pinotopia Tales from the Cork
12 October 2008
by Jason Weaver
Just last week I had a bottle of 2001 Amarone and noticed a familiar aroma and flavor. Mold, fungus and rotten wood. And just 2 days ago the same thing in a glass of 1999 burgundy. What in the world is this repulsive smell and taste that seems to pop up in 1 out of 10 bottles I try. Am I being a complete snob or what?
Turns out the culprit is usually the cork and more specifically 2,4,6 Trichloroanisole or TCA. TCA tainted wine can strike any wine no matter the price range and more often than not develops after bottling. There are also 5 other less common compounds that can contribute to a corked wine. (guaiacol, geosmin, 2-methylisoborneol (MIB), octen-3-ol and octen-3-one)
Most TCA in wine is the product of naturally-occurring airborne fungi mixed with chlorophenol compounds resulting in chloroanisole. This can come from cork production or unsanitary conditions in the winery itself.
