Always use a decanter?

[Tom Archer]

To 'drink through' a motley assortment of odds and ends, I've been interspersing my bottles of VP with lesser beasts.

My current victim is a bottle of Delaforce Paramount - one of two bottles that came with a mixed case of left-over sample bottles from the Decanter wine award judging, that were auctioned for charity at Christies a year ago (They are doing the same again in a couple of weeks time)

When I drank the first bottle, I noted that it was by far the best Reserve wine that I'd encountered, so broaching the second one was no chore

For the hell of it, I decanted the wine yesterday, rather than taking it straight from the bottle. There was just a wisp of fine sediment.

I was not wildly enthused with the wine yesterday, but for a Reserve, very respectable.

Today, the process of decanting - entraining air - and then the day to compose itself thereafter - has had the same enhancing effect on this wine as happens with VP's - fuller, smoother and longer finish.

This really is superb now for it's class, and I can't help wondering whether those sample bottles were actually drawn from the regular production... :twisted:

- Of course they were!

However, sticking my neck out, I'd advise anyone drinking on a limited budget - no matter if there's no sediment - to still use a decanter.

Anyone disagree?

Tom

[Al B.]

I quite strongly agree with this. When we did the Virtual Tasting on the Bin 27, I decanted the wine to give it as much chance to shine as I would have given a VP.

I don't know whether it made a difference, but I can say that the glass I had 24 hours after decanting was better than the glass I had immediately after decanting.

Alex

[Roy Hersh]

I can't think of a single Port that would not be better due to some form of decanting. When I am evaluating and LBV for example, I usually will sip it for three days (no decanting per se) and allow the air in the bottle to perform a slow and controlled oxidation and rarely is the LBV better the first day (although there have been a few exceptions). I am usually the most impressed the second day as any obtrusive alcohol has typically integrated and the freshness is still vibrant, while the tannins and structural components have not been overly dumbed down.

[Andy Velebil]

I agree on the use of the decanter too. I've found ports tend to taste better after decanting. For the lesser tawny's I do the same as Roy. I open them, then recork and put into the frig. They seem to show much better on the second or third day.