Decant advice for a hedges and butler 45'

[g-man]

Was thinking of serving a 45' on saturday

anybody have any idea of decant times?

pop and pour?

[uncle tom]

Most important thing is to make sure the bottle has been rested for a few weeks prior to opening.

I have no idea why it is that old ports tend to show poorly if they've been shaken up during transport prior to decanting, but have enough first hand experiance to convince me that it's true.

- Enjoy!

[CaliforniaBrad]

My rule of thumb is pop and pour with wines that old, just with a decant to get out the sediment, don't want to miss a wine that's not going to last long. On the other hand, don't be in a rush as it may take an hour or two to come around. Tough to say with older wines as they can be so variable, so I try to err on the under than the over.

[g-man]

Most important thing is to make sure the bottle has been rested for a few weeks prior to opening.

I have no idea why it is that old ports tend to show poorly if they've been shaken up during transport prior to decanting, but have enough first hand experiance to convince me that it's true.

- Enjoy!

yes, standing in the cellar for the past month and fortunately it's at my house so no transport required

[JB vintage]

My rule of thumb is pop and pour with wines that old, just with a decant to get out the sediment, don't want to miss a wine that's not going to last long. On the other hand, don't be in a rush as it may take an hour or two to come around. Tough to say with older wines as they can be so variable, so I try to err on the under than the over.

I would do the same: pop & pour. However, these old wines might sometimes need 1/2 an hour or 1 hour to adjust and breathe. Do not be surprised if it smells awfully when decanted and becomes good after 30 minutes or so. Whatever you do, do not through it out if appears to be too old when you open the bottle. Let it breathe for a while first. After all, it is the first fresh air it has got for the last 68 years!