To decant or not to decant
People, wrongly, tend to assume that anything old should be decanted. Not so. Here are a few guidelines.
Old Wines
Step 1
Always bring an old wine up from the cellar 24 hours before drinking it. Stand it upright and leave it at room temperature away from direct light. This will allow the sediments to settle and the wine to warm slowly to 17/18 degrees which is about right for most reds.
Step 2
Open the wine just before drinking and taste. This is the tricky part. If the wine is aromatic with strong tannins and substance, decanting will rounden it and bring out its fruity side. If the wine is weak with astringent tannins and scarce aromas, decanting may finish of the little structure that is left. For you to decide!
Step 3
Always decant slowly in good light, if not over a candle, so that you can see when the sediments reach the neck and stop pouring.
New Wines
Contrary to what is generally believed, decanting is not restricted to old wines and can be a blessing to the impatient as it enables us to drink wines younger than we ought to!
Oxygenating a young wine can soften it and bring out the often closed aromas
Feel free to practice on young reds or whites aged in oak or even dessert wines. The more violently you decant, the more effect it will have on the wine.
Try the wine first to be sure that it has the structure and strength to undergo such treatment; Decanting a light, fruity wine may render it weak and dissipate the aromas.