▁the ▁bott le . ▁The ▁formation ▁of ▁c ork ▁t aint ▁is ▁a ▁complex ▁process ▁which ▁may ▁result ▁from ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁factors ▁r anging ▁from ▁the ▁growing ▁conditions ▁of ▁the ▁c ork ▁o ak , ▁the ▁processing ▁of ▁the ▁c ork ▁into ▁sto ppers , ▁or ▁the ▁m olds ▁growing ▁on ▁the ▁c ork ▁itself . ▁ ▁D umb ▁phase ▁During ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁ag ing , ▁a ▁wine ▁may ▁s lip ▁into ▁a ▁" d umb ▁phase " ▁where ▁its ▁a rom as ▁and ▁flav ors ▁are ▁very ▁m uted . ▁In ▁Bor de aux ▁this ▁phase ▁is ▁called ▁the ▁age ▁ing rat ▁or ▁" diff icult ▁age " ▁and ▁is ▁li ken ed ▁to ▁a ▁te en ager ▁going ▁through ▁ad oles c ence . ▁The ▁cause ▁or ▁length ▁of ▁time ▁that ▁this ▁" d umb ▁phase " ▁will ▁last ▁is ▁not ▁yet ▁fully ▁understood ▁and ▁seems ▁to ▁vary ▁from ▁bott le ▁to ▁bott le . ▁ ▁Effect s ▁on ▁wine ▁ ▁As ▁red ▁wine ▁ages , ▁the ▁har sh ▁t ann ins ▁of ▁its ▁youth ▁gradually ▁give ▁way ▁to ▁a ▁so fter ▁mouth fe el . ▁An ▁in ky ▁dark ▁color ▁will ▁eventually ▁lose ▁its ▁depth ▁of ▁color ▁and ▁begin ▁to ▁appear ▁orange ▁at ▁the ▁edges , ▁and ▁eventually ▁turn ▁brown . ▁These ▁changes ▁occur ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁complex ▁chemical ▁re actions ▁of ▁the ▁phen ol ic ▁comp ounds ▁of ▁the ▁wine . ▁In ▁processes ▁that ▁begin ▁during ▁fer ment ation ▁and ▁continue ▁after ▁bott ling , ▁these