Before drinking some wines, decanting is an essential step in order to let them bloom with more charm. So how to properly use a decanter to help decanting wine, do you know?
1. How to choose a decanter?
From a practical point of view, we need to choose a decanter that is easy to clean. From a functional point of view, we need to choose the corresponding decanter according to the type of wine: young wines with high acidity and high tannin are suitable for a flat decanter, which can increase the contact between the wine and oxygen The area helps to accelerate the development and evolution of the wine; for aged wines, you can choose a cork decanter with a narrower bottle to prevent the wine from over-oxidizing and accelerating aging.
2. Which wines need to be awakened?
For red wines, young wines made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Syrah are full-bodied, with high acidity and tannin content, which can be improved by decanting. Help them soften tannins and mouthfeel, and release more aroma and flavor. If these wines have been bottled for a period of time, they may appear slightly blocked when they are first opened due to a long “sleep”, and the aroma and flavor of the wine can be awakened by sobering.
Some heavy-bodied white wines also need to be decanted, such as aged Rieslings, noble rot sweet whites from Sauternes, and oak-aged, full-bodied Chardonnays, etc. , these wines are full-bodied and aromatic, and decanting can help them better reveal their aromas and flavors, and develop more complex characteristics.
3. How to control the sobering time?
Red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Nebbiolo and Amarone are full-bodied, powerful, and tannic, requiring about 2 hours of decanting (except those in their peak and decline); black skins Red wines such as Pinot Noir and Merlot are relatively light-bodied and have low tannin content. On the premise that they need to be decanted, the time should be half an hour to an hour. Full-bodied, unrestrained white wines such as California Chardonnay can be decanted for about an hour. Sparkling wines, light-bodied white wines, and rosés generally do not require decanting, however, if these wines have unpleasant flavors such as reducing odors, decanting can be used to disperse these flavors, but the time needs to be controlled Within 30 minutes, and keep an eye on the state of the wine.
In general, the length of the decanting time depends on the type of wine and the personal taste of the drinker, most of which range from a quarter of an hour to two hours.
