Cork taint

Cork taint is a wine fault that smells and tastes like a damp cellar, wet cardboard or mould. It is caused by trichloroanisole (TCA), which forms through moulds in combination with chlorine compounds and may come from the closure or the surroundings.

Even tiny amounts are enough to make fruit aromas disappear and the wine seem flat. A wine with cork taint is harmless but undrinkable. It cannot be remedied and is generally returned or claimed in trade. Alternative closures such as screw caps or synthetic corks prevent this fault.