Is The Wine Corked or Corky? and Other Wine Closure Conundrums

Plus: New releases from Ken Wright and Red Electric. Washington AVAs in 3-D!

Various stories recently have been celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the publication of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s most famous work – ’The Great Gatsby’. Having not read the book since high school, I took it up again and was almost immediately struck by this passage from the first chapter:

“You make me feel uncivilized Daisy, I confessed on my second glass of corky but rather impressive claret. Can’t you talk about crops or something? I meant nothing in particular by this remark, but it was taken up in an unexpected way.”

Unexpected indeed, a century later. What the hell is corky? If it simply means the wine was corked, it couldn’t honestly be called impressive. There’s nothing impressive about a corked wine. It’s a musty, fruitless, dead wine ruined by TCA, a harmless but destructive mold affecting corks and barrels not properly sanitized.

There is no definition that I can find for corky other than as a synonym for corked. Which suggests that whatever the admirable qualities of the narrator in Gatsby, a fine palate was not among them.

Corks of all types can be problematic. Consider the extra thick corks that enclose Champagne and champagne method sparkling wines. They present serious challenges to a safe and successful opening. First of all, put down that sword. Decapitating wine bottles is never a good idea, and can lead to serious injury. The wire cage that secures the cork is there for your safety, and once removed that cork can explode out of the bottle and put out an eye. So always cover it with a towel while removing the cage. But at some point the damn cork has to be removed, and all too often they are stuck. The younger the wine, the stuck-er the cork.

The best solution is to use a Champagne wine star, such as this one from Le Creuset ($38). A similar product is sold by VacuVin at a lower cost ($25). These ingenious devices are ergonomically designed to fit the grooves in the top of the Champagne cork and easily turn it. Once unstuck it will easily pop out.

The one problem a wine star can’t solve showed up recently in a bottle of Grand Cru Champagne sent to me. The producer had inexplicably slathered the entire cork and wire cage in a wax coating. It actually seemed to have been dipped in wax! I should have put a timer on how long it took me to clean it up and open that bottle. I pity the poor sommelier tasked with serving that wine in a restaurant.

In order to avoid TCA, more and more wines, including some of the very best, are sealed with aggregated corks, and particularly those made by Diam. This French company has worked hard for success, and calls itself “the guardian of aromas” and “the world leader in cork closures”. Diam closures seem to have solved the issue of TCA, and have been developed to permit gentle oxidation/aging of the wine.

As always with any wine closures, there is a downside, which is that unlike solid corks aggregated corks are almost impossible to re-insert once pulled. They almost instantly expand just enough to not fit back in the bottle. This may not trouble you, but for me, with a dozen or more bottles open for tasting on any given day, putting the corks back in is important for several reasons.

First, it keeps the fruit flies out. Second, should the bottle get tipped, it prevents spills. And by immediately re-corking a wine after pouring a glass, it minimizes oxygen exposure and helps to keep it fresh for another couple of days. There are many inexpensive closures available (or just use a standard cork saved previously) so you don’t have a battle on your hands trying to smash it back into the bottle.

While we’re on the subject, here’s one more cork-related issue. You may have noticed that some bottles feature a dab of colored wax applied to the top of the exposed cork in lieu of a capsule. These can be quite lovely, and may have some small ecological benefits also. But… (isn’t there always a but?)… pushing your waiters’ corkscrew through the wax in order to pull the cork will coat the worm (that’s the screw part) with some of the wax. If you happen to open a bunch of these all at once, your corkscrew is now completely waxed, some of which may peel off into the next wine you open.

Trust me, cleaning the worm is a pain. So do this – use the small blade or the tip of the worm to pry the wax dab off the top of the cork before you pull it. Most of the time it pops right off. In fact if you collect a few of them they make colorful hockey pucks for your cat.

Now on to this week’s tasting notes, with some exceptional values among them.

Ken Wright

About a year or two ago Ken Wright expanded his line with a pair of affordable Willamette Valley offerings, Pinot noir and Chardonnay. Look for them as glass pours at your favorite restaurant.

Another recently-added tier includes two AVA-based wines. This, Wright explains, “is our effort to show the importance of geology (parent material, mother rock…call it what you will) and the massive influence it has on the profile of Pinot noir. While soil is important to health, and is the great decayer of all physical matter which eventually provides nutrition, it is the original geology below soil that brings real complexity and nuance to wine. It is incumbent of course that sensitive farming supports aerobic microbiological populations that break down the raw ore of the geology and provide the trace elements (manganese, phosphorous, potassium, iron, etc.) in an ionic form to the plant. We provide examples of these differences in profile through the AVA-based wines – our Yamhill-Carlton AVA cuvée (marine sediment based), and our Eola-Amity Hills AVA cuvée (volcanic basalt).”

In my experience there is no one in Oregon with a deeper knowledge of viticultural geology than Ken Wright, who has been the principal force behind the establishment of at least a half dozen Willamette Valley’s sub-AVAs. Ken always releases his newest wines ahead of the pack, so take the following reviews and scores with that in mind. New young wines can jump through a lot of hoops as they settle in.

