To Decanter or not to Decanter
In times gone by, before so many wines were routinely fined and filtered, it was quite common for wines poured from both barrel and bottle to contain a considerable degree of sediment. It was quite the norm to decant the wine into a suitable receptacle to avoid an unsightly looking wine bottle on the dining table. The need for such a receptacle led to the development of the many and varied elegant decanters, which are available today.
The modern winemaking process ensures that the wine has been clarified and filtered before bottling, which almost negates the need for decanting. After all you paid for that label and may wish to show it off. The artwork on the Turanga Creek wine labels is a wonderful conversation starter.
However younger wines can benefit from being decanted. The aim is not remove sediment but to aerate the wine. The action of decanting itself, and the large surface area in contact with the air in the decanter, alters the wine, softening flavours and encouraging the development of the more complex aromas that normally take years to develop in the bottle.
|
Post your comment