I've never been formally introduced to a corked wine as clearly
identified by folks who know those kind of things. Well, last week I
opened a cheapie -- Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Merlot, '03. By most
accounts it's supposed to be an innocuous, juicy thing, but this had all
tannin, almost no fruit and utterly no nose that I could find. I
sniffed and swirled but nothing came out. The cup was an eerie
olfactory black hole.

I know that TCA is said to produce unpleasant musty smells. So what
could explain this?

TIA,

-- kov

The Common cold :-)
....Human error

or

TCA


"Ken Overton" > wrote in message
...
> I've never been formally introduced to a corked wine as clearly identified
> by folks who know those kind of things. Well, last week I opened a
> cheapie -- Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Merlot, '03. By most accounts it's
> supposed to be an innocuous, juicy thing, but this had all tannin, almost
> no fruit and utterly no nose that I could find. I sniffed and swirled but
> nothing came out. The cup was an eerie olfactory black hole.
>
> I know that TCA is said to produce unpleasant musty smells. So what could
> explain this?
>
> TIA,
>
> -- kov

Ken Overton > wrote:

> I know that TCA is said to produce unpleasant musty smells. So
> what could explain this?

This phenomonon is well-known under the name of "fruit scalping".
This and also "random oxidation" are two other widely seen cork
taints.

M.

Salut/Hi Ken Overton,

le/on Mon, 21 Feb 2005 14:16:44 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

>I've never been formally introduced to a corked wine as clearly
>identified by folks who know those kind of things. Well, last week I
>opened a cheapie -- Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Merlot, '03. By most
>accounts it's supposed to be an innocuous, juicy thing, but this had all
>tannin, almost no fruit and utterly no nose that I could find. I
>sniffed and swirled but nothing came out. The cup was an eerie
>olfactory black hole.

Sounds like "fruit scalping".

>I know that TCA is said to produce unpleasant musty smells. So what
>could explain this?

Those sensitive to TCA say this is also the cause of fruit scalping, so it
could be that you had a bottle that was lightly corked, below your ability
to detect it directly. It's also possible that the wine was merely dumb. A
two year old Merlot could well be just going through a dumb phase, you know.

--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

I've been told that people who are not sensitive to the off flavors
produced by TCA may experience corked wine as being without fruit
flavors.

"AyTee" > wrote in news:1109103965.926769.74450
@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> I've been told that people who are not sensitive to the off flavors
> produced by TCA may experience corked wine as being without fruit
> flavors.
>
>

Guys stop it already I have three corked bottles on the counter and another
(i am sure) in the cellar. all this talk is ruining my wine!

In article . com>, at@2walla.
com says...
>
>I've been told that people who are not sensitive to the off flavors
>produced by TCA may experience corked wine as being without fruit
>flavors.

I could see someone finding an "earthiness" to a corked wine, but I'd have a
difficult time likening anything there to fruit. That said, one's perception
of flavor is mostly in their imagination. Their mind conjures us some similar
taste and places that thought into the stream of perception. Now, if I had
ever tasted musty, dusty, earthy fruit, maybe I would go along with this.
Since the loss of "fruit" is one of the aspects that I detect with the TCA,
plus usually an increase in acid, I don't see this. However, that is just me,
and I am very sensitive to TCA, so I'm not a good judge here.

Hunt

In article >, 225
says...
>
>"AyTee" > wrote in news:1109103965.926769.74450
:
>
>> I've been told that people who are not sensitive to the off flavors
>> produced by TCA may experience corked wine as being without fruit
>> flavors.
>>
>>
>
>Guys stop it already I have three corked bottles on the counter and another
>(i am sure) in the cellar. all this talk is ruining my wine!

Last remark posted already - close and lock the cellar door for a day, and you
should be OK <G>.

I do hope that your retailer has a liberal/sensible policy on the return of "
corked" wine. BUT, I think you are pulling our collective legs, a bit... at
least I hope so!

Hunt

(Hunt) wrote in :

> In article >, 225
> says...
>>
>>"AyTee" > wrote in news:1109103965.926769.74450
:
>>
>>> I've been told that people who are not sensitive to the off flavors
>>> produced by TCA may experience corked wine as being without fruit
>>> flavors.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Guys stop it already I have three corked bottles on the counter and
>>another (i am sure) in the cellar. all this talk is ruining my wine!
>
> Last remark posted already - close and lock the cellar door for a day,
> and you should be OK <G>.
>
> I do hope that your retailer has a liberal/sensible policy on the
> return of " corked" wine. BUT, I think you are pulling our collective
> legs, a bit... at least I hope so!
>
> Hunt
>
>

really, i have gone through periods where I didn't even think corked wine
existed and lately, two bottles in one night has happened twice. the not
sure bottle is from the same lot as two previous losers and I swear it
smells bad from the outside! and yes i have a good retailer, at least up
till now LOL

Salut/Hi AyTee,

le/on 22 Feb 2005 12:26:05 -0800, tu disais/you said:-

>I've been told that people who are not sensitive to the off flavors
>produced by TCA may experience corked wine as being without fruit
>flavors.

Yes. I just said that.

--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
mailbox full to avoid spam. try me at website

Unless I misunderstand what you are saying, we agree: TCA=loss of fruit.

So you did. Sorry.

It's low priced swill.
"Ken Overton" > wrote in message
...
> I've never been formally introduced to a corked wine as clearly identified
> by folks who know those kind of things. Well, last week I opened a
> cheapie -- Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Merlot, '03. By most accounts it's
> supposed to be an innocuous, juicy thing, but this had all tannin, almost
> no fruit and utterly no nose that I could find. I sniffed and swirled but
> nothing came out. The cup was an eerie olfactory black hole.
>
> I know that TCA is said to produce unpleasant musty smells. So what could
> explain this?
>
> TIA,
>
> -- kov

It's low priced swill.
"Ken Overton" > wrote in message
...
> I've never been formally introduced to a corked wine as clearly identified
> by folks who know those kind of things. Well, last week I opened a
> cheapie -- Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Merlot, '03. By most accounts it's
> supposed to be an innocuous, juicy thing, but this had all tannin, almost
> no fruit and utterly no nose that I could find. I sniffed and swirled but
> nothing came out. The cup was an eerie olfactory black hole.
>
> I know that TCA is said to produce unpleasant musty smells. So what could
> explain this?
>
> TIA,
>
> -- kov