Cork vs. Screwcap. There have been many heated debates as to the best topper for wine. Cork has been used to close bottles of wine for centuries. It is tradition. It is romantic. There is just something about opening a bottle and hearing that "pop". But cork is not a perfect closure. It allows air into the bottle and can cause the wine to spoil. Now this won't happen over week/months, but if you have a cellar and age wine for years and even decades, there is a slight chance that air could seep through the cork and ruin your wine.
I personally have enjoyed buying wine with screwcaps. With a screwcap, I know that no air has leaked into the bottle and I know the wine won't be ruined. Sure, it doesn't have the romantic "pop" when I open it. In fact, it's more like a unceremonious 'crack'. And sure, it carries a certain "stigma" of Boones Farm or Carlo Rossi jug wine. But hey, this is my hard-earned cash. I don't want to waste it on something I can't enjoy. I can dispense with the romanticism for guarantees. What do you think? Leave a comment.
Cost: $13/bottle
2006 Dusted Valley Vintners Cabernet Sauvignon Boomtown - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
Screw cap... now this is what I like in a cheap, everyday quaffer. This reminded me of a Columbia Crest Cab, and for the price, I'm definitely going back for more. Initial nose of oak (vanilla), blackberry, plum and tobacco. In fact, at one point, I got the image of vanilla pipe tobacco that I love when someone smokes it. On the palate there is really lush blackberry and black cherry notes, with hints of plum. You can definitely get more of the oak/vanilla. With air, I pick up a slight chocolate/coffee note. I didn't finish the bottle, so I vacu-vinned the final glass and tried it the next day. This quickly falls apart, as all the dark fruit disappears, and mostly tastes sour and like smoke. As long as you finish this in one sitting, this is really enjoyable stuff.
Rating: Very Good (if it didn't fall apart on day two, I would have given it... outstanding).
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2 comments:
Be sure and ask around for the Boomtown wines, as they really do fit the bill as daily quaffers indeed.
In addition to the silky, layered 2007 cabernet sauvignon, the Boomtown label also includes a plush, structured merlot, a tropical fruit-forward viognier with good acid and dry finish, and a crisp chardonnay showing pleasant mounthfeel and also plenty of good food-pairing acids. The 2007 Boomtown syrah and cabernet sauvignon (loud echo on the previous post) do not dissappoint with their velvet fruits and appropriate varietal characteristics.
Getting the attention of those of us looking for high quality-to-price ratios, the Boomtown label from Dusted Valley Vinters out of Walla Walla, clearly fits the bill
for a wide population of us. As an added bonus, Dusted Valley's small case production and vintner's story as a successful, likeable family run operation with strong business practices, and an easy-going fun spirit surrounding wine, will underscore anyone's feel-good quotient when making repeated purchases of these tremendous wines.
In addition to their Walla Walla winery and tasting room, Dusted Valley Vintners has a presence in the Seattle area. Located in Woodinville's wine tourism district, the tasting room is in the Hollywood Wine District, next to The Purple Cafe.
Thanks for the insight - I look forward to trying the other varietals that Boomtown has to offer!
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