If you want to go one step beyond the most dependable corks on the market, NDtech corks are for you.
TCA is a random, systemic issue within the bark itself, and it can be hard to find. Experts believe TCA can start to affect your impression of a wine at levels as low as 2 parts per trillion. Amorim has spent twice what the rest of the cork industry combined has spent on R&D and quality control over the last decade, can trace a cork back two years to one of five trees, and sends only about 30% of its bark harvest to the closure side of the business.
NDtech at a Glance
| Construction | Natural cork, one piece, from Amorim's two highest grades |
|---|---|
| Screening | Every stopper individually tested for TCA |
| TCA | Non-detectable: releasable TCA at or below the 0.5 ng/L quantification limit |
| Best for | Premium wines where no TCA risk is acceptable |
| Food contact | Complies with European and FDA regulations |
How NDtech Works
NDtech corks survive ten to twelve rounds of elimination to be counted among Amorim's two highest grades: sensory and technical analysis, density sorting, pressure tolerance and visual scrutiny. They're treated with Amorim's Naturity process. Then each cork is individually screened by gas chromatography and guaranteed non-detectable for TCA: releasable TCA at or below the 0.5 nanograms per liter quantification limit.
Less than half of one part per trillion.
To put that in perspective, Amorim compares it to a drop of water in 800 Olympic swimming pools. That's how small an amount of TCA you could find in an NDtech cork.
NDtech Questions
Is NDtech a TCA free cork?
Every NDtech cork is individually tested and guaranteed non-detectable for TCA: releasable TCA at or below the 0.5 ng/L quantification limit. That's less than half of one part per trillion.
How is every cork tested?
Each NDtech cork is individually screened for TCA by gas chromatography, with analysis to the ISO 20752 standard.
What is NDtech made from?
One-piece natural cork from Amorim's two highest grades. NDtech corks survive ten to twelve rounds of elimination: sensory and technical analysis, density sorting, pressure tolerance and visual scrutiny. They're treated with Amorim's Naturity process before testing.
NDtech or Naturity natural cork?
Both are one-piece natural corks treated with Naturity. Amorim samples and tests each lot of Naturity corks seven times between the bark and the bottle. NDtech adds an individual TCA test on every single cork, for premium wines where no TCA risk is acceptable.
How long can I age a wine under NDtech?
As a conservative guide, 10 to 20 years, and the 49 mm NDtech up to 30. See the cork aging guide.
Is NDtech approved for food contact?
Yes. NDtech complies with European and FDA food contact regulations.
How do I get NDtech specs or pricing?
Use the Request Tech Specs button on this page, or ask for a price with your wine, bottle neck size and annual quantity.