To Decant or Not to Decant Your Wine
The question of whether or not to decant wine can generate a wide debate among wine professionals and sommelier. Generally speaking, we can divide the issue into two distinct classes:
Aged Wine
In this case, aged and fragile wine must not be ventilated for too long, because this could “kill” the few remaining fruity and vigorous notes. A decanter with a narrower opening is recommended for such wines. In fact, aged wines tend to leave residues and sediments. It is very important to keep the bottle upright for at least 24 hours before drinking it, which will help it to deposit any sediments at the bottom. The wine should be poured slowly into the decanter, taking special care not to spill the sediment.
Young & Closed Wines:
When reds are young,they need all the air they can take, in order to give them all the time they need to soften and show their layered aromas and tastes. To speed up this softening process, decanting a complex and tannic young wine is often an optimal solution. In these cases, a decanter with a big open neck is preferable.
How Long Should I Decant?
A younger, more vigorous and full-bodied red wine and even some whites can be decanted an hour or more before being served. In some tastings, wines are decanted for hours and can improve beautifully, but these experiments can be risky (the wine could end up oxidized).
OUR ADVISE
If you have opened a wine and it seems expressionless at first taste, try oxygenating it in a decanter to see if this transforms the flavor. Try to experience the complete evolution of wine as it opens in your glass, it could be fun!
