Lapeyre in screw tops !

Recently, after much thought, we decided to offer you the choice between traditional cork stoppers and screw tops for our "vins de fruit" 2004 range.
The move in favour of screw top closures came to light in Australia and New Zealand with Riesling and Sauvignon varieties, because the delicate and aromatic wines they produce are the first to be affected by defects in cork stoppers.
To us it seems perfectly logical to follow this line for our fruity and aromatic wines from Jurançon.

Cork has satisfied and continues to satisfy millions of consumers. It has existed for centuries and we owe to it the conservation of fine wines during this period. Nevertheless :

- increased world demand for cork has meant the cutting of younger, less mature cork barks and also the use of more porous, lower-density corks, cut nearer the ground…

- "corked" aromas due to TCA have become a real nightmare. TCA, a mysterious molecule of various origins can pollute a wine and make it undrinkable. In smaller doses, it can make tasting difficult by decreasing aromatic expression, reducing fruit flavours and drying out the palate, and when such a fault is identified it is only rarely linked to the cork. It is thought that around 10% of bottles are affected.1 year of work in the vineyard + 1 year of care in the cellar … and a disappointed customer !

Of course one can be nostalgic about the traditional cork extraction ceremony with its magical POP. The French (and perhaps even more so the Bearnais) remain very attached to the traditional cork whereas in other countries, especially in the North, the screw-top has been accepted.
There also exist synthetic stoppers shaped liked corks and sometimes even with the same colour. These are used only on wines to be drunk young and because their impermeability is not guaranteed beyond a couple of years, we have opted for the screw-top.
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The change hasn't been easy : this process needs sophisticated bottling equipment, so we called in a specialist company to bottle in our cellars with their mobile equipment. Although costs are high, the company is extremely meticulous where hygiene is concerned and the machine and work are both of extremely high quality. . Costs for us are more or less equivalent to those of a quality cork and its accompanying tin capsule, although we had to have a large number of screw-tops made just for us…

Beware of preconceived ideas, such as …

- "wine breathes in the bottle" : as E. Peynaud, eminent enologist from Bordeaux, explains " we observe the opposite of an oxidation, its by a process of reduction that the wine transforms…" and P. Ribereau-Gayon also from the enology institute observes that "oxygen is not the natural ageing agent of wine". .

With the screw-top closure, 100 kg of pressure is exerted on the rim of the neck and therefore makes the closure totally leak proof and stops any risk of oxidation. Comparative tastings of old Burgundy vintages gave preference to wines with screw-tops in which the wines conserved their original structure and freshness better. .

"tradition is what's best". We believe that all recent technological advances which can help improve the quality of wine, be they applicable in the vineyard, in the cellar or in the bottle, should be explored, with respect for the knowledge and traditions of our predecessors all the while. .

Other advantages …

- a new ceremony with the screw-top remains to be discovered : away with cork screws and broken corks, we'll now open bottles with a Crack instead of a Pop !!

- no more corked wines and no more wines with bad smells linked to corks : inside the screw top, there is an inert joint in a synthetic polymer which can in no way transfer bad smells or flavours to the wine, and although we are not great adepts of synthetics, it is impossible not to recognize its role in preserving our foodstuffs nowadays..

- On the technical side, a perfect screw-top closure prevents air from entering the bottle and enables us to reduce our use of sulphites in our wines.

- Easy opening and closing makes these screw-topped bottles perfect for serving our wines by the glass. Once opened, the bottle can be sealed and laid down in the fridge without risk. .