Should i let merlot breathe

A big, bold, young wine - a South Australian shiraz, for example - might taste tough when freshly opened and will generally benefit from air. Some wines like this can taste better after a day of being open. But a more refined wine of similar youth - for example, a pinot noir - is unlikely to need or want more air than it gets from simply being splashed into a glass.

As a rule of thumb, the older and more delicate a wine is, the more quickly it will deteriorate after being exposed to air. A wine bottled under cork may have been breathing - albeit slowly - for years. Once the cork is pulled and the wine is poured, its remaining fruit aromas can dissipate fast.

If you have a special old bottle more than about 10 years and you're in doubt, don't open it too early - instead, pour a quick glass for yourself before deciding whether to decant. He said that decanting accelerates the breathing process by encouraging volatile aromas to evaporate and emphasising fruit and oak aromas. Others have argued that advances in winemaking mean that fewer wines require the sort of aeration that might have been considered beneficial in the past.

However, some producers prefer to double decant younger wines , too, and particularly those that have high tannin levels. Be careful with older vintages, which can be much more sensitive once opened and may lose fruit aromas much more quickly. Perhaps the best thing to do is conduct your own research, which may necessarily involve opening a bottle or two.

Have fun experimenting! This article was originally published on Decanter. Not all wine needs to be decanted. Decanting is necessary mostly for younger red wines that need maximum aeration, or for older wines to help remove sediment. However, just about every wine will improve with some aeration, whether in a decanter or through a quick swirl in the glass.

So how much time does a wine need to breathe? The answer is…it depends. This applies to most wines with similar structure and concentration. But, for an easy-drinking New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc , something that is fresh, zippy and full of aromatic citrus fruit, an hour of breathing may dull the qualities that give the wine its character. However, a few swirls and a bit of time to breathe in the glass will usually help reductive or sulfur-related aromas blow off the wine. Thank You! We've received your email address, and soon you will start getting exclusive offers and news from Wine Enthusiast.

Just like a sommelier at a restaurant , pour a small sample to test the nose and palate before you commit to a full glass. Some wines may have some reductive or sulfur notes, which come across most notably as aromas of rubber, burnt matches or rotten eggs. Often, these aromas will dissipate after 10—15 minutes. You may opt for a decanter, but it could be simpler to pour a small glass and swirl away to see if those odors fade.