How to decant fine wine!

Why you should decant wine

An expert guide by: Christie’s wine specialist

The purpose of decanting is threefold: to aerate a wine, to remove sediment, and to add a bit showmanship to a dinner party. ‘Decanting wine adds drama to even the simplest of dinners,’ says Christie’s wine specialist Charles Foley. The wines that benefit from being decanted

Young, heavier reds with vibrant fruit and fine-grained tannins benefit from a period of aeration so that they can open up and show at their very best. Varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec, Nebbiolo and Tempranillo should be opened two hours before being decanted and served. Lighter styles of red such as Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Grenache and Gamay can have their corks drawn an hour or so before serving.

Why decanting older wines is different

Older red wines may not benefit from prolonged periods of aeration: the major aim with such wines is to separate the liquid from the sediment.

‘It is best to open them around 30 minutes before dinner, in the moment of calm before the storm,’. ‘This will also allow you time to check the quality of the wine, and to replace it with another bottle if the wine has perished.’

White wines that are also worth decanting

White wines are less frequently decanted.  In Bordeaux, white wines are often decanted before they are served. Sparkling wine is rarely decanted — unless it be an old vintage of oxidative champagne such as Selosse or Henri Giraud — because the bubbles dissipate quickly.

Preparatory steps for decanting wine.

Standing a wine up the day before serving is an excellent way to let the sediment settle to the bottom of the bottle. 

How to remove the cork?

Placing the tip in the center of the cork and using your index finger to guide down the shaft is the best method. Place the T-bar in the palm of your hand to force the screw in. 

‘Drawing the cork out results in the best sound in the world of wine,’

Technical corkscrews for older, more crumbly corks 

Older vintages will require more technical corkscrews, because the corks are less durable and tend to crumble. Lead with the longer prong and wiggle it in into the space between the cork and bottle until the shorter prong follows on the opposite side. Once the peg is level with the top of the bottle, twist and pull to remove a full cork — thus avoiding the horror of fragments of cork floating in your bottle.

There is also the Durand — the connoisseur’s corkscrew. This combination of the corkscrew and the ‘ah-so’ should be used for the oldest vintages. When used with care, it is the most failsafe way of removing a full, if slightly saturated cork. Durands can also be used on large-format bottles such as jeroboams. 

How to choose your decanter

Your choice of decanter involves both practical and aesthetic considerations. The key factor is that you need to be able to swirl the wine, and therefore a wide bowl is important. A narrow neck is also essential to funnel the liquid into the glass and avoid spraying a tablecloth. Don’t forget the muslin and a candle

During the decanting process, the mouth of the decanter should be covered by something that will act as a filter to catch sediment: muslin, cheesecloth or a fine sieve are perfect. 

Light a candle, hold the bottle neck above it and begin to pour the wine at a 180-degree angle into a decanter. Stop pouring the wine when the sediment (seen as a dark deposit) appears in the bottle neck. Inevitably, some wine will remain with the sediment in the bottle.

A large and rare silver pheasant decanter by Fabergé, with the workmaster’s mark of Julius Rappoport, St Petersburg, circa 1890. 26 in (66 cm) long. Estimate: ￡100,000-150,000. Offered in Russian Art on 1 June at Christie’s in London