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Decant advice for a hedges and butler 45'
Posted: 14:18 Wed 28 Aug 2013
by g-man
Was thinking of serving a 45' on saturday
anybody have any idea of decant times?
pop and pour?
Re: Decant advice for a hedges and butler 45'
Posted: 05:23 Fri 30 Aug 2013
by 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!
Re: Decant advice for a hedges and butler 45'
Posted: 14:04 Fri 30 Aug 2013
by 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.
Re: Decant advice for a hedges and butler 45'
Posted: 14:15 Fri 30 Aug 2013
by g-man
uncle tom wrote: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
Re: Decant advice for a hedges and butler 45'
Posted: 17:48 Sat 31 Aug 2013
by JB vintage
CaliforniaBrad wrote: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!