Like any living organism, wine is constantly changing due to two factors: internal - i.e., the intrinsic laws of its development - and external (ambient temperature, humidity level, atmospheric pressure, contact with oxygen, etc.). Just as you cannot enter the same river twice, you cannot taste the same wine twice. A 2000 wine tasted in 2003 and 2005 will not be the same. It will be different - slightly different or completely different. It may evolve for better or for worse. Or it may simply become different. Not better or worse. Different because two years have passed. Today we offer an introduction to the art of decanting, and which wines need it and which don't.

Wine is a living organism, sensitive to the slightest changes in its environment. Like a human being, it can be stressed, tired, sick, then either recover or slowly wither, or even die quickly.

The decanting process itself, as well as the wide neck of the decanter and the large surface area of the wine, poured into it, ensure maximum contact with oxygen. This does not compensate for the lack of aging of a luxury wine in the cellar, but it does bring it a little closer to its natural maturity, contributes to a better unfolding of aromas, softens the power of the tannins and at the same time reduces the amount of free sulphur. You can enhance this effect by increasing the decanting speed. Filling the decanter quickly enriches the wine even more with oxygen. After decanting, the wine should stand in the decanter for a while.

Full-bodied red wine is decanted slowly, making sure that no sediment particles enter the decanter. For this purpose, the bottle is held over a burning candle, the flame of which should be directly under the shoulders. Another reason for decanting aged wines slowly is that they should not be over-oxygenated.

Decanting, as the most radical remedy, causes a lot of controversy among professionals. Apart from the undesirability of decanting all simple and light wines, as well as very old elite wines, for which intensive contact with oxygen is fraught with rapid oxidation, there is no absolute rule. It is all the more important to know where there is relative agreement.

Elite red Bordeaux and the best Barolo usually benefit from decanting. Young wines from good estates are decanted 2-3, even 4 hours before consumption. Mature Bordeaux wines do not need intensive aeration: they are decanted to separate them from the lees, 10-15 minutes before consumption. This is enough to "aerate" a wine that has been in a corked bottle for a long time.

It is also desirable to decant aged vintage port wines to separate them from the lees.

It is not recommended to decant most Burgundy Pinot Noir wines. According to some experts, this may deprive them of their finesse and "break" their delicate flavors. An exception can be made for very young and closed grands crus, although some experts advise doing the opposite: uncorking the bottle a few hours before consumption.

In general, when deciding whether or not it is desirable to decant a luxury red wine, the tannin content of the wine must be taken into account. The higher the tannin content, the more likely it is that decanting will be beneficial, although a mechanical approach is not appropriate: all the other characteristics of a particular sample, in particular its complexity, must be taken into account. The more complex the wine, the more likely it is to benefit from decanting.

White dry wines are generally not decanted. However, there may be exceptions: some very young and closed wines from great vineyards (Burgundy grand cru, and certain Loire wines from Chenin Blanc (notably Coulée de Serrant). For these wines, it is better to choose a narrow decanter, which ensures moderate contact with oxygen and, thanks to its shape, fits easily in the cooler.

Specialists have different opinions about decanting of Sauternes, Barsacs, and other wines of this type. There are convinced opponents of this procedure, and there are also its supporters. However, even those in favour usually advise decanting only young sauternes and Barsacs. Naturally, in this case, as in the previous ones, decanting can be useful mainly for high-class products.

It is not normally recommended to decant sparkling wines. The reason is obvious: the need to preserve the carbon dioxide bubbles. However, this is not an absolute rule. Some champagnes may benefit from short-term aeration (10-15 minutes in a flask decanter). Many French sommeliers and other experts believe that decanting (carafer, passer en carafe) is possible, even necessary:

• Some simple wines with a very high content of carbon dioxide, which aggressively affects the oral mucosa
• Selected high-end and complex wines, especially those showing signs of reduction

In both cases, it is generally advised to pour the champagne slowly and carefully into the decanter, although the author has encountered the opposite approach. If you are not sure whether decanting is desirable, you can resort to a simple test: pour champagne from a newly uncorked bottle into a glass, take one sip immediately, then wait ten minutes and taste the wine again. Has it improved? Then you can resort to decanting. Of course, there is always the simpler and gentler method of uncorking the bottle beforehand to free the wine of excess bubbles and allow it to breathe.

The conclusion is self-evident: the knowledge, experience, and good taste of the sommelier or wine lover should be decisive in this matter. Regardless of our attitude towards decanting, there is no doubt that a luxury wine is very much changed by oxygen.

Double Decantation

A few words about the so-called double decantation. It is only sensible to decant a very young and completely closed tannin and complex wine, for which such an extreme method (double carafage, or carafage à la bordelaise) will at least not be harmful. And it only makes sense to do this if there is no time for the wine to breathe properly in the decanter (some wines need three to four hours in the decanter).