Château Closiot 2019 Le C de Sec Bordeaux Blanc
In this SaranTin screwcap vs Diam 10, the screwcap was once again the slightly more open of the two, which brought forward the spicy character of the Sauvignon Gris that represents 25% of this blend. I preferred the more focused, intense, and savory wine under Diam. Panel vote: screwcap 3, Diam 12, tie 2.
Verget 2004 Chassagne-Montrachet Premier Cru Chenevottes
In this screwcap vs cork duo, both bottles had a delicious, honeyed, brioche aroma and were seductive on the front of the palate, but there they diverged, with screwcap taking a straight line, lean and lemon-pithy, while the cork opened up and showed more body, generosity, and juiciness, with a fresh finish. So, I felt the screwcap narrowed the wine, keeping it in the high-acid profile of the cold vintage, while the cork allowed more expression of this terroir, which is always among the most engaging and fruit-driven of Chassagne- Montrachet premiers crus. There wasn’t really much between them for quality. The cork was clean as a whistle, so I vote cork and terroir over vintage. Panel vote: screwcap 3, cork 12, tie 2.
Verget 2009 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Sous le Puits
Screwcap vs cork, but this time there was no contest—the cork was much fresher. When I tasted, I unfairly assumed that the screwcap was the fresher wine. It was interesting to see a second Verget wine from the rich 2009 vintage, which you’d think would benefit from a more reductive closure. The aroma of Sous le Puits under cork was still remarkably floral and upright and the palate quivered. A fine, high-wired structure—yes, there is the 2009 richness, but sweet and high-toned, with a saline, linear finish. Spot-on for typicité. The screwcap, albeit the inferior Sarantex, was disappointing; more evolved and honeyed on the aroma; that’s alright, but the palate seems flat and a bit tired, if not slightly oxidized. The panel, however, was evenly split: screwcap 6, Diam 7, tie 4.
Verget 2011 Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Sous le Puits
This again was screwcap Sarantex vs cork, but I found both of them quite similar, with modest intensity, well-balanced, showing a touch of minerality, but not much terroir identity and a bit pedestrian. Maybe the screwcap wine was a little more compact, but not enough for me to argue the wine was better or more interesting, so I scored them equally. 2011 was a pleasant enough vintage that will not repay aging further. Most of the panel, however, preferred the screwcap. Panel vote: screwcap 13, cork 1, tie 3.
Verget 2003 Corton-Charlemagne
Goodness me, once again the cork trumped the Sarantex screwcap. Corton-Charlemagne under cork still showed sweetness, generosity, and seduction on the palate, whereas I found there was little left but oak on the screwcap wine, which was bald in comparison. The cork had preserved
the wines from this hot dry vintage much more successfully for me. Panel vote: screwcap 5, cork 10, tie 2.
Verget 2012 Meursault Les Clous
Sarantex screwcap vs Diam 10. I found the wine under Diam had the sweet citrus character of the vintage and some of high-toned tension of Les Clous, but also had struck-match reductive notes, which were maybe too overt, while the screwcap wine was not as bright and certainly more evolved. Julien recalls he added more SO2 at bottling with the Diam, and he wonders whether it might have been too much. Whether it is the SO2 or the Diam, I would rather have the fresher wine. Panel vote: screwcap 9, Diam 10, tie 1.
Verget 2015 Meursault Les Clous
Diam 30 vs screwcap SaranTin—so a higher end version of both, and to me, the Diam was the clear winner. I found the screwcap thinned and dried out the wine leaving a bitter finish, while under Diam the opulence of the 2015 was evident and yet it had proper Clous like tension which carried to a firm and nicely persistent finish. The panel was evenly divided. Panel vote: screwcap 7, Diam 6, tie 4.
Verget 2013 Mâcon-Vergisson La Roche
Diam 5 was used for this wine from the north face of the Vergisson rock in the cold and wet 2013 vintage. I can’t say I really liked either wine, as both were very herbaceous, and I am not sure the closure made much difference. A tie for me. Panel vote: screwcap 5, Diam 7, tie 5.
Verget 2013 St-Véran Lieu Interdit
Diam 10 vs Sarantex screwcap. The Diam was more evolved, but I preferred it. Panel vote: screwcap 8, Diam 7, tie 2.
