent years. Ten years ago, however, most of its wines were sealed with cork except a few cases of various varieties that were put under screwcap as a trial. Denis Horgan, the company’s founder, told ThirtyFifty, ‘After a subsequent tasting a few years back of current vintages, one of the winemakers suggested that these wines be tested against those under cork. The results, done blind with decanted wines, were amazing, with the wine under screwcaps clearly fresher and far better preserved.’

Denis said that all but two of Leeuwin’s export markets are now asking for all of their wines under screwcap, pointing out that, ‘The market shift towards screwcap closures has occurred despite Leeuwin using the highest-quality corks and having a low level of cork problem.’

The company’s success with screwcap, he said, ‘has prompted the rebottling of the older vintage library stock from cork to screwcap as our winemakers have higher confidence in the ability of screwcap closures to better preserve ageing wines into the future.’