corked wine
wine professionals estimate that 2 to 5 percent of wines are ruined because of faulty corks, which generate the chemical compound 2,4,6-Trichloroanisole (also called TCA or 246-TCA) that humans can perceive at levels as low as 30 ppt (parts per trillion). High levels of this compound produce an unmistakably putrefying odor and flavor that many compare to that of moldy, wet cardboard or newspapers. At moderate levels, a corked wine takes on a musty quality; at low levels, it seems austere and lacking in fruit. See also corks; corked.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.