| re's nothing quite like a rich, dark hearted wine | | | | sure you can very clearly see what is happening |
| sitting happily in a sparkling clean decanter is | | | | in the bottle during the process itself. Get a |
| there? Not only does it look lovely, it heightens | | | | candle, or a torch, and make sure the light source |
| our sense of expectation. It also looks super-posh, | | | | is positioned to shine through the wine neck as |
| and every once in a while that can't be a bad | | | | you are pouring. |
| thing. | | | | UNCORK, AND START POURING |
| So why do we decant? Which wines do we make | | | | Yes, this is it, you're decanting! There's nothing |
| a point of decanting? How do you actually do it? | | | | particularly to think about here, just make sure |
| WHY DECANT? | | | | you are pouring slow and steady. Keep pouring |
| There are two main reasons for decanting. | | | | until you see the swirl of sediment collecting in the |
| 1.To remove sediment in aged (red) wines As red | | | | shoulder of the bottle. If any arrowheads of |
| wine ages, a deposit may form. This sediment is | | | | sediment start appearing in the wine running |
| totally harmless and natural, but not very pleasant | | | | through the neck of the bottle you are going too |
| in the mouth. The purpose of decanting here is to | | | | far (remember you want the wine to pour clear |
| make sure the wine pours clear and bright. | | | | and bright). You would generally expect no more |
| 2.To allow the wine to breathe Decanting wine | | | | than 1/2 an inch of sediment laden wine to be left |
| aerates it. Contact with oxygen develops the | | | | in the bottle at the end of this stage. |
| wine, bringing out aromas and softening it. This | | | | SHORT CUTS |
| breathing process is sometimes favoured for | | | | Some people use wire mesh (note this needs to |
| young red wines that may otherwise come | | | | be very fine), muslin cloth or coffee filters in a |
| across as harsh and tough. | | | | funnel throughout the decanting process to |
| WHICH WINES NEED TO BE DECANTED? | | | | remove wine sediment. This can strip the wine of |
| As a general rule of thumb it's good to assume | | | | its character and is not recommended. For our |
| that red wines that have seen 10+ years in bottle | | | | wine tasting events we use muslin at the end of |
| will need to be decanted. You may however see | | | | the decanting process, a foolproof approach which |
| winemakers indicate on their labels that their red | | | | extracts every last drop. TIP If a wine is 20ish + |
| wine is produced "unfined and unfiltered" (or | | | | years old it may be delicate (in the wine trade this |
| words to that effect). In this case you'd expect | | | | is known as "ghost in the glass"). In this case |
| to see sediment in the bottle earlier. Remember | | | | decant the wine just before drinking. |
| of course that only a small proportion of wines | | | | DECANTING WINES TO AERATE THEM |
| commercially available have the capacity to age | | | | Just follow the process above and let the wine |
| 10 years+! Most are designed to be drunk young | | | | stand for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Take care here though |
| (within 1 to 2 years of release date). | | | | - allowing certain wines to stand for much longer |
| HOW TO DECANT | | | | than this can cause oxidation. |
| STAND THE BOTTLE UPRIGHT | | | | FINALLY, DOUBLE DECANTING |
| If your bottle is resting in your wine rack, now's | | | | This is not as complicated as it sounds! This is |
| the time to take it out and stand it upright. The | | | | simply the process of pouring a decanted wine |
| sediment needs to collect in the base of the | | | | back into its original bottle (typically with the help |
| bottle - it's best to allow at least a day for this to | | | | of a funnel). Double decanting is favoured by |
| happen. Before you uncork the wine, remove the | | | | suave types who want people to see the achingly |
| capsule and clean the neck and shoulder of the | | | | expensive wine being served. For double |
| bottle As you decant you need to what's | | | | decanting, before you pour the wine back in, |
| happening in the bottle shoulder and neck (more | | | | remove any remaining sediment from the bottle |
| of this shortly). | | | | by rinsing it out with water (shaking the bottle if |
| GET SOME LIGHT | | | | necessary as some sediment can leave a caking |
| Before you start decanting, you need to make | | | | effect). |