Decanting a wine

Why use a decanter?

A decanter provides the ideal environment for a wine to reveal the subtle details of its colour and the diversity of its aromatic palette, one that will refine the wine’s taste to enable the full expression of its intensity.

As well as being an object of art, the decanter is also the tool that will accentuate all the pleasures that wine tasting has to offer.

A decanter can be used in three specific ways:

  • Decanting a young red wine
Young vintage reds designed for ageing require several years to mature and reveal all their subtlety, elegance and richness.
Pouring them into a decanter accelerates the maturing process and enables the wine to age considerably within a few hours.
  • Decanting a mature red wine
A mature red wine that has been allowed to age several years in a bottle has reached a complexity and fullness that must remain intact for the taster. Natural sediment made up of tannins and anthocyanins (coloured pigments in the wine) must be removed before serving. Similarly, any reduction that has formed must be allowed to escape. 

  • Decanting a white wine
Due to their fairly fragile nature, white wines should be handled with great care. Gently swirling them will refine their aromatic purity whilst at the same time preserving their freshness.

Decanting time

For young red wine
One to four hours before serving depending on the personality of the wine (the longer the better if the wine is young and tannic).

For mature red wine
In order to respect the fragility of mature wines, the wine should be transferred to the decanter just before serving, with care taken to avoid extreme differences in temperature (the bottle and decanter should be at the same temperature).

For white wine
From 15 minutes to one hour before serving. Prestigious vintage wines and sweet wines are at their best after one or two hours in a decanter. Wines prone to oxidation such as the prestigious Vin Jaune may be left half a day in a decanter.

How to clean your decanter?

After each use, rinse the decanter with hot water, but avoid thermal shock. Then dry it upside down. A decanter drainer makes this operation easier.

What is a funnel?

Originally devised by the English for decanting vintage port, a funnel will take care of the most delicate wines. The filter in the upper part collects the sediment while the slightly concave tube, directs the wine smoothly down the neck of the decanter.