Does TCA do this? No nose at all?

Question

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

Richard Neidich · Accepted Answer

The Common cold :-)...Human errororTCA

Michael Pronay · Answer

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

Ian Hoare · Answer

Salut/Hi Ken Overton,

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

Sounds like "fruit scalping".

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.

AyTee · Answer

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

jcoulter · Answer

"AyTee"  wrote in news:1109103965.926769.74450Guys 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!

Hunt · Answer

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

Hunt · Answer

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

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

jcoulter · Answer

(Hunt) wrote in news:   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

Ian Hoare · Answer

Salut/Hi AyTee,  le/on 22 Feb 2005 12:26:05 -0800, tu disais/you said:-Yes. I just said that.

AyTee · Answer

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

AyTee · Answer

So you did. Sorry.

Does TCA do this? No nose at all?

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