The Auswine Forum

Hello all

Liebich the Darkie Shiraz is an outstanding wine, the 2001 was superb, and the 2002, based on the barrel sample that Michel, Mark Wickman and others on this forum tasted with me, will be even better.

The Liebichs have asked me for some help, and me to you.

They are taking what is, for a small boutique operation, a brave step and considering putting about 25% of the 2002 Darkie and others into Stelvin rather than cork.

They are seeking feedback that this will not effect sales, that many of you will respond positively and buy stelvin.

Am I right in this idea?

I certainly will buy and sell and promote stelvin, how about you Liebich and Darkie fans?

Gavin,

I'm not a Liebich and Darkie fan however in my recent discussions there's been a significant increase in wanting to choose between screwcap and cork both for small players and corporations alike.

I was talking to a small, but premium, winemaker at a tasting last week who said that even though he buys A grade corks he doesn't have the capacity to test them like the big guys do. (btw Southcorp are rejecting between 15-50% of cork batches at present, although this is all cork grades, not A1). He thinks, based on tasting and comparison, that cork suppliers sometimes mix in some A1 rejects into his A1 packs. He wants to move to screwcap as soon as bottles are availble and can schedule the bottling plant to visit.

The Tuckers rep I talked to recently visited Moss Wood a short while ago and Keith Mugford was saying that he would have liked to go all screwcap this year (leaving a bit in cork for the Americans of course), and probably will next year.

In my view fans of a small winery will take the wine either way and would appreciate the choice. The true enthusiasts will take the screwcap. This could be a way of sorting out allocation priorities for the following year .

Murray Almond
"Consumer screw cap advocate" as noted by Tyson Stelzer in 'Screwed for Good"

Gavin,

I will buy and support stelvin on the Darkie...

Full points to Liebich for giving consumers the choice....right or wrong in the long term.

Cheers, Adam

Gavin;

I'm somewhat biases on this as we are changing all our wines over to stelvin as do bottlings from now on, but when I walk into a retailer nowadays it does not bother me at all that a wine is under screwcap and if there is a choice between cork and screwcap, I will buy screwcap.

In addition I've just come back from the open day for the Hunter Valley Wine show and it is interesting the judges comments on a number of Classes was that "pity about the corked effect on many of these wines".

Hope this helps

jezza

Gavin
I tried the 2001 Liebich Cabernet (from Mark's Auction) and thought it was balanced by fine tannins and one of the better Barossa Cabernets I have ever tried and would really benefit from bottle age - hence I am majorly keen on any premium red to be in stelvin. If I cant get my favourite premium in stelvin if it is available then I dont buy it.
BTW I have emailed Moss Wood twice emphasising my desire to purchase the 2001 in screwcap-as the 2000 sold out so rapidly- and alas have had no reply.
cheers
michel

michel wrote:Gavin
I tried the 2001 Liebich Cabernet (from Mark's Auction) and thought it was balanced by fine tannins and one of the better Barossa Cabernets I have ever tried and would really benefit from bottle age - hence I am majorly keen on any premium red to be in stelvin. If I cant get my favourite premium in stelvin if it is available then I dont buy it.
BTW I have emailed Moss Wood twice emphasising my desire to purchase the 2001 in screwcap-as the 2000 sold out so rapidly- and alas have had no reply.
cheers
michel

Micehl

The Lofty (Cabernet) is outstanding, but gee its hard to sell unfortunately (must be something about Barossa and Shiraz), but I am a fan of their wine style.

Oliverhill have bottled some of the Jimmys Shiraz in stelvin and some cork.

Excepting for a specific customer who wanted cork, I have only bought Stelvin to promote and sell through the site.

Gavin

I'd support that with my wallet - good on em.

JWR

Michel,

Moss Wood will be at the Western Australian roadshow shindig in Brisvegas at the Stanford Plaza August 27 & 28 2.30pm-8pm.

They'll be at Stand 5, right next to the entrance (I'm looking at the floor plan), so get there early and bend their ear.

And also check out that Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Merlot, seriously yummy stuff.

Thanks Murray - you have swayed me - I will have to go now.
michel

Gavin, I'd buy them under cork, but prefer them under stelvin.

cheers

Andrew

Loved the 01 Darkie, will definitely buy the 02, high preference for stelvin, they'll wish they did 50% if they do 25%.

I definitely think Stelvin bottling will affect sales. It will almost definitely increase demand!!

Matthew

Hi Gavin,

Good on you for doing this bit of research for the Liebichs.

Not surprisingly, a question such as this on a wine discussion board will inevitably receive a positive response. Wine marketers acknowledge that it is among discerning buyers that there is the least resistance to screw caps.

Nonetheless, they are also reporting that even among the mass-market wines (e.g. Taylors Cabernet) the response to screw caps has been such that demand hasn't changed. I think this is the long-term response that wine producers can expect - no change in sales volumes if they go to screw cap.

Of course, among premium products the screw-capped wines are selling faster than their cork-sealed counterparts. And, indeed, much faster than they were a year ago. Things are moving quickly, and, at least as far as the domestic market is concerned, the response has been very positive. Not so much so in our export markets, although New Zealand producers (who have a lot more screw caps on the ground in the US and Europe than Australian producers do at the moment) are reporting a very positive response there also - and a significant improvement in the past twelve months.

I've had the opportunity to taste a lot of red wines with the same wine under both cork and screw cap recently. As a result, I'm now at a point where I'm starting to become reluctant to buy wines under cork, seeking out those under screw cap.

I've done a fair bit of research into market trends and the rapid changes in perception since I published "Screwed for good? The case for screw caps on red wines". I'd be happy to speak with the Liebichs if they would like some more info.

Regards,
Tyson Stelzer

Murray wrote:And also check out that Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Merlot, seriously yummy stuff.

Murray,

I thought it was seriously very ordinary, one of the most ordinary in the whole batch I tried at the show. Rated it Agreeable with ** for value.

Ric,

I replied on the WA Merlot thread, my bottle was Stelvin and had been opened around 18 hours, this may have been a factor.

Murray,

I have no idea how my Merlot response got posted to this thread seven minutes later. Up until that time I had only read the thread, never posted. Wierd!

At least it's not and "Internal Server Error"

Murray wrote:Michel,

Moss Wood will be at the Western Australian roadshow shindig in Brisvegas at the Stanford Plaza August 27 & 28 2.30pm-8pm.

They'll be at Stand 5, right next to the entrance (I'm looking at the floor plan), so get there early and bend their ear.

And also check out that Moss Wood Ribbon Vale Merlot, seriously yummy stuff.

Where is it possible to get a floorplan for winewa at the Stanford Plaza?

Graham,

It's printed in the bochure you get when you arrive.

Although give me a few minutes.

Murray

Murray wrote:Graham,

It's printed in the bochure you get when you arrive.

Although give me a few minutes.

Murray

Murray

Many thanks for the floor plans.

I am going on Thursday and am looking forward to the tasting.

Pity I cannot split and do some on Wednesday and then return on Thursday.

Opened a Bowen Shiraz 2000 tonight. Our local bottle shop is having a clearance. $15.20 for the Bowen and I am going back tomorrow to get some more. Also bought some Brands Cab Sauv 2000 at good prices.

GrahamB