Decanting Burgundy? A delicate decision...

Decanting Burgundy? A delicate decision...
© Shutterstock

Should You Decant Fine Burgundy?

Decanting allows the wine to breathe, they say. In the case of fine Burgundy, however, this could lead to the wine taking its last breath – possibly even without an audience.

Aerating powerful white Burgundies by decanting them can be helpful as long as you keep an eye on the temperature. However, you can also achieve the same effect by pouring the wine, well chilled, into an appropriate glass, which you could also pre-chill depending on the season. With red Burgundies, which have a lot less tannin than a robust Bordeaux, caution is advised. Allowing a Pinot Noir to breathe for hours may do it little good, and cost you a lot of pleasure. Therefore, caution; the many nuances in its bouquet change with air within a very short time, and it is these fleeting aromatics that account for much of its fascination. A wine lover who decants their Burgundy hastily may be disappointed to find that the show in the glass is over before they have begun. Pinot aromas are volatile and oxygen is their best escape agent.

Sediment is not a hazard

When a Pinot Noir is very young, one can pull the cork an one hour or so beforehand, but leave the wine in the bottle. If it the bottle is likely to have thrown a sediment, put it in a serving basket at an inclined position a day before serving, if possible. This allows any deposit that may have been set in motion to settle again and you can then pour directly from the bottle. If a little sediment enters the glass on pouring, there is no need to panic. Domaine de la Romanée-Conti boss Aubert de Villaine recommends, "Just drink the deposit of a ripe Pinot Noir with it, rather than engage in the dangerous gamble of losing a third of the bottle." That's because Burgundy's deposit is formed not by bitter, grainy tannins, but by sweet, fancy pigments. These polyphenols form flakes that swirl out at the slightest movement.

Perfectly formed pleasure

However, by far the most important tool for bringing out the best in a Burgundy, whether it be the white Chardonnay, usually aged in small wooden barrels, or red Pinot Noir, is the right glass. Wine connoisseurs among glassmakers recognised early on that the fragile Burgundy varieties blossom in broad-based glasses, while they literally appear flat and dull in narrow shaped ones. There are few other wines that have such a multi-faceted and fascinating bouquet as a great Pinot Noir.

With Burgundy Grand Cru, perfectionist Claus Riedel designed a thoroughly voluminous glass, opening from a spherical shape into a broad tulip with a subtly flared lip. This instrument of enjoyment emphasises the aromas, highlights the sweetness of the fruit, the shape itself balances the acidity and tames the alcohol, which is de-emphasised. What Burgundy glasses from all manufacturers have in common today is that they give the wine plenty of room and have a wide diameter from which, through a tapering aroma channel, all the splendor of the Pinot flower is literally lifted up to the nose. Few varieties benefit as much from the right glass as red Burgundy. Those who economise here deprive themselves of half the pleasure.


Glasses-Tip

Riedel Burgundy Grand Cru Sommelier
Classic, impressive, expressive
riedel.com, €79

Riedel Performance Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
Top-functional and a real eye-catcher.
riedel.com, €49.90 (2 pieces)

Zalto Denk'Art Burgundy Glass
For powerful, expressive Pinots.
Specialty retailer, approx. €82 (2 pcs.)


Peter Moser
Discover more
Find out more
Wine Inspiration
3 wines for your Easter feast
With the privations of Lent coming to an end, it’s time to dial up the festivities with some...
By Ben Colvill