Not all wines arrive at the point of consumption in the best conditions and a small number have faults that do not provide the best enjoyment on the palate. Some of these faults do derive at the point of winemaking whilst others are due to the cork or storage. The two main faults are cork taint and oxidation.


Cork Taint
A wine that is being ‘corked’ means that is has been tainted with an objectionable character from natural cork. This is random and is not associated to any wine style or winery. An estimation is that approximately 3% to 5% of wines are affected by cork taint.

A ‘corked’ wine can have the following unpleasant characters: subdued fruit aromas, mustiness, mould, and ‘wet cardboard’. The effects on the palate are bitterness, mould.

A chemical called 2, 4, 6-trichloroanisole (TCA) is the main compound responsible for this. Unfortunately, slightly corked wines are difficult to detect and are observed as unpleasant or uninteresting when consumed. Try another bottle if you suspect cork taint. If the second bottle produces a more vibrant, interesting taste, then you have probably consumed a wine that has been ‘tainted’.