Verget 2014 Pouilly-Fuissé Les Combes VV
I found Les Combes under SaranTin screwcap was richer and more open and inviting, while the wine under Diam had a purer and fresher aroma, but it was very tight and lean on the palate, a bit too reductive maybe, so I preferred the former. But it was quite a close-run thing. Panel vote: screwcap 9, Diam 6, tie 2.
Verget 2010 Pouilly-Fuissé La Roche
Cork versus Sarantex screwcap. This was the last vintage in which Jean-Marie used cork, and I much preferred La Roche 2010 under cork. Straight, clean, energetic, and well-defined, this cut across the palate to a saline finish, very expressive of the terroir, while I found the hallmark of the vintage, as well as evolution, more evident in the screwcap wine, which was rich, salty, and creamy, and while non unattractive, for me the terroir and finish were more precise under cork. Panel vote: screwcap 5, cork 11, tie 1.
Verget 2014 Pouilly-Fuissé La Roche La Roche under SaranTin screwcap was pure, light,
tight, bright, and salty, definitely some reserve here, while under a Diam 10 it was more open and forthcoming. I liked them both, so it was a tie for me. Panel vote: screwcap 3, Diam 10, tie 4.
Verget 2015 Pouilly-Fuissé La Roche
Both examples from the rich 2015 vintage were seductive and glossy, but I preferred the more expressive wine under SaranTin screwcap. In 2015, Guffens moved to a Diam 30 which, together with the free SO2, made the wine more reserved. Again, in the panel vote there was not much between SaranTin and Diam: screwcap 6, Diam 7, tie 4.
Verget 2015 Pouilly-Fuissé La Roche
Both examples from the rich 2015 vintage were seductive and glossy, but I preferred the more expressive wine under SaranTin screwcap. In 2015, Guffens moved to a Diam 30 which, together with the free SO2, made the wine more reserved. Once again, in the panel vote there not much between SaranTin and Diam: screwcap 6, Diam 7, tie 4.
We finished with some reds Château Rauzan-Ségla
Ségla 2009: Panel vote: screwcap 11, cork 5. Ségla 2010: Panel vote: screwcap 8, cork 7, tie 2. Kumeu River 2000 Melba
The Brajkovich family have since grubbed up this vineyard. The screwcap was universally preferred. Felton Road 2001 Pinot Noir Panel vote: screwcap 12, cork 4, and tie 1. Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz Panel vote: screwcap 10, cork 4, tie 3. Isole e Olena Cepparello
Both vintages seemed more elegant under screwcap, with a finer, lighter texture. Cepparello 2005: Panel vote: screwcap universally preferred. Cepparello 2016: Panel vote: screwcap 7, cork 8, tie 1.
PANEL OF TASTERS Stephen Browett (Farr Vintners) Josh Castle (Noble Rot/Keeling Andrew) Oz Clarke
Julien Desplans (Maison Verget) Rebecca Gibb MW (Vinous) David Gleave MW (Liberty) Jamie Goode Nicola Greening (Felton Road Wines) Marie Guffens (Domaine Guffens-Heynen) Joss Fowler (Vinolent) Ella Lister (Le Figaro) Sophie Liverman (Sessions Arts Club) Sarah Marsh MW Thomas Parker MW (Farr Vintners) Chas Peterkin (Four Walls Wine) Jancis Robinson MW Tim Sykes (The Wine Society)
THE WORLD OF FINE WINE | ISSUE 87 | 2025 | 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164 |
Page 165 |
Page 166 |
Page 167 |
Page 168 |
Page 169 |
Page 170 |
Page 171 |
Page 172 |
Page 173 |
Page 174 |
Page 175 |
Page 176 |
Page 177 |
Page 178 |
Page 179 |
Page 180 |
Page 181 |
Page 182 |
Page 183 |
Page 184 |
Page 185 |
Page 186 |
Page 187 |
Page 188 |
Page 189 |
Page 190 |
Page 191 |
Page 192 |
Page 193 |
Page 194 |
Page 195 |
Page 196 |
Page 197 |
Page 198 |
Page 199 |
Page 200 |
Page 201 |
Page 202 |
Page 203 |
Page 204 |
Page 205 |
Page 206 |
Page 207 |
Page 208 |
Page 209 |
Page 210 |
Page 211 |
Page 212 |
Page 213 |
Page 214 |
Page 215 |
Page 216 |
Page 217 |
Page 218 |
Page 219 |
Page 220
