What is a wine that tastes like a cork?
È a defect in wine caused by the TCA molecule (trichloroanisole), which affects the flavor and spoils it. This component gives the wine an unpleasant smell of decaying, old and dirty wood. On the tongue, a wet cardboard flavor with a distinct cork aroma. It is not unhealthy to consume, but it is totally unappetizing.
What does TCA mean in a wine that tastes like cork
A wine that tastes like a cork, scientifically explained happens when it contains a chemical compound called 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA), which can cause an unpleasant smell and taste. TCA is produced by some molds that grow on the cork used during winemaking. The frequency of TCA development varies from winery to winery depending on how closely the humidity levels are monitored. While some wines may have only a few hit bottles per crop, others may have a higher percentage that will need to be discarded prior to bottling or mixed with similar batches prior to bottling.
- TCA contamination of cork is more common in bottles that have a high TCA content. A test done by Robert Hodgson in the 80s found that 15% of all wines bottled between late 1974 and mid-1982 were affected by TCA to some degree. After sampling several bottle caps at random, he was able to narrow this number down to 1%. In general, younger wines appear to be more affected by this problem with up to 20% reported by authors such as Jancis Robinson and Karen MacNeil.
- Wine that tastes like cork appears to be more common in bottles that have lower ratings on wine rating sites such as W, Wine Enthusiast o Wine Advocate.
How to recognize a wine that tastes like a cork
It is not necessary to have a sensitive nose to detect a unpleasant or powerful corky smell and therefore immediately recognize a wine that tastes like a cork. It begins to smell the cork before serving the wine to identify any hint of the characteristic aroma.
It is not uncommon for the smell to be short-lived: just empty the first few centiliters of wine and check that the rest of the bottle is not damaged. When the bottle is opened, it does not always elicit a reaction, but when it is aired, the bad smell of a corked wine becomes more evident.
In case you have already poured the wine, do not shake the glass. Unlike the fruity aromas, a defect will not be hidden, but will serve to mask the taste of the wine. If the uncertainty persists, let the wine breathe for 10 minutes and observe if the smell becomes even more evident.
Wine tastes like cork: What are the causes?
The quality of the cork will determine how well it works. The reason for the problem could be i pests that thrive on the bark of the cork oak. It is a shame to want to save on such a precious material when it has the same value as wine. Unfortunately, its production is decreasing. Molds form in cork when it is exposed to disinfectants, such as chlorine (which could be released from pesticide sprayed trees, the air, or winemaking equipment) and chlorophenols (produced by insects that have been poisoned).
Mold can form if wine is handled too early or stored in a environment with high relative humidity. To prevent the cork from drying out, the bottles must always be placed on top. It is not correct to leave the bottles standing and then put them down several times in quick succession. To ensure that the cork is continuously wet and to prevent too much air from entering the bottle, your bottles must be kept lying down. The practice of holding a bottle of wine upright to avoid contact between the cork and the wine does not eliminate the possibility of the wine having an unpleasant taste.
It tastes like cork: Where does this defect in wine come from?
The corky smell in wine is caused from a molecule present in cork. A chemical substance that can come from both corks and barrels, or even from cellars. Consequently, it is not always the result of bad judgment. In fact, no wine is immune to this unpredictable and often inexplicable tragedy, which at times it happens despite the meticulous attention of the winemaker or cellar master.
What to do with a wine that tastes like a cork?
A corked wine is not drinkable. Wine that tastes like cork has no method to repair this defect.
If a wine tastes of cork, you will have to settle for a few alternatives:
- Is it suitable for cooking? Only if the defect is not too deep and the cooking time is long to mitigate it. However, keep an eye on your food if the wine has a strong corky flavor.
- If the wine tastes like cork, pour the wine down the sink.
- Remove the cork from the wine bottle and dispose of it carefully to avoid further contamination.
- If this happens at the restaurant and you realize that your wine tastes like a cork, apologize and ask to change the bottle because the reason is much more than reasonable.
- Return the bottle to the seller.
