Bill
32078
Corked wine. Why does it happen. Wine 101.
I am sure this is a subject that has been discussed many times. But recently I had two bottles form the same case, stored the same way, one corked the other not. This got me thinking it was time to share the pleasure.
First we all know corked wine is a failure of the cork not, as some may think is pieces of cork floating around in your wine. Not so much seepage as that con occur naturally as the wine "breaths/evaporates" . The failure is at the cork is noticeable by taste and odor both in the wine and on the cork. Please do not taste the cork but do give it a good sniff. Some may assume that it is due to bad storage condition, which I guess can happen, but mostly it is the actual cork itself that has been tainted. TCA (2,4,6 - trichloroanisole) is formed when natural fungi (of which many reside in cork) come in contact with certain chlorides found in bleaches and other winery sanitation / sterilization products. So basically you have a cork that has been tainted by cleaning products. The wine is affected by the presence of TCA which creates a corked condition which translates to a musky odor and dulls the wine.
Two bottles from the same case do not all have to suffer the consequence of a tainted cork as it could have been just luck of the draw. As a rule, when at a restaurant, if i suspect the wine is corked I order a second bottle right away. I state my concern to the staff and let them know if the second bottle does not have the odor I detected "corked" I will buy both if not they must accepted the bottle as corked. Sometimes it is very obvious and the staff will simply take the bottle and replace it. I take the gamble but most of the time I am right. A second opinion is always advisable.
To to summarize TCA on the cork creates the condition that the renders the wine corked. Other conditions of bad storage can create different issues for the wine that grow up under unstable conditions but that is a who separate issue. A corked bottle is one that you can or should return (taste tolerances can vary so you can let it slip ). Beyond that you don't return a wine we cause you don't like the taste, to dry, to sweet etc.
One bottle left standing and undrinkable.
Calon Segur 2002.
Enjoy
Bill
Calon Segur 2002. Same case one corked the other was fine.
No doubt it came from tge same case as it was in my cellar since release.
The cork conditions look similar but not tye odor.
No noticable swelling or shrinkage.
The printing looks a little different of it may be two batches.
The top endge of one cork looks like it suffered some trauma which may have been cleaning.
Corked wine. Why does it happen. Wine 101.
I am sure this is a subject that has been discussed many times. But recently I had two bottles form the same case, stored the same way, one corked the other not. This got me thinking it was time to share the pleasure. First we all know corked wine is a fa...
It seems the key is to always order more than one bottle of wine
That way you are safe. I've found it's a dangerous habit though, especially dinners at home. If we are opening old bottles, from our cellars or from friends, we always have a "reserve bottle" standing by in case of corkage or other problems. The fact is t...
+1 'cork' or no 'cork' (we should actually call it fungi or something like that)
One always needs back up bottles Always.
Knock on wood-I've only ever experienced a "corked" bottle once.
It was at a restaurant. Unfortunately, it was our second bottle (for two) and it was only after some healthy swigs that we realized a problem. I didn't send it back as I felt bad about how much was missing from the bottle! Having said all that, I am fine ...
It is not often that I send a bottle back. But I have no qualms doing it.
I am sure to confirm my suspicions with others at the table. At home if there are no guests I usually set it aside and hope that the next day it will improve but mostly it does not. The new technologies plastic and screw to top seem to perform well. I jus...
Cork taint is a pain in bu__!
Contamination can take place at the cleaning process as you mentioned. The tree bark harvested needs to be seasoned and if the cleaning is not done properly, TCA will lead to cork taint. But bottles if not sanitized properly before bottling can also lead ...
You are very correct, lesser wine potentially have a high "corked" rate.
The competition is there with lesser wines trying to get corks to make their wine appear of a higher quality. The big guys are competing for those same corks. I have a feeling that the cork resources are not endless. But I think screw caps are becoming mo...
It's a great pity
that these situations happen all too often,albeit less now with the vineyards who are more selective in their cork , the prevalence of cork tainted wine used to be about 10% ,marring great enjoyment of a choice ,the situation has improved since the last f...
I am sorry to hear that a birthday bottle suffered the wrath of a tainted cork.
I take every"corked" occasion to let my guest smell the cork and taste the wine to commit the taste to memory. Once you are familiar with it it is much easier to judge. It really is black and white. The question is whether or not to tolerate the wine but ...
Indeed
And as you said DO NOT conclude anything on the smell only!!! I have made, many moons...eh bottles.. ago, the mistake of emptying a bottle in the sink because of the very clear cork smell. The taste was a little bit off too (I thought) but the mind can fo...
You never know what surprise you will have. Always good to wait before dumping.
But in a restaurant that is a different time constraint. HAGWE Bill
Great report Bill
For mature wines I find approximately 1 out of 20 are corked. Would be interested in your experience. I think I have a fairly low tolerance, but when at a restaurant always confirm with the sommelier. I've had higher percentages, but usually from shipment...
I am not sure about the frequency but i agree it is more often than one may think.
As far as the variation in taste within a case it is always possible along the way an individual bottle could be affected differently by temperature, moist, vibrations etc that could affect the chemical balance of individual bottles.
Cork rot is a serious problem...
I spoke with some wine industry professionals and they state a substantial percentage of wine is lost due to bad corks or corks that rot. Some estimate that as many as 4-5% (that's a huge percentage, one out of every 20-25 bottles) of all corks produced a...