For The Love Of Port

welcome another closure, other than cork?

I am not espousing we move away from cork. In fact I like cork. When I think of cork, I think of Portugal and I like Portugal.

The discussion boils down to how far you (and I) would go to guarantee that we had no more corked bottles of Vintage Port, ever again.

I voted but it then offered me the chance to vote again so I think the setting must be wrong on the initial post.

Cork rules

No, only you get to vote twice, nobody else. I knew your 2nd vote would provide great insight.

I like cork for the tradition and ceremony, but it doesn't stand the test of time. I have yet to open a bottle older than about 10 years in which the cork didn't fall apart at least partially during extraction. So I think we should continue to experiment until we've found a more durable replacement, but in the mean time cork's the way to go!

Glenn E. wrote:I have yet to open a bottle older than about 10 years in which the cork didn't fall apart at least partially during extraction.

You need more practice my friend

I can show you many corks of 30-40 years of age that have come out intact - you just have to keep trying it regularly until you get the hang of it

Derek

I wonder whether more effort could be directed towards improving the quality of natural corks. It would seem to me that the Port industry, in particular, would have a strong incentive to see whether it would be possible to produce stronger and sterile corks, before moving to other closures.

For my part, I don’t particularly mind screw-tops but I can’t stand those plastic corks! They must rate as one of the wine industry’s worst innovations in recent years...

-Jacob

Until something comes along that they can prove last as long, does as good of a job, and is as cheap, I say we stick with cork. I'd rather risk an odd bottle being corked than find out 30 years from now that all my bottles are bad because of some new unproven top.

Colheita in a box type of thing would be interesting. Have it sold in a 5 gallon container with a spout would be a welcome addition in my cellar. Kind of like a port keg!

A Port keg..now we're talking. I like the way your thinking Moses :twisted:

Moses Botbol wrote:Colheita in a box type of thing would be interesting. Have it sold in a 5 gallon container with a spout would be a welcome addition in my cellar. Kind of like a port keg!

Moses , a Port keg !
This begs the question , when the 1st corked Port keg ??

It will be interesting to see in 10+ years from now, what new technologies bring to the world of wine closures.

Depending on who you believe, the rates for TCA infection in natural corks range today between 5-8% (and I have seen one very-unscientific wine journalist mention 10%). Even on the low end at 5% ... it is just not an acceptable tolerance for failure and whether in the automotive, aeronautic, computer or the vast majority of other industries ... it would be so unacceptable, that billions of dollars would be thrown at any similar problem; to solve it once and for all.

Why not with corks? That is my question for today.

Roy Hersh wrote:Even on the low end at 5% ... it is just not an acceptable tolerance for failure and whether in the automotive, aeronautic, computer or the vast majority of other industries ... it would be so unacceptable, that billions of dollars would be thrown at any similar problem; to solve it once and for all.

And yet Microsoft is still in business and publishing Windows.

Last night was another in a long line of corked bottles of 1983 Cockburn's. I am not close to exhausing my own supply of these bottles. Fortunately only the nose showed signs (distinctly so) of TCA taint, but the palate was still enjoyable.

That is a total bummer, but no real suprise given the bottle in question. Cockburn's really needs to step up to the plate on this one and do something to remedy the situation. I've never ever heard of this many corked bottles from one Port producer and vintage before. I feel it is irresponsible of Cockburn's not to make remedy for this large scale problem. Any other business (car, computer, etc) that had that many problems with one product would have done a recall or some other way of compensating the people who bought the damaged product. Why Cockburn's doesn't I don't know.

I have two bottles left and they sit in my cellar because I know the odds are greater they will be corked than not. I won't sell them off for the same reason as Roy, but whenever I plan to open one you can bet I will have another bottle of some port next to it as a back up.

Andy Velebil wrote:I have two bottles left and they sit in my cellar because I know the odds are greater they will be corked than not. I won't sell them off for the same reason as Roy, but whenever I plan to open one you can bet I will have another bottle of some port next to it as a back up.

It'll either be one of the best 80's bottles of the decade or worst. I have '83 Cockburn 4-5 times and only once was without TCA.

Moses,

I have had some 1983 Cockburn's from when I first got into Port and upon release of the 1983s. I tasted it early on and bought a couple of cases at different times from different purveyors. When not corked, it is my favorite Cockburn's since the 1935, although the '77 is pretty remarkable albeit non-existent in the marketplace.