I just had a weird experience. I opened a 2007 Grand Reve Collaboration Series III (100% syrah), and it tasted fine. I probably drank half a glass before dinner. But with my first sip after taking a bite of dinner, it clearly tastes corked. I’m usually very sensitive to TCA, so I’m surprised I didn’t notice it before the food came into the picture. I’m wondering if there’s something about food that brought it out, or maybe it isn’t TCA and I’m detecting something different?
Have any of you had a similar experience? Any insight?
TCA often becomes more pronounced with time in the glass. I’ve tasted wines in groups where no one got TCA at first, or where only one or two people suspected a little TCA, but where the wines were clearly corked to everyone after 20 minutes or half an hour. That would be my guess of what’s going on.
I was quite embarrassed to bring a 95 Pontet Canet to a tasting recently where I opened and tasted it at home and it seemed fine, but when it was its time in the dinner it was pretty clearly (though mildly) corked.
Though I’m not sure what I could have done to avoid that. I guess I could pour my sample pour and let it sit for awhile before trying it, if time permitted.
I’m actually leaning toward it being something in the food. I returned to the wine about an hour after eating, and once again I couldn’t detect any TCA at all. Really strange.
There can be TCA in water, which is why people have the experience with washed carrots. Also in garlic, I’ve found. So there can be TCA in food, but I’d be very surprised to see it survive cooking enough to affect the wine. Still, according to your account, it seems the best explanation.
Most likely, the carrots and apples are sanitized with chlorine bleach. Not sure if this process would cause the TCA but it’s always struck me as a possibility.
You are forgetting about TBA. There’s an analogous bromide compound. If I remember correctly, a large lot of Tylenol had to be recalled because of this (likely from pallets that had been sprayed with a chlorinated or brominated compound). Currently the Prilosec that I take most days is TCA or TBA contaminated.
I would have voted for simply time and not food as the culprit. I’m pretty TCA sensitive, so it’s very rare that it gets to the point of food. It is however quite common to prep a wine for a tasting and 2 hours later find that it’s corked.
Sometimes I taste rotisserie chicken with a hint of TCA and wonder what is causing this. Is it what they use for cleaning?? Where they prepare the chicken?? Dunno.
What’d you eat? And, was it all cooked? What happens to TCA above 250*F?![[worship.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/9/99a8907a1d5b3c023582052741dc72dc9823c044.gif "worship"){kind=small}