Washington's fourth largest winery moves all production to screw-cap closures

Washington

Jordan Ferrier, research winemaker for Constellation Wines U.S., presented the winery's extensive study results at the 62nd annual American Society of Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) Conference in Monterey, California, the leading technical conference for grape producers, technicians and researchers in North America. The study is the first conducted at a large-scale winery that compares multiple closure types sealed on a commercial bottling line under controlled conditions with findings shared publically. The full study will be available at www.twistopenhogue.com beginning Fri., June 24.

"Until now, acceptable wine aging standards have been defined by the cork closure," says The Hogue Cellars director of winemaking Coman Dinn. "However, this study shows that wines aged under the right screw-cap closure over five years were better preserved, aged well and were deemed the highest quality."

The study was conducted in two parts, the first focused on analyzing the impact of closure type on The Hogue Cellars 2004 Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc—an oxygen-sensitive white wine. The second section was dedicated to understanding the effects of screw-cap closures on the long-term age-ability of a 2004 Hogue Merlot and 2003 Genesis Merlot. Ten closure types were evaluated for the Sauvignon (Fumé) Blanc and nine closure types for each of the two Merlots with white samples evaluated at four-month intervals for three years and red wines evaluated at 12-month intervals for five years.

In total, more than 3,200 samples were tasted over the five-year span and overall, the panel preferred closures that allowed slower oxygen ingress and therefore, held proper levels of free sulfur dioxide (a common preservative) in the bottle. A team of seven trained winemaking and production experts at The Hogue Cellars blind-tasted and assessed each of the wines, with specific insights as follows:

• Wines under aluminum and tin-lined screw-cap closures showed reductive wine qualities or flinty characters, a smoky, gunpowder smell or taste.
• Wines sealed with synthetic corks oxidized more rapidly than other samples in the set.
• Wine sealed with an experimental alternative polymer liner exhibited dried fruit or oxidative characters.
• Wines sealed under a screw-cap with a Saranex liner held bright fruit tastes and aromas, showed steady, consistent oxygen exchange and preservation of free sulfur dioxide.
• High-quality natural cork showed signs of fruit preservation and steady oxygen ingress, but with great bottle to bottle variation and inconsistency. 

In summary, wines aged under Saranex-lined screw-caps tasted better and offered better results than aluminum or tin-lined screw-caps or synthetic closures, and eliminated any risk of TCA or taint that can occur using traditional cork means.

This is the second screw-cap study conducted by The Hogue Cellars. The findings of the winery's first study released in 2004 compared natural cork, synthetic closures and screwcaps, and found that wines bottled under screw-cap were cleanest and best retained fruit flavors.

As a result of those findings, The Hogue Cellars moved 70 percent of its production under screw-cap closures. The latest findings released today expand on the initial study by measuring the effects of each closure's age-ability over time based on the level and rate of oxygen ingress. As a result of this second study, The Hogue Cellars will move 100 percent of its production—which includes its premium-tier Genesis and Reserve wines—to screw-cap closures with Saranex liners. By the 2009 vintage, all wines in The Hogue Cellars portfolio will be under this closure type.

"It all comes down to quality. We want consumers to know that when they purchase a bottle of The Hogue Cellars wine, whether it's to enjoy that night or in five years, the wine in the bottle will be fresh because it's been sealed with the best closure currently on the market," says Dinn. "Our studies prove that high quality white and red wines can be sealed and preserved with screw-caps and we believe that our extensive research and proven results will help to positively shift the perception of screw-cap closures with consumers."

Source: Constellation Brands

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