Term
Cork taint (TCA)
kork taynt
Wet cardboard, muted fruit
A fault from trichloroanisole, usually in natural cork, that strips fruit and adds a damp, moldy cardboard smell. The wine is not dangerous. It is ruined.
A corked wine does not taste like cork. It tastes less like itself: fruit goes dull, the finish shortens, and a wet-basement note sits over everything. Some people are more sensitive than others; if your companion says corked and you don't smell it, believe them and get another bottle.
Screwcaps and high-quality corks have reduced incidence, not eliminated it. TCA can also live in cellars (though that is rarer on a single bottle).
Send it back. A good restaurant will not argue. At home, you can sometimes get a refund from the shop. Do not cook with it — the taint survives heat.
