T-Top in its class

Research and innovation have fuelled the success of Supreme Corq. Now the company has launched T-Top, a unique, one-piece combination of cap and "corq"

Born on a wine tasting trip to Napa and Sonoma, Supreme Corq is now the preferred synthetic stopper for award-winning wines around the globe. Brainchild of the entrepreneur and inventor Dennis Burns, the Supreme Corq is used by over 1,000 wineries in over 30 countries.

Having perfected the art of injection moulded plastics in two other successful companies, Burns embarked upon years of research, development and testing to find the best alternative seal for wine.

The Supreme Corq is now exported around the world, coming in two sizes: 45mm and 38 mm.  Introduced in 1992, they are now used in hundreds of millions of bottles by thousands of wineries all around the world, from Europe to South Africa, North America to South America, and Australia to New Zealand.

Their success is not only due to the effectiveness of their seal but also to their versatility in design and packaging – they can be colour co-ordinated to match nearly any packaging design and can be supplied with non removable printed logos or winery names.

Dennis Burns’ work has paved the way for creating alternative technology for the wine, spirits and speciality food markets.  Today, the company is manufacturing and marketing synthetic closures for wine, distilled spirits and speciality foods. Supreme Corq Inc. has experienced consistent growth due to the quality of the company’s product.

But the innovation has not stopped there. Recently the T-Top has been launched onto the market.  A unique, one-piece concept that is made up of a combination cap and "corq" that is ideal for sealing fine spirits as well as wines.

As with all Supreme Corq products, the T-Top forms a TCA -free seal, eliminating off-flavours associated with traditional tree bark closures.  T-Tops also eliminate cork dust, glue drops and does not discolour clear spirits.

They’re unbreakable and come in any cap/"corq" colour combination imaginable. On top of this the T-Top has the added advantage of not needing a corkscrew to open the bottle. 

As with Supreme Corq’s 45mm and 38mm closures, all T-Tops are quality tested for a variety of characteristics, including dimensional and physical properties (length, weight, diameter), coating consistency and insertion/extraction force to ensure optimum product performance.

Produced under the strictest food quality packaging and ISO 9001:2000 guidelines, Supreme Corqs have passed test after test for structural integrity and oxygen-barrier ability. In the summer of this year the Scotch Whisky Research Institute (SWRI) completed a six-month test programme to determine the sensory and leakage capabilities of the T-Top.

The SWRI team of experts concluded that, "no cork taint was observed for the test samples using the Supreme Corq synthetic (T-Top) closure" and that "the Supreme Corq closure showed no leakage over the six month storage period".

Because T-Tops are injection moulded with an outer skin that completely covers the "corq" the internal cell structure is protected, the shank can conform more readily with the bottle bore and, therefore, a proper seal is ensured.

According to consumer research conducted by Supreme Corq, consumer perception and acceptance of synthetic closures is high.  In fact, 92% of respondents to the survey  referred synthetic closures.

High standards in production and traceability throughout the process are the watch-words for Supreme Corq.  Both of these factors are proven by the fact that the company is the only synthetic closure manufacturer in the world to have received both ISO 9001:2000 and AIB certifications.

These two globally recognised quality process certifications demonstrate Supreme Corq’s ongoing commitment to producing the highest quality and most consistent product, worldwide.

What are Supreme Corqs? They are a high quality closure that eliminates TCA (2,4,6- trichloroanisole), leakage, evaporation, crumbling and cork dust traditionally associated with tree-bark closures.

Supreme Corqs form such an outstanding seal that wine bottles can be stored in an upright position. Because the Supreme Corq closure has rounded (chamfered) edges they can be easily reinserted into a bottle after opening.

They are made from superior food-grade thermoplastic elastomeric materials (similar to what is used in medical devices and baby products) using the highest quality precision injection moulds.

They are neutral and do not support microbial growth (TCA) or impart flavour.  Supreme Corqs are quality tested for a variety of characteristics, including dimensional and physical properties (length, weight, diameter), coating consistency and insertion/extraction force to ensure optimum product performance.

Produced under the strictest food quality packaging and ISO/AIB guidelines, Supreme Corqs have passed test after test for structural integrity and oxygen-barrier ability. Supreme Corq closures are also made from natural materials.

To produce food contact grade quality plastic, a variety of basic compounds such as carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen are extracted from natural materials such as petroleum, coal and natural gas.

These materials are combined together in a variety of sophisticated ways to produce different types of recyclable plastics.  They are recyclable (level 7) and comply with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Union (EU) regulations.

One of the principle benefits of manufactured products like those in the Supreme Corq range is that it is possible to engineer enhancements into that product.  As part of its research and development programme the company continuously works on improving the performance of the product through enhanced formulations and coatings.

Supreme Corq, Inc.

5901 South 226th Street, Kent, Washington 98032-4861, USA

Tel: +1 253 395 8712 Fax: +1 253 395 8713 Email: info@supremecorq.com www.supremecorq.com

UK Contact: Simon Waller (Vice President of European Sales)

Supreme Corq, Inc., 18 Cornwall Road, Twickenham,

Middlesex TW1 3LS, UK

Tel: +44 (0)20 8892 3168 Fax: +44 (0)20 8892 3182 Email: simonw@supremecorq.com

T-TOP FACTS

• They are unbreakable

• They have no unsightly glue drops

• They are easy to insert and extract

• They do not require a corkscrew to remove

• They do not leave sharp edges like a screw cap

• They do not chip on production lines

• They can be printed or embossed

WHY USE SUPREME CORQ?

• The potential for future product development is greater

• Frayed edges and loose particle ends are eliminated

• The complete outer skin makes the closure appear more attractive, natural, and finished in the bottle

• The skin allows the closure to conform more readily to the bottle bore, ensuring a proper seal

• The outer skin completely seals the closure, protecting the internal cell structure and preventing wine absorption

• Becasue it is easy to re-insert after opening