Cork contact: interface, not flavour

The standard

Controlled oxygen ingress measures how much oxygen the closure lets through per unit of time, not whether a wine tastes of cork.

Criteria

• The cork stays moist through the contact and keeps its tightness
• The gas exchange runs slow and steady, not abrupt
• The amount of oxygen let through depends on the closure
• The contact is a storage condition, not a sensory trait

Distinction

Cork contact ≠ cork taint: the contact is the normal interface, cork taint a fault from tainted cork. Controlled oxygen ingress describes the intended function, not the defect. Cork contact ≠ oxidation: the contact doses the oxygen, oxidation is only its effect in excess.