The Ultimate Guide To Wine Decanting
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Some people may consider decanting as an "elitist" act to show off, however, the process effectively serves its purpose, especially if you are opening old bottles of wine. But yes, a year-old rosé needs no such extra care. Check out our comprehensive guide on why decanting is important and how to do it right.
What is wine decanting exactly?
The word "decanting" itself means "to transfer". In older and unfiltered wines, it is used to remove sediment from the bottom of the bottle. For younger red and, less commonly, white wines, it serves to aerate. Decantation gives the wine more oxygen and opens it up to the consumer, allowing the rich aromas and flavors to emerge.
Wine decanting is a process by which the divine liquid gets transferred to another bottle, leaving the sediment that has formed in the old bottle (and not for consumption). On the other hand, this allows the wine to be aerated. The ethanol, which gives the wine its characteristic alcoholic smell, is quickly broken down when it encounters oxygen, as are the bad-smelling sulfites, which are now present in almost all wines for microbiological reasons.
In addition, the wine in the decanter can be brought to the right temperature in the decanter if necessary, as there are now decanters suitable for storing ice, in which the wine can be cooled.
Wine decanting for sediment separation
Sediment can accumulate at the bottom of the glass for a variety of reasons: In white wines, this occurs almost exclusively in unfiltered bottles. It is more common in red wines, where the colorants themselves, combined with the tannin, precipitate out of the wine over the years and accumulate at the bottom of the bottle.
Carefully lift the wine from your wine cellar shelf - whether it's horizontal or vertical - and handle it with care once removed. Don't shake it to keep the sediment from mixing in the bottle; it's best to leave it in the same position as before. If you have stored the wine horizontally, you can carefully place it in a wine basket, if not, a bread basket or a longer bowl will do. The main thing is to put the bottle with the neck out so that the sediment is collected on one side of the bottom of the bottle.
When decanting a wine to separate sediment, it is always a good idea to light a candle on the table and place it so that the candle illuminates the bottle to see when to stop the process. Pour the wine slowly and carefully from the bottle into the decanter, giving up a drop rather than pouring through the sediment.
Decantation to empower fragrances and flavors in the bottle
After the winemaking process, the liquid is kept in bottles. In the cork-sealed liquids, micro-oxidation begins, in which very little oxygen penetrates through the cork and allows the wine to continue to age over the years.
The oxygen comes into contact with the wine only on a limited surface, partly because the cork is not letting much air in, and partly because the wine, even when stored on its side, only comes into contact with oxygen through its top layer (the rest of the liquid is sealed off from oxygen by the liquid itself). When you pull the cork out of the bottle, the oxygen flows in through the neck of the bottle, but even then it can barely come into contact with the air.
The aromas and flavors are more easily perceived by the nose and mouth in the wine after 1-2 hours in the decanter. The unpleasant smell of ethyl alcohol disappears from the air, and the sulfurous trace is also reduced. The effect of oxygen on wine cannot be reversed, only stopped. Only place a full bottle in the decanter if the bottle is consumed during the evening, as placing it back in the bottle would give the wine another blast of oxygen, and leaving it in the decanter also continues the oxidation process.
If you just want to sip a glass of wine from a fine bottle, it's best to pour the wine directly into a large, funnel-shaped glass, swirl it to get more oxygen, and store the wine bottle in a cool place, even the refrigerator, away from air.
What wines should we support with decanting?
Wines that are fuller and denser will benefit much more from this process. Young red wines with lots of tannins or complex, rich structure or older wines are perfect for decanting. Great examples you can safely decant are Burgundy, Bordeaux, Corton-Charlemagne, or Alsace.
Thinner red wines like Pinot Noir, Côtes du Rhone, or Chianti are not improved by aerating. The same goes for 99% of white wines and rosés: aeration compromises enjoyment, degrades the flavor profile, and reduces complexity.
How long should we decant?
Pinot Noir / Chardonnay: 30-40 minutes (Burgundy)
Ccabernet sauvignon / merlot: 2 hours (Bordeaux)
Tempranillo: 2 hours (Rioja, Ribera del Deuro)
Sangiovese: 2 hours (Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti)
Vintage Port / Madeira: 2 hours syrah / shiraz: 2-3 hours mourvèdre / monastrell 2-3 hours (Bandol)
Nebbiolo: 3+ hours (Barolo, Barbaresco)
What is double decantation?
Some wines need to be decanted twice. In practice, this means pouring the wine once into the decanter and then back into the bottle - already washed out. Double decanting has two advantages: even closed wines open relatively quickly, the sediment is removed twice.
It is particularly recommended for very concentrated red wines with high extract and tannin content. This can be a young Italian Barolo or Barbaresco, a Cabernet Sauvignon, or a Malbec aged in oak barrels. Experts recommend letting it rest for at least an hour.
When to avoid decanting?
It’s safe to say that champagne and sparkling wines should not be decanted in order to preserve their bubbles. It is also not a good idea to decant rosé wines bottled last year, as there is nothing to open (except the bottle itself), and if there is sediment at the bottom, it is rather dirt and certainly not the residue of aging on the yeast.
Care should also be taken when decanting vintages that are a decade or more old, as the aging process in these bottles is well advanced and any manipulation could cause the wine to decay. If you decide to decant because of the presence of sediment, decant no more than half an hour before drinking.
If you collect award-winning or historic bottles in your wine cellar, the best approach is to consult with the seller or auction house about their suggestions regarding wine decanting. Innovative Saunas and Cellars Inc, also offers Sommelier Services to help you on your journey with wine. We offer a range of consulting services to include options for individual interests.
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