Hello fellow Wine Nerds! So let me ask, do you decant? I find decanting makes a huge difference, especially big Bordeaux's, and Napa Valley Cabs, but tbh almost all of the wines I drink benefit from a good decant, some more then others. I am sure some do not as well. But I am not at the level to notice this difference, or to make the call on not to decant. I just think the benefits outweigh the risks. Would love to hear from some of you who are at a higher level then I.
Some of you may be asking, what is decanting, and why would you want to do it? Keep in mind that I am answering this as a person who so far is self taught, and I would love to hear from experts, such as in the comments to correct me, or to fill in the blanks.
Decanting can make a world of difference in a bottle wine! It really is a shame to know there are many people who say they do not like wine, all because they did not know how to drink it. Yes there are some basics one should know in order to experience wine the way it should be, these things can be storage, temperature, vessels, not knowing what TCA is, and decanting. Some wine need's to be opened, and exposed to oxygen in order to unlock it's bouquet. Some longer then others. Pouring wine into a decanter can help with this process. For instance this Rhone Blend I recently picked up(for cheap btw), was so much better after sitting 30 min in the decanter. I have had some wines take hours before they started to come around. Just think of so many that gave up on a bottle of wine after that first pour? A real pity if you ask me.
Another big reason to decant is an obvious one. To filter out the sediment from a bottle that has been sitting in the cellar for some time. Other benefits of decanting, to burn off a little bit of the Alcohol. Yes this may sound a little far fetched, why would you even want to burn some it anyway? Sometimes a little to much Alcohol can make a wine unbalanced. I may be misinformed on that last one, so fell free to pitch in to help. I do recall a person who is considered a Master of wine say the perfect amount of Alcohol content in a wine is 13%, which is a good rule of thumb when searching for a great bottle of wine. Although that is not always the case. CDP wines are in the high range, and so are many of California wines. Please comment below, do you decant? Why? When? How? Thanks for taking the time to read my post, and as always CHEERS to you!