Ken Wright 2023 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir – This is the second vintage for this affordable Pinot from Ken Wright. An energetic young wine, it’s tightly focused with red currant and wild raspberry fruit, leading into light tannins showing savory highlights. There’s a juicy mouthfeel keeping it fresh and lively. 13.2%; $28 (Willamette Valley) 91/100

Ken Wright 2023 Yamhill-Carlton Pinot Noir – Bright and spicy, it boasts juicy flavors of just-ripe marionberries, with hints of nettles and savory herbs. Firm through the mid-palate, it sails into a lingering, mildly astringent finish with hints of orange peel. 4359 cases; 13%; $38 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100

Ken Wright 2023 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir – Fragrant and fruity, this hits the palate as a big bowl of ripe cherries, clean and vividly refreshing. Under the bright fruit is a seam of clean earth, a marker for Eola-Amity Hills Pinots. Medium long and flavorful all the way, it’s a fine representation of this AVA. 4473 cases; 13%; $38 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100

Ken Wright 2023 Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir – For the second vintage in a row this KW version of Shea is light and tangy – accenting the aromatics and acids, putting a citrus and savory twist on the fruit from this stellar vineyard. Nice touches of breakfast tea and baking spices adorn a light and layered finish. 2660 6-pak cases; 12.6%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 92/100

Ken Wright 2023 Bryce Vineyard Pinot Noir – The appealing seashell minerality of Ribbon Ridge AVA wines underscores tight, tart, brambly red and blue fruits. This is spot on for lovers of elegant, soil-driven wines from this small AVA. The astringent tannins suggest pairing this with a fresh and fatty salmon steak. 352 6-pak cases; 13.1%; $65 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Ken Wright 2023 Bonnie Jean Vineyard Pinot Noir – The marionberry fruit is elegantly layered with Asian spices, flower pollen and cocoa powder. The flavors tickle rather than soak the palate. The distinctive, site-specific flavors unfold in a chorus of pollen, fresh herbs, wild, brambly berries and hints of new barrel toast. The floral accents continue on through the long finish. A unique and intriguing wine. 664 6-pak cases; 12.5%; $65 (Yamhill-Carlton) 94/100

Ken Wright 2023 Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – There are many wineries doing Freedom Hill selections, but this new offering is as good as I’ve ever seen. It bursts open into a delightful, perfectly balanced mix of blackberries, cherries, salted chocolate, lightly savory tannins and sappy acids. This very young wine is already spectacular, and with more bottle age should turn into a masterpiece. Best of all the KW 2023 Pinots by far. 1852 6-pak cases; 13.4%; $65 (Willamette Valley) 96/100

Red Electric

While we’re singing the praises of Ribbon Ridge, here’s a winery you should jump on. Red Electric’s estate vineyard – the Armstrong vineyard – consists of 16 acres planted in 2007 and organically farmed since 2012. Its Chardonnay clones include Musqué, Espiguette, Dijon 76 and Mt. Eden; the Pinot Noir clones are Pommard, Wadenswil and Dijon 667, 777, 114 and 115. Quite a diverse collection for such a small vineyard.

While tasting through the impressive lineup I wondered how the various selections were differentiated, which prompted this email from co-founder (with John Grochau) Doug Ackerman. “We are a ‘top down’ winery in the sense that our goal is always to make the very best wine we can from our vineyard. In most vintages, we are able to make a TGV, which is usually 60-120 cases. While it would be logical to conclude that it is a blend of our 4 or 5 best barrels, that really isn’t the case.

PG: Please explain.

DA: “We usually have about 30-35 barrels to work with. The barrels are often different clonal combinations from year to year, depending on harvest details—for example, some years we will harvest the 777 and the 115 on the same dates, and historically these two clones co-ferment really well together. Other years, those blocks will not be ready at the same time, and they will be fermented solo, or in combination with other clones. We have learned that the co-ferments tend to be the most interesting, so we often lean in that direction when possible. Furthermore, we love whole cluster unless the stems are too bitter, or there is too much botrytis (rare), etc. So this will vary from year to year. At the end of the day, we never know which barrels will make it into the TGV, but it is often fractions of a barrel—incredible the difference that adding 5% of a new oak barrel, for example, will impart on a wine (sometimes for the better, other times not).”

PG: What next?

DA: “We then look at our next favorite barrels that didn’t go into the TGV. Sometimes these barrels are just as good or interesting as the TGV barrels, but just didn’t improve the cuvée. Often the Pulse is used as a vehicle for us to showcase the vineyard in a slightly different style than the TGV. While the TGV tends to be bigger-boned and usually has up to 25% new oak, the Pulse tends to be ‘nervier’ and perhaps more dominated by red-blue fruit than the blacker TGV. With the Pulse, we are giving the consumer a stylistic choice, but qualitatively it is usually a coin flip.”

PG: So in effect you’re offering the buyer a stealth bargain!

