Double Decanting

Solid · 07-29-2004, 14:39

I recently saw this, apparently a trick used by Robert Parker. I've never seen it done in Europe, but I'm not sure if it is common in the US. In the interest of posterity, I'll post it.
This is a trick for fine/older wines with sediment. Often, inexperienced guests will pour their wine incorrectly and accumulate a large amount of sediment in their glass, or distribute the settled sediment around the wine bottle. This ruins the wine (although sediment is healthy). To avoid this, many decant their wine into a decanter, which also helps the wine breath. However, this means that the guests cannot see what wine they are drinking because the decanters lack labels.
To remedy this, Double Decant.

1) Clean out decanter with water, smell to ensure that it is clean.

2) After opening, wipe mouth of bottle with wet rag to remove dirt/dust. Not a step everyone performs, can contaminate wine.

3) Decant carefully, leaving the sediment in the shoulder of the bottle. May have to leave a bit of wine in the bottle to avoid pouring sediment into the decanter.

4) Wash wine bottle thoroughly with water. Try not to let water get on outside of the bottle and ruin the label (defeats purpose of exercise!).

5) Using a clean funnel, pour the wine from the decanter back into the bottle. If you need to let the wine breath, leave in decanter for a while before performing this step.

I have no clue how useful this trick is, but Parker is an expert on wines and it seems practical.

HTH,

Solid
*legal in the UK*

**Roguish Lawyer** · 07-29-2004, 22:35

I think that is stupid. Just display the empty bottle next to the decanter.

Solid · 07-30-2004, 02:56

RL, we had a huge dinner party last night. Trust me, with many guests that's just not a possibility, both because of space and because guests move things around. If you're drinking great wine, I think it's important for people to drink the same wine together, know what wine they're drinking, and therefore be able to discuss it.
That's just me, though.

Solid

FILO · 07-30-2004, 07:53

Quote:

Originally posted by Solid
5) Using a clean funnel, pour the wine from the decanter back into the bottle. If you need to let the wine breath, leave in decanter for a while before performing this step.

Several years ago I attended a wine class taught by internationally known wine expert Sherwood Deutsch. He was a strong advocate of using cheese cloth to pour the wine while decanting. He argued that any contact with metal would leave the wine with a slight metallic taste and thereby hinder a full assessment. I suspect a plastic funnel cleaned in only hot water is fine for decanting.

However, decanting does not improve the quality of the wine and thus is not necessary unless you object to small particles floating in your glass. Instead allowing the wine to “breathe” is much more important and failing to do so can dramatically impact the taste. That is the single biggest mistake most folks make in serving “good wine.” Pop that cork anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes prior to serving. If the wine is of poor quality, you will not notice any substantial change between 30 seconds and 45 minutes; however, if it is excellent wine and aged appropriately you will definitely notice a rather dramatic increase in the subtlety and flavor.

**Roguish Lawyer** · 07-30-2004, 08:10

Quote:

Originally posted by FILO
However, decanting does not improve the quality of the wine and thus is not necessary unless you object to small particles floating in your glass. Instead allowing the wine to “breathe” is much more important and failing to do so can dramatically impact the taste. That is the single biggest mistake most folks make in serving “good wine.” Pop that cork anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes prior to serving. If the wine is of poor quality, you will not notice any substantial change between 30 seconds and 45 minutes; however, if it is excellent wine and aged appropriately you will definitely notice a rather dramatic increase in the subtlety and flavor.

FILO, the principal purpose of decanting is to let the wine breathe, not to remove sediment (although decanters help with that also). Wine won't breathe much if you just open the bottle. If you aren't going to use a decanter, at least pour a half glass of wine to get some air into the bottle, then let it breathe in the bottle.

**Roguish Lawyer** · 07-30-2004, 08:19

Quote:

Originally posted by Solid
RL, we had a huge dinner party last night. Trust me, with many guests that's just not a possibility, both because of space and because guests move things around. If you're drinking great wine, I think it's important for people to drink the same wine together, know what wine they're drinking, and therefore be able to discuss it.
That's just me, though.

Solid

I don't know what you mean by "great wine," but I think it is foolish to screw around with it too much. Spill risk alone makes your suggestion a bad one IMO. There are plenty of ways to identify wine in decanters.

FILO · 07-30-2004, 08:28

Quote:

Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
FILO, the principal purpose of decanting is to let the wine breathe, not to remove sediment (although decanters help with that also). Wine won't breathe much if you just open the bottle. If you aren't going to use a decanter, at least pour a half glass of wine to get some air into the bottle, then let it breathe in the bottle.

My remark about the pros and cons of decanting was in regards to the comment that the sediment would ruin the wine, it doesn't. Yes decanting does help in allowing the wine to breathe, but so does opening the bottle, so does pouring the wine into a glass and finally so does swirling the wine in your glass prior to sipping. Decanting speeds up the process of "breathing" but I have never experienced a difference between allowing a full bottle to sit for 35 minutes versus decanting. My taste buds are not that refined. IMO decanting is a good idea if you open an aged fine wine and you plan on drinking it immediatley.

FILO · 07-30-2004, 08:40

Quote:

Originally posted by Roguish Lawyer
I don't know what you mean by "great wine," but I think it is foolish to screw around with it too much. Spill risk alone makes your suggestion a bad one IMO. There are plenty of ways to identify wine in decanters.

Agree 110%, RL!!!

Solid · 07-30-2004, 08:55

RL, I'm attending a large wine tasting tonight, and will see how they handle things. It's wine and dinner, which is uncommon, but will be a particularly suitable test. All fine wine experts there save myself, who got very lucky.

Solid

brewmonkey · 07-30-2004, 16:37

I would guess that the majority of the sediment you are trying to avoid is yeast that has fallen out of suspension over the time in the bottle. It happens to bottle conditioned and unfiltered beers as well.

While the sediment may detract from the drinking experience I can tell you that if it is indeed fallen yeast then it is chock full of B complex vitamins which work wonders on a hangover.

Air.177 · 07-30-2004, 16:43

Quote:

Originally posted by brewmonkey
I would guess that the majority of the sediment you are trying to avoid is yeast that has fallen out of suspension over the time in the bottle. It happens to bottle conditioned and unfiltered beers as well.

While the sediment may detract from the drinking experience I can tell you that if it is indeed fallen yeast then it is chock full of B complex vitamins which work wonders on a hangover.

So one should save the Sediment for the Morning after?