We all have one, but most of us don’t know how to use it (other than to add a decorative flair to your bar or a place to keep corks). The object I am speaking of is the intimidating wine decanter.
To decant or not decant? Let’s discover the answers together. Before you decant you need to understand why you are decanting and what happens during the process. When done correctly decanting can elevate even the most average wine experience.
There are two main reasons you decant wine, most commonly still red wines. The first is to separate the clarified wine from the sediment which has formed during aging. The second is oxygen exposure (no Mom, waving your hand over the bottle doesn’t count) which releases certain compounds bound within the bottle. Both reasons affect the perception of flavor, texture, and aroma.
“Decanting goes back to alchemy, where it was used to describe the process of removing the liquid part of a mixture from the solids,” says Dr, Sacks, associate professor at Cornell University’s school of Department of Food Science.
Obviously, winemaking has improved since the day of alchemy and today's processes prevent certain solids from forming but getting rid of sediment is always a concern. Sediment by definition is very fine and in wine, it can cause the flavors and expressions to deaden.
Before you can decant wine you need to prepare the wine itself. If the wine has been jostled or has come out of horizontal storage, it can take up to two days for the sediment to settle to the bottom of the bottle. Yes, two days, I know that sounds extreme, but it will give you the best decanting experience. Once the bottle has rested vertically and all the sediment is at the bottom, you may begin to decant. A tip to ensure you get the least amount of sediment in your decanter is to shine a light where the neck meets the shoulder, and stop pouring the moment you see the wine get cloudy. The amount of wine left in the bottle will vary, but if you prepare the bottle in advance you will reduce the amount of waste.
The other reason to decant is for oxygen exposure, letting your wine breathe. The main purpose for oxygen exposure is the release of two compounds, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Carbon dioxide can cause wines to be more tannic and this is often considered a fault. Hydrogen sulfide can impart a rotten egg or burn match aroma. A half an hour to an hour in a decanter will release these compounds and allow you to reassess the wine.
Now that you know how to decant, we need to learn when to stop decanting. Thirty minutes is the minimum decanting time, but the best way to know when the wine is at the perfect expression is to know the wine. You need to know where the wine started to figure out when it is finished. Taste the wine from when it is first opened and throughout the decanting process while asking yourself will more time help the evolution of the flavor and aromas.
Wow, that was a lot of information, so here is a recap!
Let your bottle rest vertically
Carefully pour the bottle into the decanter stopping when the wine is clouded by sediment
Let the wine breathe. Oxygen exposure helps release carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide and this helps with the evolution of the flavors and aromas.