Air Time

S

Steven Spielmann

Steven Spielmann
I never know how long to open a bottle for before I drink it. I try to give reds an hour or so normally, but if they're old sometimes more. However, I have noticed that when drinking upscale bottles too young, you're often best served to pop and pour - you get about 30 minutes of something before it shuts down hard and goes away. (Of course other times it opens up just as you're on your last few sips.)

I suspect there is no good general advice here, but I'd be interested in hearing how you do it. And, speaking of upscale wines being drunk too young, I am opening a 2007 Croix Boissee, 2006 Raphet Clos de la Roche, and 2004 Rieussec tonight, so if there is any particular advice on those I will take it as well.
 
07 CB was the only wine from Baudry, ever, that had struck me as woody on a number of occasions. I specifically inquired with Matthieu on this matter when he was in town, and he assured me the wine was doing very well now, provided you gave it plenty of air. So there you go.

Looking forward to your report.
 
Unless I know it's something that has to be opened the day before, like a Coulée de Serrant, I usually open two hours before and smell. If there's little or nothing there, into the decanter it goes. Otherwise, I just leave the bottle open for two hours and pray.

I found 07 CB lovely at the winery six months ago, our sample certainly not woody, so hopefully should be great tonight.
 
originally posted by SFJoe:
Do you really prefer Coulee de Serrant open a day?
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The 06 was fantastic as a pop and pour a few months ago, but otherwise I would say that's standard practice. U think not?
 
I haven't found it beneficial.

I like to decant them, but don't find them better the 2nd day. Recent vintages, that is. The old ones had enough SO2 to go forever.
 
Steven,

I had the '07 Baudry CB 2 weeks ago and I surprisingly found it pretty open right away. Of course it was much better on day 2 but it was far from being shut down upon opening.
So I guess a 2h decant should do it.
 
I'm hardly the most seasoned taster around here, but it seems to me that aeration practices are a function of the wine itself and how you plan to drink the wine.

I rarely decant because most of the wine I drink is consumed over 6-8 hours (before, during, after dinner) and that gives most (but clearly not all) bottles a chance to slowly show themselves.

If you're looking for a more concentrated performance during a two hour dinner (or a 30 minute course) then decanting becomes a lot more useful. IMHO.
 
originally posted by Steven Spielmann: Air Timet I'd be interested in hearing how you do it.
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Steven, I almost never decant unless I expect sediment to be an issue.

I prefer to open bottles at cellar temperature (red wines) and pour right away. I prefer the development, if any, to occur in the glass rather than possibly be gone due to a delayed pour.

Once the wine has begun to fade, there is no revitalizing it.

Whether or not to decant a wine or let it breathe has been a topic of discussion (argument?) over and over and over and...

. . . . . Pete
 
Hey, Cristian, how long do you open a barolo ahead of drinking?

(Not to exclude Levi With An I but I assume the exigencies of table service don't allow him to choose decant times often.)
 
originally posted by Rahsaan:
I'm hardly the most seasoned taster around here, but it seems to me that aeration practices are a function of the wine itself and how you plan to drink the wine.

I rarely decant because most of the wine I drink is consumed over 6-8 hours (before, during, after dinner) and that gives most (but clearly not all) bottles a chance to slowly show themselves.

If you're looking for a more concentrated performance during a two hour dinner (or a 30 minute course) then decanting becomes a lot more useful. IMHO.
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That's a nice approach. Food for thought (or drink, I supppose).
 
All three wines were very enjoyable over the course of a long meal. The Croix Boissee was the most harmonious, healthy, and moreish. The Raphet was lithe and had a beautiful aroma of rare prime rib hovering over the red fruit. Really needed another fifteen years but I knew that. I saved half that bottle to check in with again tonight (and because I couldn't stop drinking the Croix Boissee). The Rieussec was big as a house and had plenty of acid to back up the sweet. Only a little botrytis but that's OK. Supposedly 2004 was a middling year in Sauternes although I have wondered at times whether that's said partly to cover up the difficulties they had at D'Yquem that year with the change of ownership. I don't drink enough Sauternes to have an informed opinion regardless, but what experience I have doesn't show '04 as obviously inferior to the two vintages that followed it, for example.

The Rieussec was the same when opened and three hours on; the other two were a little tart (pinot) and stemmy (cab franc) on opening but both got into a good groove with about an hour of air.
 
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