Slow Decanting - Anyone Ever Try?

[Moses Botbol]

Have you ever done a “slow decant” by just removing the cork and waiting several days to drink? Jean Bourdy, the owner and winemaker for Bourdy wines in the Jura says that is the proper way to serve his wine. They’ve been making wine since the 15th century, so who am I to question him, lol…

He recommends uncorking his wine, let’s take a 2005 Savagnin; he recommends 5 days of breathing, just uncorked. I did this over Christmas and he was spot on. The wine was rocking! His contention is that wine sits in a barrel 4-5 years and just pouring into a decanter is “too rough” on the wine. One must gradually let the wine come to life in the bottle. I opened his 2005 Blanc on Monday and intend to serve Saturday.

This method got me thinking that this could be great for port or non-Jura wines as well. Have you ever uncorked a wine or port and let it sit uncorked for a week plus? Would be awesome to try on an LBV; one bottle sitting for a week uncorked, the 2nd bottle decanted for 6 hours. How would they be different?

http://www.cavesjeanbourdy.com/page35.html

[John M.]

Would you decant the "week bottle" just prior to serving (to get sediment out)?

[Moses Botbol]

Would you decant the "week bottle" just prior to serving (to get sediment out)?

Bourdy was against decanters, but I suppose you could right before serving. The sediment should be pretty well settled to the bottom by then.

[Eric Menchen]

The sediment should be pretty well settled to the bottom by then.

Some of the big chunky stuff might stay at the bottom, but with each pour of a glass you stir up some of the sediment, and eventually some will come out unless you serve it all at once.

[Moses Botbol]

The sediment should be pretty well settled to the bottom by then.

Some of the big chunky stuff might stay at the bottom, but with each pour of a glass you stir up some of the sediment, and eventually some will come out unless you serve it all at once.

Pour from bottle through cheese cloth right into the glass. In the case of the Jura wines, there is very little sediment.

[Rob C.]

Is pouring into a decanter immediately before serving much different from pouring it into the glass itself in terms of being too "rough" on the wine? I would not have thought so if done carefully.