DA: “If we made only one high end bottling, it would be difficult to sell that many cases at the price of the TGV. In 2023, added 25% of the TGV blend to the Pulse, which really added gravitas.”

PG: And The Interurban?

DA: “The Interurban is a blend of the remaining barrels – a snapshot of the entire vineyard. In 2023, we kicked down about 1/8th of the final Pulse blend to the Interurban. I love our Interurban, every year! We have tried to keep the price down to provide consumers an entry point into our brand; a wine that can be poured by the glass at restaurants, etc. In 2023, to maximize the quality, we excluded a half-dozen barrels that we felt were non-contributory. Our current plan is to make yet another bottling, tentatively called ‘Brasserie’ using these barrels.”

PG: No TGV or Pulse in 2022?

DA: “In 2022 we had an early frost that led to late bud break, and subsequent farming challenges. We felt we didn’t have the quality for TGV or Pulse, so simply made Interurban. You will find this wine to be crunchy and fun, especially after 30 minutes of aeration, but it won’t take you to the heights of our upper end blends.

PG: Thoughts on the Chardonnays?

DA: “Regarding the Chardonnay, we simply harvest it all together and try to make the best wine we can, which becomes the Evening Primrose. The remainder becomes the Alpine Lily, and we add a little of the EP blend to the final Alpine Lily to give it the energy we are always looking for in our Chards.”

PG: Thank you Doug for providing real insight into your process. I hope it adds value to the reviews posted here.

Red Electric 2023 Alpine Lily Chardonnay – All estate fruit, this includes a bit of the more select Evening Primrose in the blend. If Chardonnay this good can be made in Oregon and sold for $25, look out Burgundy. My forays into “inexpensive” white Burgundies (under $40) have yielded nothing half as good. Balanced, soft, ripe and sexy, this brings a lush mix of Meyer lemon, lemon meringue, pineapple and apricot fruit, accented with leesy minerality. 71 cases; 12.8%; $25 (Ribbon Ridge) 92/100

Red Electric 2021 Evening Primrose Chardonnay – A barrel selection, this is unsurprisingly similar to the companion Alpine Lily bottling, as both are estate grown clones, harvested together and treated equally prior to being finished as separate lots. The Primrose is slightly heavier, richer, bigger in moderate ways, with flavors of citrus, pineapple, lemon meringue, apricot jam and a hint of apple pie. Both of these Chardonnays are excellent values. 68 cases; 12.8%; $35 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Red Electric 2022 Armstrong Vineyard ‘Interurban’ Pinot Noir – It's rare to find a vineyard-designated, estate-grown, Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir at this price. This is a sturdy, substantial, even powerful wine, and the only Pinot made by the winery in 2022. Brambly blackberry fruit, nettles and clean earth combine in a full-bodied palate. Tannins are firm with an underpinning of graphite. 15% saw new French oak during 17 months in barrel. 400 cases; 13.4%; $28 (Ribbon Ridge) 92/100

Red Electric 2023 Armstrong Vineyard ‘Interurban’ Pinot Noir – The entry-level estate Pinot Noir from Red Electric, shows very well in this new vintage. The winery “kicked down” about 1/8th of the final Pulse blend and added it here to enhance quality. The blue and black fruits come up sharp and bright with tangy citrus acids. Sophisticated winemaking – 18% whole cluster fermentation, 16 months on the lees with 18% in new oak – have resulted in a complex wine with expensive wine creds at a value price. 515 cases; 13.8%; $28-$32 (Ribbon Ridge) 92/100

Red Electric 2023 Armstrong Vineyard ‘The Pulse’ Pinot Noir – The Pulse is the second tier (in terms of pricing) of the winery’s ‘top down’ blending approach. It’s an elegant and aromatic wine with depth and detail. Light on its feet, deep in its impact, it brings cherry, blood orange, sassafras, milk chocolate and more as it trails off down through the finish. Clearly a wine that will open, expand and evolve with time, it may be enjoyed now or cellared for up to a decade. 90 cases; 13.8%; $50 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Red Electric 2023 Armstrong Vineyard ‘TGV’ Pinot Noir – A reserve assembled from barrel fractions (see notes above), this has one third whole clusters in the ferment and a whopping (that’s a joke) 20% new French oak for 16 months. It’s a total win – packed with a powerful mix of ripe berries, cherries, coffee grounds, dark chocolate and Asian spices. With ample aeration it expands into a full-bodied wine that saturates the palate with a richness akin to a woven tapestry. 70 cases; 13.9%; $70 (Ribbon Ridge) 94/100

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New Website: The old joke asking which side of the Potomac are Washington grapes grown on has finally been answered with a splendid new website – WA Wine 360. It first places the state in the context of the globe, then allows the viewer to click on each of the official AVAs to get a closeup overview of the landscape, with a text box offering further information. Some AVAs such as Rocky Reach provide a three dimensional look. It’s an involving site that invites further exploration, more than I’ve yet had time to completely digest. But congratulations to the Washington Wine Commission for making it available.

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