The positive impact of cork stoppers on the quality of sparkling wines

Several options of sparkling cork stoppers exist in the market nowadays, from 100% agglomerated or micro-granulated, to corks with one, two, or three natural cork discs obtained from high-quality cork, plus an agglomerated cork body. The differences in the physical and chemical composition of these stoppers are significant. While agglomerated and micro-granulated cork stoppers use a higher percentage of binder in their composition, cork stoppers with natural discs have a lower binder content and a higher percentage of natural cork. Furthermore, in cork stoppers with natural cork discs, the fraction of the stopper in contact with the wine is composed of high-quality natural cork, allowing direct contact and interaction with this noble material.

Research developed by Amorim in collaboration with several universities, has shown that wines sealed with cork stoppers with natural cork discs were preferred in blind tastings comparatively to the same wines with micro-granulated corks. This effect was noticed in wines from different styles and regions such as Prosecco, Franciacorta, Cava, and Champagne. Moreover, the wines sealed with cork stoppers with natural cork discs showed higher concentrations of several volatile compounds (particularly esters and terpenes), known to be important for the wine aroma, with statistically significant differences.

THE IMPACT OF CORK USE DURING TIRAGE

Although crown capsules are more used during the tirage of sparkling wines, research developed by Amorim for more than 10 years has shown that sparkling wines that undergo this process with cork stoppers with discs have better-preserved aromas.

These studies were performed with several wine producers from France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and South Africa and have shown that tirage with cork stoppers had better sensorial profiles and lower oxidation characteristics compared to those wines sealed with crown capsules.

In all cases, the analysis of the volatile components showed that cork stoppers had higher ester (fruity aromas) and lower aldehyde (oxidation aromas) contents, which might explain the sensorial differences found in the blind tastings. This effect could be perceived sooner or later depending on the wine style and structure. Regarding CO 2 retention, all Amorim tirage cork stoppers are tested to withstand pressures up to 10 bar and show excellent gas retention, comparable to crown capsules.

More than 80 clients from all over the world have tested Amorim’s tirage cork stoppers and this number is increasing every year, which shows that more and more winemakers are recognizing the positive impact of natural cork and the oenological tool this seal is, in order to obtain wines with distinct aromas and taste profiles.

For more information about Amorim cork stoppers for sparkling wines please visit:

https://www.amorimcork.com/en/portfolio/d/two-disc-sparkling-wine-stopper/223/