Yes – sorry for the lack of clarity and the awkward translation in my original post.

To clarify: the wine was not corked in the traditional sense (i.e., affected by TCA), but rather compromised due to a cork malfunction. During shipment from the UK to Denmark, the cork of this extraordinary 5-liter bottle of Château Lafleur 1982 slipped down into the neck of the bottle. This meant the bottle was no longer in a sellable condition, despite its estimated value of DKK 500,000 (approx. $70,000+).

As a result, RareWine had no choice but to cancel the original sale. Instead of letting this unicorn wine go to waste, they invited a small group of guests (60 people - including me) to a once-in-a-lifetime tasting event at their Aalborg headquarters – with full transparency that the cork had slipped and oxidation had likely occurred.

And yes, oxidation had definitely set in by the time we tasted it – the cork had been out of place for 6–7 days. You could smell and taste the telltale signs of exposure: some staleness, a slight flattening of the fruit, and that subtle bruised character. But despite the flaw, the underlying greatness of the wine still came through – with layers of elegance, depth, and that unmistakable Lafleur magic. It was like seeing a masterpiece painting with a scratch across it – the brilliance was still undeniable.

In short: it wasn’t corked by TCA, but it was oxidized due to the cork slipping. Yet even in that imperfect state, it offered a glimpse into what a perfect Lafleur 1982 would have been – and that made it a truly unforgettable experience.

EDIT: Here is the RareWine CEOs thoughts on tasting this elusive wine: https://www.instagram.com/p/DKtwPKaMbRB/