What is corked wine?
Corked wine smells musty and woody and lacks fruit. It may also have a bitter aftertaste. There are different degrees of corkiness and some people have a greater sensitivity to it than others. Consequently not everyone will agree that a wine is corked. If a wine is slightly corked, it may just make you think that the wine is not very nice but not actually faulty. This is one of the main reasons that some winemakers are turning to screwcaps, especially for aromatic white wines. It is a misconception that small bits of cork floating on the surface of wine means the wine is corked and occasionally mould can appear between the capsule and the cork but this too is nothing to worry about and should simply be wiped clean before uncorking. The most common cause for corkiness is a compound called TCA (trichloroanisole), which generally develops when natural corks are chlorine washed but it can also come from the winery, especially if chlorine has been used as a cleaning agent. Minute traces (pa
Have you ever opened a bottle, and instead of clean, fruity aromas found that it smells of mouldy cellars and damp cardboard? This is what a corked wine smells like. Contrary to popular opinion a corked wine is not one that has bits of cork floating in it (this is totally harmless, fish the bits out and the wine will be fine); instead, it is a wine that has been contaminated by a chemical called trichloroanisole (TCA). The human nose is extremely sensitive to this contaminant (it can be detected at concentrations as low as parts per trillion!), which is a result of a chemical reaction between chlorine and cork. It is a major problem, spoiling between 1% and 7% of all wines, depending on who you listen to. This is why artificial corks are increasingly being used, especially on inexpensive wines not destined for ageing. The degree of cork-taint can vary, but you’ll find that almost all retailers will replace a corked bottle without question if you return it.
