The decanting of wine is necessary if the wine needs aeration or the bottle contains sediment.
Aeration
This may be necessary mainly for young or medium-aged wines. It may be useful for the followingtypes:
Young whites that have the smell of excess
free sulphur dioxide. The smell should disappear
almost immediately after decanting.
Mature whites or reds which after long
bottle ageing may have a slightly closed or musty
smell due to the effect of reduction.
Sparkling wines with an excessive effervescence
for the food they are to accompany. Decanting
reduces the intensity of the carbon dioxide.
Wines of any type or colour with unpleasant
side odour that an experienced taster believes
can be cured by aeration. The best decanter for
the purpose of aeration is the type with a wide
neck into which the wine can be poured quickly
to give the maximum exposure to the air.
To separate sediment
This is a more delicate operation. It is done with red wines from
old vintages that have a deposit caused by the natural precipitation
of tannins and colouring substances. The following accessories are
required for theoperation:
a candle in a holder
a jug of warm water
a cradle made of straw or silver
a decanter made of
fine glass or crystal with a round base and a long, straight neck.
If the bottle to be served has
been standing upright at room temperature the
sediment should have collected at the base. If it is
brought directly from the cellar, where it has been
stored horizontally, the bottle must be carried with
extreme care and kept in an almost horizontal
position to avoid disturbing the sediment. After
being shown to the guests, it should be placed in a
cradle and left for at least 15 minutes before
decanting.
After opening the bottle and checking the cork in
the normal way, the operation should proceed as
follows:
Warm the decanter using
water from the jug which should then be poured back
Pour a little of the wine into the decanter and swirl it around,
then poured it into a service glass. This step is designed to
remove any smells such as that of chlorinated water or detergent
Light the candle.
Take the bottle in the
right hand and the carafe in the left. Rest the hp of the bottle on
the mouth of the carafe, positioning it so that the neck is
illuminated by the candle flame. Pour slowly and with a steady hand,
holding the decanter at an oblique angle so that the wine runs down
the neck into the base. Stop pouring when the first signs of
sediment appear at the bottle neck.
Check the clarity of
the wine by holding the decanter against the candle
Put out the candle with
the finger and thumb.
Serve the wine (possibly
after a short pause to let the bouquet settle) in the same way as
described above..
