Salut/Hi Neil R.,

le/on Tue, 27 Jan 2004 09:22:47 GMT, tu disais/you said:-

>agree with ms macquinty about breathing. just think about the small volume
>of air in contact with the wine thru the neck of the bottle.

Oops, sorry not to have been clearer.

Opening a bottle an hour, two hours or so ahead of drinking has no
observable effect, IMO, and I'd not describe that as "letting a wine
breathe". Breathing only has any meaning if it's done by decanting - I use
the word (MT take note) in the English sense, of pouring a wine from bottle
to decanter either in order to separate wine from deposit, or to kick start
the oxidation process.

>very old wine should not be decanted unless it has thrown a crust. and then
>it should be drunk immediately or if musty (bottle stink) left for 10-15
>minutes.

Sorry. Again I can't agree here. About 2 1/2 years ago I was lucky enough to
go to a dinner hosted by M & Mme CapdeMourlin at Ch Balestard la Tonnelle,
one of the St Emilion Grand crus Classés. At that dinner we had four
different wines, including a B-l-T 1945. That wine was served decanted (or
carafed) and my first reaction was that the wine was over the top. After
about 20 -30 mins, it really opened out and shone, and the general consensus
of those of us, who like properly mature wine, was that it had been decanted
1/2 hour too late.

Several years ago, a reader asked about when he should decant a bottle of
Haut-Brion 45 (again). The general consensus here was that he should do so
JUST before drinking. When I discovered the ullage level of the wine, I
disagreed and advised decanting at least 1/2 hour, perhaps as long as 2
hours beforehand, advising further that he ask the Chateau. They replied
that 2 hours was about right, if I remember correctly, though it might have
been only an hour. Now if we were talking about Tokaji Aszu, then 1945
wouldn't class as a very old wine, but I think that you _would_ describe a
St Emilion as very old at nearly 50.

>

--
All the Best
Ian Hoare
http://www.souvigne.com
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