Cork-Free Closures

About TCA (Trichloroanisole)
WillaKenzie Estate has a strong commitment to the quality of the wines we deliver to our customers.  It is estimated that between 3% and 8% of all wines are spoiled by TCA (Trichloroanisole), a chemical formed when natural cork, after being cleaned by bleaching, reacts with the wine and causes musty, moldy aromas and flavors.

Using Screwcaps
Starting with the 2001 vintage, we started bottling some (not all) of our red and white wines with screwcaps to prevent the contamination associated with even the best grade of natural cork.  We are proud to be the first U.S. winery to bottle premium Pinot Noir with screwcap closures.

New Bottling Line
In 2005, we installed a highly automated, screwcap-adapted bottling line, which can easily switch between corks and screwcaps during bottling.  This innovative system was another first in Oregon.

“A bad cork is more than just spoiled wine.  It’s hard-earned money down the drain…  Buying bottles sealed with cork is like playing Russian roulette.”
—James Laube, Wine Spectator, March 31, 2005

“The jury is in on corks:  They can — and do — ruin wines.  It is increasingly unacceptable that wine producers everywhere don’t give us a choice.”
—Matt Kramer, Wine Spectator, October 15, 2003

 

CONSISTENCY

Benefits
You can be confident that wine sealed by screwcaps is in top condition, tasting the way the winemaker intended, and that every bottle is of consistent quality whether you plan to drink it right away or cellar it for several years.  Wine is expected to age at least as long and as well under screwcap as it will under natural cork.  The non-porous seal prevents oxygen from reaching the wine during aging, also the wine may be stored upright.

“Most producers have been hesitant to use screwcaps on wines destined to age.  Ironically, they are the wines that need them most because even corks not tainted with TCA dry out over time and fail to keep delicate old wines safe from the air.”
—Frank Prial, New York Times News Service, The Oregonian, May 11, 2004

“Under screwcaps, wines age as they would under a perfect cork in ideal cellar conditions.”
—Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, November 15, 2003