Decanting a wine and pouring it back in the bottle

[Really Nice!]

I'm going to a friend's house later tonight. I'm bringing a bottle of wine (2000 Château Jean de Gué, a Pomerol). My friend doesn't have a decanter so I'm going to decant it for a while and pour it back into the bottle before heading over.

Is the wine going to continue to open up even though it's back in the bottle with the cork back in it?

Thanks!

[Coop]

I vote yes. I think the initial airing of the wine will help it open up. I doubt that having it back in the bottle will improve it because there will be no increase in wine surface area.

[RobInAustin]

I vote yes. I think the initial airing of the wine will help it open up. I doubt that having it back in the bottle will improve it because there will be no increase in wine surface area.

←

Once you open the wine to that much oxygen, and dissolve it into the wine, you will see some definte improvement.

[DutchMuse]

It will open up in the decanter, but once you put it back in the bottle with the cork, it will not evolve appreciably beyond what occurred in the decanter.

[Mark Sommelier]

I'm going to a friend's house later tonight. I'm bringing a bottle of wine (2000 Château Jean de Gué, a Pomerol). My friend doesn't have a decanter so I'm going to decant it for a while and pour it back into the bottle before heading over.

Is the wine going to continue to open up even though it's back in the bottle with the cork back in it?

Thanks!

←

What you did is called double decanting. I do this for many of my customers. Normallly, the wine is old and you decant it, then rinse the bottle and put the wine back in. It is good for large tastings where everyone wants to see the bottle.

[Really Nice!]

I poured a small sip after decanting the wine for an hour, poured it back into the bottle, and we drank it two hours later.

In my estimation it continued to open up.

[GordonCooks]

You can decant into almost anything. In similiar situations at friends homes, I've made due with lemonade pitchers, mixing bowls, and a flower vase (all reasons why I like to entertain at home)

[daw]

Why rebottle it just take the decanter along - OK this may be awkward if you are driving but otherwise.

David

[Really Nice!]

Why rebottle it just take the decanter along - OK this may be awkward if you are driving but otherwise.

David

←

In Washington state we can't have open alcohol in the car, it needs to be in the trunk. It's easier to secure a bottle than a decanter.

[Bux]

I poured a small sip after decanting the wine for an hour, poured it back into the bottle, and we drank it two hours later.

In my estimation it continued to open up.

←

Did it sit open or closed upon arrival? The act of pouring or decanting (is it called canting when you pour it back in the original bottle? ) effectively aerates it more than just standing in the decantor--well time is a factor, so that's inacurate, but the principle is there. So assuming you tasted it from the decanter, it was given a dose of air again when you poured it again.

[Really Nice!]

I put the cork in the bottle and it was about 2 hours between pouring it back in the bottle and serving it.

I had a feeling it would continue to open up as this was akin to letting half a bottle sit over night. The main difference being the surface area in contact with the air once it's back in the bottle. The ullage for this wine was normal for a four-year-old wine and it filled back to about 1/4 inch above base neck. I had tasted about 1/4 inch worth, I guess. The surface area there is about 1/5 that of the rest of the bottle.

I suspect there's some sort of perpetual motion or inertia where the wine continues to open until there's nothing left to give. (Okay, not quite perpetual...)

Maybe I'll experiment with a cheap, tannic red.

Any suggestions?