Brand name for a champagne closure developed by the French company ALCAN Packaging Capsules in collaboration with the champagne house Duval-Leroy, which was presented to the public in mid-2009. ALCAN is also the inventor and manufacturer of the well-known screw cap brand STELVIN. The closure consists of a capsule with a crown cork with an integrated clip for opening. Since no conventional cork is used, this also eliminates the dreaded problem of cork taint. Opening a champagne bottle is thus much easier and also faster than with a conventional closure. In addition, the "pop" (opening sound) that is so popular with many consumers is preserved. In the opinion of culture enthusiasts, there should be no noise at all when removing the stopper, and "popping the cork" should not be part of the repertoire of a cultivated wine or sparkling wine connoisseur.
This special closure consists of a plastic capsule placed over the top of the bottle with a crown cork inside that is not visible from the outside. On the side of the bottle neck there is a ten-centimetre-long clip that pulls up the capsule when it is flipped up, releasing the crown cork in the process. The capsule above the crown cork sits so tightly over the neck of the bottle that a distinct "pop" is produced when it is pulled up. It should be noted that during bottle fermentation and subsequent storage on the yeast, the bottles are usually also closed by means of crown caps until disgorgement (removal of the yeast sediment) and only then do they receive the final closure.
According to Alcan, the company had invested about one million euros in the development. An annual production of 15 million units was expected. However, after a decision by a regional instance of the French competition authority DGCCRF in Champagne, the closure was not allowed to be used. This was justified by a law for the protection of products with designation of origin from May 1919 and an EU directive that defines the criteria for the closure of sparkling wines. The Alcan company has protested against this and argues with the advantages compared to the classic cork closure with metal cap and agraffe (wire basket). The final status of this case is not known. See also under closures and wine enjoyment.
