What's new on wineanorak, and some corky encounters

After a long period of no corked bottles, two in three nights - a Rioja and a serious Fiano were struck with musty taint. The Rioja cork had a big, ugly looking lenticel running through its wine-side face (pictured). Could this be the reason? I guess lots of microbes live in the lenticels (the gas-excange pores running through the cork bark), and its these that produce the musty taint, presumably.

Anyway, an update on the recent articles posted on the main wineanorak site, for those who just look at the blog:

• A full report on the recent Domaine Leflaive masterclass
• A review of Charles Metcalfe and Kathryn McWhirter's book on Portuguese wine and food
• A too-lengthy report on visiting New Zealand's leading biodynamic estate, Millton
• What to look for in a wine