Wine lesson: cork taint
The FavorFlav editorial team loves wine, but as soon as it gets to terroir, tannins and sulfites, attention tends to wane a little. Because what exactly does that sommelier mean? Miss WineLane comes to the rescue and guides you through the wild world of wine terminology. This week: cork taint in wine.
What is it?
A wine affected by cork taint is contaminated with so-called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA): a chemical compound that causes a musty, sharp smell and taste. TCA usually develops in the cork, hence the terminology. A cork is made from the bark of the cork oak. The bark is bleached and disinfected with chlorine, which can sometimes cause the moulds and bacteria present in the cork to develop TCA. Despite improved techniques (without chlorine), the problem has still not been completely eradicated: around 2 to 8 percent of bottles are still thought to be contaminated.
How do you recognise it?
Wine affected by cork taint has an unpleasant, mouldy smell. The taste is also musty and bitter. Other descriptions include chemical, dirty dishcloth, wet newspaper, old potatoes, damp cellar and unwashed dog. The wine can also be lightly affected, although this is difficult to recognise. The wine loses its fruitiness and the taste becomes somewhat burning. Less enjoyable, but if you do not know the wine well, it is difficult to determine.
And be careful: sometimes strongly ‘mineral’ wines or wines with lots of tannins also have a ‘corky’ smell when opened. To be really sure, you can decant such a suspect wine into a carafe. Due to contact with oxygen, disturbing smells usually disappear quickly, whereas a genuine cork smell only becomes stronger.
No cork taint with a screw cap?
Incorrect! Although natural cork is usually the main culprit, TCA can also develop in wine barrels, wine crates, in the cellar and even in a poorly cleaned bottle. Wine with a screw cap can therefore still be affected by cork taint. Less often, admittedly, but just to be sure, give it a sniff anyway.
Also read:
