Long ass decanting

So last weekend I opened a bottle of 1996 Vajra Bricco del Viole. Put it in the decanter, we tried to enjoy it over dinner, but it was pretty much meh, so we moved on.

It sat in the decanter overnight and Saturday morning, it was a much improved wine with more classic tar and cherry nebbiolo aromas and a much more balanced palate. It didn't make it to great, but that may have more to do with the wine (and the cork was soaked, indicating potential mistreatment before I got it*).

So I guess I am less skeptical, but until Prof. Lipton or Rapacious Joe explain the why to me, I just can't get behind it wholeheartedly.

* and by the way, what a motherfucker that is. I bought this wine on release and carefully stored it, only to open it after 15 years to see a soaked cork. Makes you want to give this shit up all together.
 
I decanted 2006 Brezeme Pergault[sic] on Friday night a week ago, mainly for the purposes of separating the sediment, which was prominent. Half of it went back into the bottle and into the fridge, about two hours later.
On Friday, the wine was lovely, but I was under the impression that acidity was gaining an upper hand - rather unfortunately as the fruit was uncharacteristically crystalline and small-berried for this wine. Granted, I hadn't tasted the 06 in about a year, but had always found it more plush. Didn't get to taste the wine on Saturday (beer on days when Bayern plays), but big surprise on Sunday when brought back to room temperature: I recognized the acidity as equally strong, but it was conductive of all sorts of nearly floral goodies and the juice had filled out significantly to attain a rather elegantly framed sweetness.
OK, not exactly long ass decanting, particularly given the cryogenic interlude. Should I delete the post then?
 
The one time I met Gregory Dal Piaz he told me double-decanting was preferable to (single) decanting for Nebbiolo and the results have been great for me ever since. It relates to less air exposure while the wine is sitting back in the bottle. Less lead exposure with a long-ass double-decant also has to be a good thing if your decanter is lead crystal.
 
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