To decant or not to decant?

Imagine opening up a closet that has been sealed for several years or longer. The stale air that would waft through your nostrils would be unpleasant at best. Same is true about a bottle of wine or spirit. The air trapped in the bottle is stale.  Decanting a wine releases the stale air and invigorates the wine with freshness and softens the tannins or other harshness associated with the particular grape varietal.

Pour a small amount of the wine into a glass right out of the newly uncorked bottle and sip, slurping in some air. Then tilt your head back and gargle before you swallow and exhale through your nose to fully experience the wine. Decant and re-taste in an hour. Notice an improvement? Repeat the process. I have noticed dramatic improvement (from what I rated initially a 92 to a 98) after decanting for 4-5 hours. However, older wines are delicate and may be damaged by decanting but can still evolve in the glass.

Decanting a spirit is also essential but the process varies. Simply pouring a great Armagnac into a snifter and allowing it to sit for an hour or longer will improve the taste dramatically. Swirling occasionally speeds up the process, but do not sip after swirling; your nose will be overpowered by the alcohol.  I recall being disappointed in a very rare Armagnac tasted right out of the newly opened bottle. Each time I sampled it over the next few months resulted in an improvement but still disappointing. Then, after several months and re-tasting a half full bottle, "Voila!" The spirit had reached an amazing height of flavor, complexity and smoothness. It became one of my all-time favorite Armagnacs. Had I decanted or allowed it to air for a few hours in the glass from the onset, my initial experience would have been dramatically improved.