We’ll never revert to cork: Taylors

By James Atkinson

Taylors Wines would never follow the path of some other Australian wineries in putting its wines back under cork to appeal to Chinese consumers, managing director Mitchell Taylor has proclaimed.

Taylor said that despite the growing importance of China as a wine export market and its consumers' strong preference for cork closures, Taylors will remain 100 per cent screwcap on its still wines.

"We would never bow to putting corks back in," he told journalists at a dinner in Sydney on Monday.

"When we launched St Andrews [into China]… the Chinese actually insisted that we keep continuing with corks.

"We've then gone on a real education program and said the only reason we don't have these top wines under cork is that cork is an inferior seal," Taylor said.

Taylor recounted his family's role along with other Clare Valley wineries in pioneering screwcap in Australia.

"In 2004, we actually became the first winery to go 100 per cent on screwcap," he said.

"Ever since that day we've never put a cork back into the bottle, and I don't intend to unless someone can show me the perfect cork."

He said Taylors had had a good reaction from its on-premise customers to the launch of a small proportion of its first ever sparkling wine, Taylors Estate Pinot Noir Chardonnay Brut Cuvee, under the Viiva screwcap closure last year. 

"We've been quite selective with where we've put it," he said.

"We've had no pushback from it. Of course, a lot of people do talk about the romance of cork, but we feel it's important to present an alternative."

Taylor also gave a sneak preview of a new ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon that will form the pinnacle of the winery's range. He said the new wine will be released later this year with a likely price point of around $120.