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Decanting

decantare (I)
to decant (GB)
décanter (F)
decantação (PO)
decantación (ES)

Even experts are diametrically opposed to this process, which is optional before enjoying a wine. In principle, there are three different directions: 1. wine must be decanted because it needs to "breathe", i.e. come into contact with oxygen, in order to optimally develop the aromas. 2. decanting has no effect at all according to scientific findings and is therefore of no significance. 3. decanting a wine is even harmful and damages its quality. So what is objectively correct? The only thing that is clear is that even recognised experts have divergent opinions. The famous French oenologist Émile Peynaud (1912-2004), one of the most important wine tasters and scientists in this field, is a clear decanting opponent and said: If it is necessary to decant at all, then it should be done at the latest possible moment, namely immediately before enjoying the wine.

Dekantieren - Einschenken aus Flasche in Karaffe

Divergent opinions from experts

Peynaud even thinks that the influence of oxygen has fundamentally negative effects, causing a diffuse aroma of the wine and the flavour substances to evaporate. With most wines, decanting does not help at all. After countless experiments with a wide variety of wines, Peynaud summarises as follows: With old wines, the bouquet is reduced more or less quickly and the wines "die in the decanter". High-quality wines with long barrel ageing and varietal wines lose bouquet, body and personality if they are decanted several hours before consumption. In contrast, decanting can be beneficial for wines with odour defects or foreign flavours.

The British oenologist Michael Broadbent (1927-2020) was also of the opinion that decanting or adding air only makes sense for young wines (red wines), less so for older ones and not at all for old ones. In his opinion, especially old wines that are not outstanding in terms of quality and have less character are at risk, because they can decompose and turn into vinegar within a short time (hours to minutes) due to contact with oxygen. He does not see this quite as extremely as Peynaud, but attributes relatively little effect to decanting. At best, the wines become somewhat softer (which can also be a disadvantage). Wine author Hugh Johnson believes that decanting definitely changes a wine. Whether to the advantage or disadvantage depends, in his opinion, on the wine and on personal taste.

Scientific studies carried out in the USA have shown that decanting has no demonstrable influence on the wine, because an enrichment with oxygen only takes place - if at all - on the surface. It is often cited as "proof" that a wine that has been under the "influence of oxygen" for a longer period of time differs from a wine enjoyed immediately after opening. For example, through a "fruitier and milder taste". But even this does not bring clarity, because it can be related to the fact that the palate, e.g. after the first sip of a tannin-emphasised wine, has in the meantime got used to the astringency and the wine only seems to taste different. Food that has been enjoyed in the meantime or a different wine temperature also have an influence and can cause different sensory impressions.

Aerating instead of decanting

The famous French wine collector François Audouze propagates a special decanting method of "slow oxygenation", especially for old red wines, but also for others. First of all, the bottle is left standing upright, closed, for two days before it is to be enjoyed. Then it is uncorked and left to stand again without decanting, with the cork placed only on the opening to protect it from dust or insects. Audouze recommends four to five hours for very old wines (30 to 40 years and older), and five to ten hours or longer for younger wines. He is also against removing the deposit because he thinks it changes the taste, even destroys the structure of the wine. He accepts that "the first glass of wine poured will taste different from the last".

But supporters of his method also believe that the deposit should be removed in any case. The effect of the "Audouze method" is that oxygen is added to the wine very slowly (after it has perhaps been closed off from it for decades) and it therefore develops much more harmoniously. The not-so-rare "decanter shock", which can lead to prominent acidity or hard tannins in older wines, can supposedly be avoided in this way. According to Audouze, his many years of positive experience are based on "over a thousand opened bottles with vintages before 1945". Among them were absolute top rarities dating back to the beginning of the 19th century.

As a summary, one can only give the advice to try it out for oneself. At best, one should enjoy the same wine once decanted and once not decanted - ideally even in parallel - in order to form one's own opinion. But of course you need two bottles, which creates a "new problem". Because wines can very well develop differently and the same wine can taste different in two different bottles; the phenomenon is called bottle variance. So again, this is not a clear "scientific proof". A compromise would be to decant half a bottle and leave the other half in the bottle that is to be closed again immediately. But that would not be 100% in the spirit of the matter, because even a short contact with oxygen could cause changes.

Removing the depot

The most objective (and also undisputed) reason for decanting is to separate the wine from the deposit (polymerised tannins and colouring agents) and possibly tartar, which are deposited at the bottom of the bottle and occur especially in red wines. Apart from the negative appearance, these would otherwise inevitably get into the glass and possibly have a negative influence on the taste.

Caraffing

The second reason for decanting, which as described above is not without controversy, is to bring the wine into contact with oxygen and to allow its aroma to develop. The majority of wine lovers consider this method to be very important and useful. This decanting into another vessel for the sole purpose of aeration is also called caraffing (French: carafer). According to its proponents, this can bring about a decisive positive change in a wine. The ceremony requires a lot of tact, patience and time. The bottle is placed upright two to three days before drinking so that the deposit can collect at the bottom. You can place the bottle in a decanter basket or a Wine cradle where the bottle is stored with the neck slanting upwards. How long the wine should be decanted before drinking depends on the grape variety and the age of the wine, and also on personal experience. As a rule, it is at least one to three hours.

Dekantieren - drei verschiedene Karaffen

The cork must be removed carefully without stirring up the deposit. Then begin to pour slowly and calmly on the inside wall of a Carafe pour in the wine. A decanting funnel can be a good aid to allow the wine to flow in directly on the wall. This is the first time that the wine comes into direct contact with oxygen and begins to develop its aroma. A Decanter allows the wine to be poured evenly and smoothly. The bottle is clamped into the machine with the opening slanting upwards and the neck of the bottle is slowly moved downwards by a hand crank. This is useful for certain types of port or similar wines, as these develop an extremely fine deposit. When pouring, a light source must be located exactly behind the shoulder of the bottle to detect the emergence of the deposit, which presents itself as a black line. When the first traces become visible, pouring is stopped.

Double decanting

One variation is double decanting. Here, the wine is first emptied into a carafe or an empty bottle. Then the bottle is cleaned to remove any deposit residues and then the wine is poured back into the bottle using a funnel. If it is to be transported, it is closed again. According to the supporters of this method, this results in several advantages. Due to the double oxygen contact, the wine is "aerated" even better. Bottles pre-decanted in this way can be taken anywhere and are ready for immediate consumption. In addition, the bottles with the original labels cannot be confused with other wines (bottles), which can only be prevented when there are several decanters with different wines by labelling the decanters.

Not emptied, undecanted bottles can be stored again without additional effort (wine climate cabinet or refrigerator). Another advantage could be that bottles with the often elaborately designed labels look more attractive at the table than carafes. Furthermore, everyone can easily read the information on the label. There are also some brand systems or technical devices (so-called mini decanters) that are placed on the bottle. When pouring, the wine comes into contact with a lot of air or oxygen. These include Decantus, Venturi tube and Versovino. There are a number of other accessories, such as a decanting ball that can be hung in the neck of decanting vessels and allows the wine to flow off gently, as well as wine glasses with an integrated ball.

Further information

See also aging, bottle ageing and drinking maturity (development of wine), as well as wine enjoyment, wine glasses, wine cellar, wine temperature and wine with food (enjoyment).

Decanting: by Didriks - Decanting on flickr, CC BY 2.0, Link
Decanting duck on the right: © Silber & Dekor

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Sigi Hiss

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Sigi Hiss
freier Autor und Weinberater (Fine, Vinum u.a.), Bad Krozingen

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