TCA in French barrels

[DavidG]

Werner - I have no recollection of the Chicago wines, but if it was corked it would be very unlikely that it was "so open and full of flavors."

You are undoubtedly right that there is a physical and a psychological component to TCA sensitivity. As soon as I physically detect it, my psychological side kicks in and I have to consciously try to give the wine a chance. I can still enjoy a mildly corked wine. If the wet cardboard/damp basement is the primary aroma, I wont drink it. If it is in the background, and the wine still has some fruit character that overcomes the muting effect of the TCA, I will drink it, especially if it is the only thing being served. If there is a better bottle open and ready to go as in a big tasting, I wont waste my time on a wine that isn't showing as well as it should. Same answer if it is showing poorly due to age, oxidation, or any other non-TCA reason. I'll taste it for educational purposes, but I'll gravitate to the good stuff.

[Claret]

More TCA tidbits. The 3 corked bottles that I have encountered in the last 5 years have all been from my cellar. Thee have certainly been other duds from friends bottles and in California tasting rooms. I am always leary of pointing out corked bottle at wineries unless the bottle is horribly corked or the pourer asks me what I think of the wine.

Last night I attended a local Chowdown with some nice folks fom Chowhound.com. Most of the bunch are serious winos and we have chowed several times in the past. I thought that the Portugese bottle was mildly corked, and only one other person agreed with me.

Glenn

[dstgolf]

Werner,

Once I`m convinced a bottle is corked likewise I try to give it a chance unless there is something better at the table to drink. If not I turn to water.

One funny occasion takes me back to an away golf trip with a buddy to Williamsburg VA who also is a bit of a wine nut. We went off to a local wine outlet and purchased a variety case of wine to see where it would get us(ie starter pack). The first night I openned a mid ranged Spanish wine and it was badly corked. My buddy disagreed and I said not to drink it we'll take it back. He laughed and said he liked it. Great! I openned another and he kept drinking his corked bottle 2/3 down refusing to try the second bottle until finally he asked to try the bottle that I was quietly enjoying. After the first sip...low and behold he asked how could I let him continue to drink that shitty corked bottle while I was enjoying a beautiful bottle of wine. We had a big laugh over that one and still today 15 years later we still chuckle over his insistance that there was nothing wrong with the wine! Many other similar stories about corked wines but you get the point.

Danny

[jal]

What makes corked bottles hard to identify is that the color and the texture of the wine are usually ok. The nose and the taste are more or less obviously flawed.