Corked!!!!

WINE TALK
1

Fu¢king cork taint! [soap.gif]

Pulled the corks yesterday afternoon on my last bottles of '98 Clos des Papes CdP and ‘98 Pégaü Cuvée Laurence CdP, thinking I would take them over to my friends’ home to enjoy with some grilled pork loin. Both were CORKED.

Add to that the fact that Monday night’s '98 Saint Cosme Côte-Rôtie likely was suffering from TCA, and that’s about a 50% rate of cork taint for me so far this week. It’s just about enough to cause me to stop buying high-end wines. As for Saint Cosme, I had a slew of their less expensive basic '03 Côtes du Rhône that were spoiled by volatile acidity or something that gave them a nasty “off” taste. headbang Don’t think I’ll ever buy another bottle from Saint Cosme.

There, done ranting for now.

2

So is life in the wine lane.

A couple of weeks ago, I had three bottles at random that showed some degree of cork taint on three consecutive nights.

3

Hate that.

4

At a dinner party Sat. evening two out of four pretty good wines were corked. Seems like it comes in waves for me. Nothing but good bottles for a month or so, then a slew of crap.

5

Funny, I was about to type the exact same thing. The last two out of four- badly corked- both Rhones- Damn! It happens in waves for me as well. I was on a good stretch there for a while, but nobody is left unscathed. [swearing.gif]

6

Amen, brother.
Had a corked 1987 Mondavi Reserve and a corked magnum of 1991 Dominus at the offline I hosted on Sunday. headbang headbang headbang

7

Not sure anybody can beat my two-for-two Barolo combo…

8

I hate TCA. [soap.gif]

I am extremely sensitive to TCA, and the worst is when you’re at a trade tasting and some producer is pouring wine that is tainted ever so slightly. I tend to pull them aside and mention it to them, but on this last trip to Spain the same poor guy pulled 3 bottles that were, one after another, tainted.

9

I am lucky in that I have very rarely come across TCA among my own bottles (I seem to get it more at tastings. Even then, it is pretty rare). However, when I do rarely get TCA, it does seem to come in waves. I got two out of two corked bottles of Malescot St Exubery in a row from the PLCB, and even though they were nice wines at a great price, I never bought them.

10

I found TCA only at the Sauternes table at UGC, and I mentioned it to the two Chateau where I found it, both of whom tasted it and denied it, saying they were just fine.

11

For my visit to LA last week I had shipped out 2 750s and 2 magnums a few months ago. Both magnums (1995 Montevertine Il Sodaccio and 1983 Drouhin Beaune Clos des Mouches) were corked. Add that to the corked mag of 1995 Fourrier Clos St. Jacques back in January and the other corked mag of 1995 Il Sodaccio a few months ago and I’m off magnums for a while.

12

You should try some Sierra Carche, I hear you Millers like that. neener

13

Really? Does it come in magnums?

14

It seems to come in waves and bunches.

I’ve also had the experience of smelling corked wine at trade type events only to be rebuffed by those behind the table. They act offended when I’m actually trying to help them. I think this is indicative of how personally some people can take it. There is still a feeling out there, especially by those who may not understand it very well, that it is a problem with the wine and not the closure. I always take pains to explain to newer wine geeks that its ok to buy the wine again.

15

Undoubtedly controversial to say this, but I’ve personally had a much higher “corked” rate with French wine (particularly Rhone, but also Bordeaux) than with California.

One of the reasons I’m a Francophobe is my spotty “flawed-bottle” track record, spanning many years.

16

Mark

I was thinking the same thing. Not so much France but Rhone wines, esp Northern Rhones, anecdotally, seem to have a high corked rate in my life

17

I had a corked bottle of '98 Pegau Laurence too. Bought the bottle at the Pegau cave in Chateauneuf, brought it back home in my carry-on with a bunch of other wines, and opened it about 6 months later at a Chateauneuf tasting. Man, was I bummed that bottle was undrinkable!